The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-07
Especial Corrcspondence.]

lSpccial Correspondence
New YORK, July 5.-The publishers of
New York have been interested by the an
nouncement that ex-senator Ingalls, is
busy upon work which is not exactly an
autobiography nor a history of political
affairs as he knew them from personal as
ISOLATION, but is n slletchy work of mon
and events mainly of contempornreous
history. Mr. Ingalls, he's been, since his
retirement from the senate, pretty busily
occupied with his pen, and he finds, Just as
Mr.. Blaine did, that the destinations of tho
library and study are almost as great rs
those OF public life. In fact, before Mr..
Ingalls, entered public life he had almost
determined to take up literature rs per-
manent profession, although he was law
yer of considerable practice
ltis believed by publishers that such
work as this would have wide sale. Mr..
ingalls, style is not confined to that vil,or-
Gus, incisive and epigrammatic characteri-
cation of public measures which made his
oratory conspicuous feature of senatorial
life while he was n member of that body,
but he possesses the power of suiting his
style of composition to the subject In
private life he is most delightful racon-
teur. No man in the senate, in the late
Senator Conksing's opinion, was able better
to tell nm anect!oto than Ingalls, and Conk-
ling himself was an admirable story teller
when he was in the mood for it, This
power Senator ingalls, carries into written
narrative, and he is able to write dcscrip-
tive passages OF great brllinncy ana
beauty. Therefore work of the kind
upon which he is now engaged, while it
will he sure TO reveal Senator Ingalls,
mcnta! quality, will be likely to he diff
ferent from the published addresses and
public speeches with which people are ia
miliar.
Senator ingalls, composes easily ard yet
with utmost pains. and therefore st. is not
likely that this book will be completed be-
fore another year. His experience goes
back to the tempcstuous days when the
Kansas question was an absorbing and
thrilling question of politics. He had per-
sonnl experience with the "border r,ninn"
contests, rs they were called, and he knew
nearly all Of those unlettercd but powerful
1ntellccts who were prominent in that
strife. His rccollectionS of them, told in
his mastery way, will be of the highest
interest.
Ingalls, experience in the senate goes
back farcnough to enable him to tell from
personal recollection something of those
great men who still remained in that body
after the war era, and if he feels free to
write with the license which he allows
himself i'll private conversation he can tell
some anecdotes Of extraordinary interest
which would give. with Photographic nc
curacy and with Il single touch, an insight
into the characters of some of these bril-
liant men. 1t Is not likely, however, thnt
Senator ingalls, will feel that he can tell
any of the anecdotes of the executive scs-
sions unless lie DISCUSSES men and oues
tons that he cannot be accused of hny
ing betrayed the secrets of these gather
ings.
MIR. ingalls, commands high prices for
his work, and it is in great demand. A
weekly magazine of New York city offered
him $1,000 for q short series of articles
upon any subject upon which he chose to
write, and publishers hero are willing to
guarantee him some handsome ROYALTIES
for this book of memoirs IL he is willing to
contract with any of them for the pubica-
ton.
Memoirs nowadays are profitable liter
airy undertakings. The memoirs of Gen
eral Grant are still selling and his widow
has been paid over S5O0,OOO. Shcrman's
memoirs gave him about all the property
he possessed outside of his salary us gen
erai. Shcridan's memoirs yielded his widow
about $4,000 General Buffers memoirs
sold very well, although not so largely rs
was expected.
When Thomas II. Benton, after serving
thirty years in the senate and two years i'm
the house, was retired to private life he
sought occupation. He determined TO
write his political memoirs, and the old
gentleman sat down to his prodigious task
which would have appalled, younger men
and lived just long enough to complete
work which has been a standard and which
is still selling.
Governor Henry a. Wise, of Virginia
wrote Il very interesting autobiography,
which is now out of print. but which sold.
his son, Captain Wise, says, quite largely
throuBhout the south. Ex-Governor Foote
OF mississippi after he retired to private
life wrote book of memoirs which is one
OF the most fascinating of all works of this
kind published by Americans. The govern
or wrote in bright, conversational way,
was perfectly frank, and in his book lie
told how he acquired the sobriquet of
"Hsngman" Foote, which stuck to him rs
long as he lived. This book had q large
sale, is now out of print and is highly
priced by collectors when they find it on
old bookstalls.
General Joseph T.. Johnston said to the
writer once that he had written his per-
sonal memoirs or military history more
for the purpose of leaving on record his
version of the military story of the Con
federacy than with any idea of pecuniary
gain, and the sale of his book was not suf-
ficiently large to pay him for the time and
labor he had expended on writing it.
publishers say that General Lees recol-
lections did not have very large sale, but
one of the great surprises to the publishing
trade was the comparatively small sales
which followed the publication Of the
memoirs Of Jefferson Davis. This may be
due to the fact that the book is believed by
Mrs. Davis not to have been well managed
IN the market, and the fact that she has
been compelled to begin litigation indi-
Gates TINT there may Ina Gonna i,,ot;o no ~, hor