The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-07-01
A NEW BOOK BY BLAINE.
1t Is Expected That He Will Begin 1t
Next Fall.
Especial Correspondence.

Next Fall.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, June est is the gossip in
publishing circles in New York that Mr.
Blaine has received two, and perhaps more,
| offers from publishers for a new work up
on political history, covering such epochs
| in the politics of the United States as he
may choose to write upon. This is an eX-
! perience which Mr.. Blaine had soon after
| he resigned his post of secretary of state,
in the early winter after the death of Gen
| eral Garfield. When it was announced
| that Mr.. Blaine proposed to write the his
tory of political events as they occurred
under his own eye during his twenty years
of public life he received a number of
propositions from publishers to publish
this work. He was a little surprised that
the mere announcement of his purpose
| should have caused such competition
among publishers, and this earnest bid
ding for the right to issue his book when
it was complete was the first suggestion
that there might be great pecuniary profit
in the undertaking.
After his data was obtained Mr.. Blaine
began the work of composition. He first
tried dictation, but he abandoned that,
partly because, he said, it tended to make
him diffuse and partly because the temp
tation was to hurry the work, whereas he
had plenty of time for the task which he
had set out to do. 1t was his habit to 90
to his library soon after breakfast and
spend three or four hours, or until he was
summoned to lunch, at his desk He wrote
slowly, not because composition was a
painful task, as it is 10 some men whose
work is a model Of style, but because he
desired to be careful and to practically
finish the work at the first draft. His
usual stint was about 1000 words day.
and in speaking of his literary work once
he said that he was astonished to see the
rapidity with which manuscript accumu
lated even when so small an amount of
work as 900 words a day was done
When the first volume was about quar-
ter completed the season for returning to
his home in Maine had come and he con
tinued in Augusta the work which was
begun in Washington, but he was far more
leisurely occupied.
1t became evident to Mr.. Blaine before
he had got very far in this work that he
was to reap great pecuniary benefit from
it. a subscription book publisher of Con-
necticut, who was man of financial re.
sponsibility, high business character and
great experience, had made Mr.. Blaine so
advantageous an offer that he accepted it.
The first volume had been completed
but little while before the presidential
canvass in which he was the candidate of
his party was begun. And of course Mr.
Blaine was distracted from his literary la
bors for nearly half year. His publisher
was also in a state of mind. If Mr. Blaine
should be elected he would have no oppor
tunity for finishing the second volume
until the end of his presidential term. On
the other hand, the fact that he had been |
chosen president would give additional |
prestige and advertisement to the book, SO
that its sales would be greatly increased. |
But four years would be long time to |
wait. An arrangement was made which |
was satisfactory, Mr.. Blaine agreeing in |
case of his election to finish the second |
volume before his Inauguration.
1t has been regarded by some of Mr.. |
Blaines intimates as one of the best indi- |
cations of his mental power and his adapt
ability that within week after his defeat
he had again surrendered himself to the
repose of his library, and appeared to find
in his literary composition ample compen-
sation for the disappointment of defeat.
1t is not known exactly how much money
the book brought Mr.. Blaine, but the
writer has heard from publishers who had
some reason for judging, that he received
between $780, 900 and 100000. The book
had made him independent pecuniarily
his fortune before was much smaller than
the popular estimate of it. 1t now is so
large that it is possible for him to associate
to some extent with capitalists in invest
ments.
1t was Mr. Blaine's intention after an
interval of rest to write another book, and
be had in mind the political history which
led up to the war of 1872, and the political
of that war, work which
would cover the administrations of Jeffer
son, Madison and Monroe; and although
be was recalled to public life, he has al
ways had in mind this work or some other
work on political history which would give
him occupation and healthy pleasure in |
his old age
There is no doubt that the book which
be proposes to write will cover this period. /
some of his friends intimate that
{ may be his purpose to make il a larger !
work than that originally intended and {
perhaps to tell the story of the develop 1
nent of that sentiment which ultimately /
ed TO the attempted secession of the south |
srn states Such book, judging from the
disposition of publishers, would add greatly
10 Mr.. Blaine's fortune and the expecta-
ion is that he will begin work upon it /
when he returns to Washington to live in '
retirement next winter. 4
E. J. EDWARDS