Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-26


at the case. His father gave him good
common school education. The young man
had great love for books, and q tendency
in the direction of the study of languages.
He first acquired a good knowledge of
Latin, and then learned the rudiments of
Greek. From these he went to French and
| German. and picked up good reading
knowledge of Spanish.
When he arrived in Washington to push
his application for Munich he had the SYM
pathetic support Of the two secretaries of
Lincoln. They knew of him and his news
him. The President, however, gave the
Munich appointment to some one else, and
told his secretaries that their friend Mr.
Howells could have the Consulate at Rome.
This was early in the history of the War of
the Rebellion. In looking up this consul
ate, Mr.. Howells found that its fees were
only $500 year. He was then unmarried,
with very modest ideas and great ambition
to go to Europe to study, but he did not
think he could live on that amount of
money. so he appealed again to his friends
in the White House. They secured for him
the Consulate at Venice, which was then
worth $3.50 a year, and as Southern pri-
vateers were at that time becoming objects
of interest in foreign ports, Messrs. Nicolay
and Hay were able to obtain the increase of
the pay of this post to 81 800 year. This
magnificent sum more than satisfied Mr..
Howells
He Married in Paris.
He accepted the post with Joy, and the
following year his wife met him in Paris,
where they were married. He remained at
this post for four years, and during that
time acquired an accurate knowledge of the
Tka1f
Days." written as the result of his life in
Venice, is to-day the guide book of every
American tourist who visits this city.
saw Mr.. Howells some four years ago in
Washington for the first time. He was the
object there of great deal of attention. 1
recall one evening when he came to my
newspaper Office and spent nearly two hours
interviewing me upon nv experience as
correspondent. The other dav turned the
tables upon Mr.. Howells by addressing him
a note asking to set time for an interview.
reply saying that what there was left of
him to interview would be found every
afternoon between certain hours at his
Office. The facsimile of his note will in
terest the students of graphology.
Mr.. Howells is in the neighborhood of 30
years of age. In talking with him you give
him the benefit OF being on the right side of
80, no matter what his biography may say.
He is of medium height and is quite stout,
round and contented looking. His face is
round. Nearly all the lines of his figure
are curved. His hands are tat and dimpled
A Pen Picture of the Man.
HIS round face has the look Of refinement,
experience of the world, the good-natured
Indifference and the cynically happy dishe-
lief of diplomat of experience and high
flor1y md
deeply set. His forehead is broad and high,
covered nearly to his eyebrows with iron
gray hair, combed down in what might be
called bang, if there were not semblance
Of q parting to destroy the character of such
definition. An iron-gray mustache shades
his frm-lined mouth. The nose is straight
and not large. His chin is smooth shaven
and forceful. His voice is very agreeable
There are certain notes of contentment in
the tones of his voice which argue that Mr.
Howells is satisfied with his career aud
with the success he has made in life.
In his office, in the Madison Square Bank
Building, New York, there is room for a
huge desk, stuffed leather chair for Mr.
Howells and for three or four chairs tor the
literary aspirants who come in trembling to
submit to his judgment the samples OF
spring poetry, essays and stories which
come in endless procession to every recog
nized publication. Sketches of proposed
illustrations standing carelessly about re-
lieve the plainness Of the Office, which is
rigidly business looking, much like the cor
ner oil the average managing editor of a
daily newspaper. He was much more frank
than politician. He refused TO answer no
questions put to him. He was first asked
what led him to adopt literature as pro-
fession He said he could not answer such
question as that, and gave a specific rea-
son. He could not remember time when
he was not in literature. He could not re-
call the day when he began to read. His
father was a man of books, and in the print
ing office of the elder Howells his literary
tastes were stimulated,
The uthor's First Essay.
He said that his first writing was an essay
upon the subject Of life. This was not
written, but was composed at the case. He
does not know what has become OF this cor
tribution to American literature. His next
step in the direction Of literary study was
when he discovered the laws of prosody.
That opened up to him the possibility of
writing poetry and n lot of precious rub.