The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-10
J.J.NGALLS, HISB00K
TIE EX-SENATOR TURNS FROM POL
TICS TO AUTHORSHIP.
He Gives His RecolIcctions OF Bleed
ing Kansas" Together with Personal
"Reminiscences Of brilliant Statesmen.
His Work Commands High frices'

ing Kansas, iosch"''
| p.o,o,,c.noes of brilliant Statesmen.
MI. work Commands High Prices.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK. July 5.-The publishers OF
~ York have been interested by the an
,o,roaynent that ex-senator Ingalls, is
h,,sv mon a work which is not exactly an
ortobiooraphy nor a history OF political
ofTajrs IA he knew them from personal as
sociation. but is sketchy work OF men
and events mainly Of contemporaneous
history Mr.. ingalls, has been, since his
retirement from the senate, pretty busily
occnnied with his pen, and be finds, just as
NJ RIaine did. that the destinations OF the
library and study are almost as great as
those Of public life In fact, before Mr.
InoaIls entered public life he had almost
determined 10 take up literature as per-
manent profession, although ne was law
YER OF considerable practice.
II is believed By publishers that such
work as this would have wide SALE Mr..
ingalls, style is not confined TO that vlRor-
ous. incisive and epigrammatlc characterl-
gation of public measures winch mace his
oratory q conspicuous feature OF senatorial
life while be was member OF that body
but he possesses the power of suiting his
gtyle Of composition TO the subject. In
private life he is q most delightful racon-
teur. No man in the senate, in the late
Senator Conkling' s opinion, was able better
10 tell On anecdote than ingalls,, and Conk-
ling himself was an admirable story teller
when he was In the mood for it. This
poyver Senator ingalls, carries into written
narrative. and he is able TO write descrip-
tive passages Of great brilliancy and
beauty. Therefore work Of the kind
upon which be is now engaged, while it
will be sure to reveal Senator ingalls,
mental quality, will be likely to be diff
ferent from the published addresses and
public speeches with which people are IA
miliar
Senator ingalls, composes easily and yet
with utmost pains, and therefore IL is not
likely that this book will be completed be-
fore another. year. His experience goes
back to the tempestuous days when the
Kansas question was an absorbing and
thrilling question of politics. He had per
sonal experience with the border ruffian"
contests, as they were called, and he knew
nearly all Of those unlettered but powerful
intellects who were prominent in that
strife His recollections Of them, told in
his mastery way, will be OF the highest
interest.
ingalls, experience In the senate goes
back far enough TO enable him 70 tell from
personal recollection something Of those
great men who still remained in that body
after the war era, and If he feels free 10
write with the license which he allows
himself in private conversation he can tell
some anecdotes of extraordinary interest,
which would give. with Photographic ac-
curacy and with single touch, an insight
into the characters Of some of these bril-
liant men. 1t is not likely, however, that
Senator ingalls, will feel that he can tell
any Of the anecdotes Of the executive ses-
sions unless he DISCUSSES men and ques-
tions so that be cannot be accused of hav-
ing betrayed the secrets OF these gather
ings.
Mr.. ingalls, commands high prices for
his work, and it is in great demand. A
weekly magazine Of New York city offered
him 81 600 for q short series Of articles
upon any subject upon which he chose to
write and publishers here are willing TO
guarantee him some handsome royalties
for this book of memoirs if ne is willing TO
contract with any of them for the publica-
ton.
Memoirs nowadays are profitable liter
airy undertakings. The memoirs Of Cen
eral Grant are still selling. and his widow
has been paid over $4,000. Sherman's
memoirs gave him about all the property
he possessed outside of his salary as gen
eral. Sheridan's memoirs yielded his widow
about $4,000. General Buffers memoirs
sold very WELL although not so largely Gs
was expected
When Thomas II. Benton, after serving
thirty years in the senate and two years in
the House, was retired to private life he
sought occupation. He determined 10
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 a
work which has been standard and which
is still selling.
Governor Henry A. Wise, Of Virginia,
wrote very interesting autobiography,
which is now out of print, but which sold,
his son, Captain Wise, says, quite largely
throughout the south. Ex-Governor Foote,
Of Mississippi, after he retired to private
life wrote q book OF memoirs, which is one
Of the most fascinating of all works Of this
kind published by Americans. The govern
or wrote in a bright, conversational way,
was perfectly frank, and in his book he
told how he acquired the sobriquet OF
"Hangman" Foote, which stuck to him as
long as he lived. This book had a large
sale, is now out Of print and is highly
priced by collectors when they find il on
old bookstalls.
General Joseph f. 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-
fciently large TO pay him for the time and
labor be had expended on writingit.
Publishers say that General Lees recol-
lections did not have a 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 that there may be some justice in her
complaint
Roscoe Conkiing was once offered a large