The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-18
SAM WARDS NEPHEW.
HOWF. MARION CRAWFORD BECAME
A NOVELIST.
Some Entertaining Stories About the Great
Lobbyist Crawford VIII Givo
Course of Readings.
fsneciaI Corresnondence.l

Especial Correspondence
NEW York, Nov. 29.-One of the Ameri-
can novelists who holds his own IS +.
Marion Crawford, who has recently come
to the United States to read in public from
some Of his novels. Mr.. Crawford was
born in Italy during his parents residence
there, his father having sculptor's studio
I'm Rome, and it is on account Of his foreign
experience, much of his life having been
spent abroad, that his novels are always
studies and stories suggested by European
or oriental life.
Mr.. Crawford SAYS that he really stun
bled into novel writing. He was educated
for another vocation, but he happened to
tell an uncle of his, man who was distln-
guished in his way, the story OF Mr..
Jacobs, whom he had met somewhere III
the orient, and the uncle insisted that
Young Crawford should write the story
out Crawford did this, celebrating lit
tie. changed the name Of the hero to lsaacs,
and when his uncle read the manuscript
he declared the story was good enough
to publish. 1t was published, and Mr..
Isaacs" became one Of the famous novels
Of the time.
writing Of fiction, has published nearly
dozen novels, all Of them with profit, and
is now about to initiate the example OF
Charles Dickens and others and read from
his own works.
The uncle TO whom Mr.. Crawford told
the story of the original Of Mr.. Isaacs
was Sam Ward, character who might
well serve as study for any novelist In
his way Mr. Ward was one OF the most
famous men Of the time in which he lived.
Connected by marriage with the Astor
family, and being one of the most delight
full of hosts, a man of wide reading and
liberal culture, a charming wit and, above
all, not only an epicure, but actually
consummate cook, Mr.. Ward had every
thing that a man could wish in the way OF
society or the friendships Of cultivated men.
1t was in the war time that a certain as
ISOLATION of capitalists being anxious TO
procure some legislation from congress,
suggested 10 Mr.. Ward that he go to Wash
ington and look after their interests.
He did so, and he made lobbying an ex-
Guisite art. He came to be known as the
"King of the Lobby" His approaches to
members of congress were something I'M
usual. He reached many of them through
their stomachs. He gave the most ex-
uuisite dinners ever known in Washington.
He was able to cook a canvasback duck or
terrapin as no professional cook ever Of
fered it to guests, and his method Of cook
ing Virginia hams was such as to make
epicures delight in that roast almost as
much as they did in canvasback duck.
Wards tact was something marvellous; he
never gave offense, never bored, but he be-
came the most popular man in Washington.
The business Of lobbying became un-
profitable about 1876, and Mr.. Ward re-
turned to New York. Soon after some
thing occurred in his experience out Of
which his nephew, Mr. Crawford, might de-
velop a delightful story. James Il. keene,
the famous speculatOr, had during time
of awful panic on Wall street sustained
the market single handed and put an end
to the panic lie did this in one day. The
mental tension was something awful.
A reaction followed after Mr.. Keene won
his victory. and he was brought very near
to deaths door with threatened paralysis
of the brain. His family were in Europe.
1t was midsummer when almost all his in
innate friends were in the country, and he
Law therefore unattended, excepting by q
nurse on bed in a New York hotel.
Mr.. Ward hearing of his illness called
upon him, aud finding that no friends were
about him gave upall his own engagements
and watched and nursed Mr.. Keene for
nearly a month, or until he had almost re-
covered and his friends came. One day as
Mr.. Ward was leaving Keenes bedside the
al IN "a ar
bidding him not to open it until he had
reached Wall street.
When Mr.. Ward opened the letter he
found it contained a statement of an ac-
count with n firm OF brokers. 1t showed
that he had bought Il large number OK
shares of railway stock at Il certain price
some weeks before, and that on the day
previous the brokers had sold the stock at
his order, and had TO his credit as his pro
fits some $4,000.
Mr.. Ward had never had n financial op-
GRAFTON Of that kind. lie had bought no
stock. and had given no order for settling
it, and he did not understand the meaning
of it until he was told that the stock had
been bought in his name by Mr.. Keenc.
Then he understood that Keene had taken
this method of acknowledging his kind
ness to him.
When Charles Dickens proposed to read
from his works many Of his friends thought
that it would be undignifed to make u
public show Of himself. Yet he earned
from his American readings in one season
more money than he had received in roy
alties for all the books he had ever written.
Thackeray's lectures, which his friends
thought were unbecoming for a novelist,
earned for him enough to buy the house
which he coveted, and TO give him perma-
nent income of some 5000.
George W. Cable has earned more from
his readings than he has from his novels.
Edward Eggleston has found readings
from his own works profitable, and the
temptation for successful authors to read
from their own works is now very great,
since the promise OF pecuniary rewards Is
usually most alluring.
Mr.. Crawford is said TO be good reader,
and as he is a man Of fine physical pres
ence, who is almost unknown personally
TO Americans on account OF his long alb
sence, it is quite possible that he too, may
find that his public readings bring him
larger returns than his writings have done
h. j. EDWARDS.
NfcI,namaQ of Australian CoIonfsfa