The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-31

Mencius," "The Catholic Educator" Hoff-
mans CHRONICLES of Cartiphilus, the
Wandering Jew" 1.-TWO volumes); "Sala-
thiel," Conway's Wandering Jew" Mac
keever's Wandering Jew" st. Au-
gustine's "The City of God" '.Life
of St. Augustine" twelve vol
umes), "Ancient Armor and Weapons
in Europe" (three volumes), Thousand
and One Nights" (profusely annotated).
Pears "The Fall of Constantinople,
Merivale's "Greek Anthology" Richard
f. Burton's Personal Narrative of a PHI
grimage to El-Medinah and Mecca"
History of the Ottoman Turks" Lady
Agnes Blunt's THE Bedouins Of the Eu-
phrates;" Freshman 1.-The Jews and the
Israelites;" Ridpath's History of the
World" Lee Bosphore;" ''Tableau de
PEpire Ottoman" (three volumes in
French printed in 1890 and "Ihe Turkish
History" a quaint old black letter volume
of prodigious size. generously illustrated
in colors and printed in 1851 These are
but few of the books, many of them rare
and costly, by means of which General
Wallace has made himself familiar with
the history, the customs, the garb, the
very habit of thought of the people who
take part in the episodes and incidents of
his story. No wonder he has been eleven
years at work on this book.
By the time his map Is finished he is as
familiar with the scenes as if he had been
reared among them, and so far as history
can teach him and meditation give HIM in
sight he knows his characters as if he had
been their boon companion. Then comes
the task of writing his story. General
Wallace is very SLOW producer. Seated
in a low rocking chair he writes upon a
lap board which rests across the high
square arms of his chair. The board is
covered with chamois skin, which keeps
his papers from slipping Oft. For his first
draft he uses print paper cut into sixteenth
sheets and writes with a, lead pencil, Civ
ing preference to stub not more than an
inch long. Thus he sits and rocks and
writes-sometimes in his study up stairs;
sometimes under tent fly set up beneath
a favorite tree. a great beech, away back
and hidden from the street. And with
the exception of an hour, during which he
exercises either on horseback or by walk
ing vigorously up and down path which
he has worn along the rear of his extensive
grounds--wlth this exception ne works all
dav. Each morning he revises what he
has written the day before, and 1t Is gen
orally reduced To less than 800 words.
Although the first draft Is written with
great care--for he does nothing IN slap
dash way--it is frequently thrown away
next morning.
II have learned" he says, "that it is
easier and better to throw away unsatis-
factory work and begin II all over than to
trv to patch it here and there"
When a days conclusions pass muster
on the following morning they are moor
porated In the final copy. For this he
uses small books of yellow paper. folded
and stitched AT the back by Mrs. Wallace.
These books are of uniform size, each con-
tanning thlrty-slX pages. A ruler with
notches along its edge about an eighth OF
an inch apart Ia laid up and down the
page and with pencil point little dot IS
s3gNvl aDrL- fla..
starting points of the several lines 10 he
written on each unruied page; and when
page Is written full the lines are just so
far apart, as straight as string, ana the
page contains almost exactly the number
OF words that will appear on the printed
page when the book is published. In max
ing this final copy General Wallace writes
with pencil on both sides OF the paper
and puts III every punctuation point. He
leaves nothing 10 the Judgment OF the
PRINTER. All he asks Is that every page be
reproduced precisely as il is written.
these people " no pretend To scorn so
slight details as commas and dasnes and
semIcol0ns," he says. ''are usually shys-
tiers, who don't know how 10 punctnate
and won't take the trouble to learn.
lie has a wholesome contempt Tor every
thing OF SilpShod character. Ills manu-
scripts are a. precise as his maps, and, IN
his small, graceful chirography. are a
pleasure 10 look upon. But the printer
never sees these manuscripts, for Mrs
Wallace copies them all, and Ii IS her
handwriting that goes to the publisher.
The authors final copy Is placed IN fire
proof safe. The original draft IS destroyed
a. fast as the final copy Is made.
The artistic instinct OF the man crops
out at every turn. Here, on stand IN his
study. is a handsome case containing two
ancient and remarkably nne yioilnss with
which General " Wallace frequently enter
tains himself and sets his mind at rest
with the low, sweet music that he draws