davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19

novice who tried to manage locomotive, which,
being uncontrolled, ran off with its victim. To
make the description true to life Mrs. Spoford
spent days in studying the workings and parts
of an engine and in talking With engineers, and
SO well did she profit by what she learned that
when the story Was completed the description,
which had cost SO much time and effort was SO
real that many who read it believed it to be the
report Of an actual occurrence. In all her I'M
dertakings Mrs. Spofford is equally prodigal Of
labor and equally conscientious. Miss Alice
French Octave ThaneD considers eight or ten
hours fair days labor, and~upon one occasion
is said to have written for twenty-four hours
without sleep or rest. As a rule she writes in
the morning and early afternoon, giving the re-
mainder of the day to outdoor recreation.
John Ward, Preacher" was rewritten six
times before its author, Margaret Deland, gave
it to the printer. Bret Harte is his own most
exacting critic. His reputed carelessness in
other directions does not extend to his writ
ings, and he never allows q piece OF work to
leave his hands until completely satisfied with
it. Gen. Lew Wallace, the author Of "Ben
Hur, writes and rewrites his productions four
and five times, his first draft being written on
= slate and the subsequent ones on paper. The
general always has recourse to his wifes taste
and judgment when perplexed or in doubt, and
that cultured lady, who is a successful author
herself, always revises everything that her hus-
band writes.
Another faithful literary partner IL the wife
Of VIM: Henry Bishop, the novelist. Before he
married Bishops copy, with its erasures,
changes and interlineations, was watched for
with dread by the printer, but now his
wife copies all his manuscripts His novels
and stories are always submitted to her for re-
vision and correction and never go to the
public until she, as well her husband, is salts
fed with them. Joseph Kirkland, the author
Of "Zury," writes very slowly and there are
always innumerable erasures and changes in
his copy. He writes on very small pages and
rejects without mercy that which, upon second
thought, does not suit him. George W. Cable
writes with infinite pains, and, it is said, acts
his dialogues "a he writes them. He continues
the work Of revision and correction even after
his manuscripts have gone to the printer and
has been known to telegraph his publisher
some change which he thought would improve
. sentence or paragraph. Thomas Bailey
Adrich writes only when in the mood. He
composes slowly and fastidiously, revising and
correcting the most pnimportant article with
poetic care. All Of his articles before they
reach the printer are written and rewritten
three or four times; neither time nor labor 10
spared to remove all droas, 90 that only pure
gold VIII remain Samuel L. Clemens, in his
early years, Wa . newspaper seportsr. and in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19

who make books from books, and those who
make books from what they see. There are
books which are only the successors Of other
books, and these are simply old works done up
new. According to my ideas, a book should
only be written when one has nothing to say"
The system OF work followed by Georges Oh
net, the rising star of French literature is SIM
pie but effective. II begin" he says, with an
idea, motive. / turn it over and over in my
mind until / have woven the beginning, the
middle and the end Of my plot. then sketch
out the different characters to be introduced
and the various scenes Of action. This done,
set to work, writing for four hours every morn
ing Sometimes can write only one or two
pages, but when the inspiration is free and easy
l can write whole chapter at one sitting.
Generally speaking. write my novels in the
country and my plays in Paris. / do not sur
round myself with documents to work on. do
not want them. since l form my characters and
incidents out of my own mind. or according to
what have come across in daily life. l have
good memory and can remember about almost
everything have seen from childhood. l am
not Obliged to mount a railway engine, like
lola, who after all obtains only a very imper-
feet view of the scenes which come under his
eye. and which are more imaginary than real,
though the pictures he paints are marvelously
executed"
Guy de Maupassant, whose brilliant career
recently terminated in insanity, was one OF the
most fastidious Of literary craftsmen, but much
Of his best work was done under the influence
of hasheesh morphine, fact which in
measure accounts for his present condition.
Count Leo Tolstoi. the famous Russian novelist
and religious reformer, writes, rewrites and re-
vises his novels with infinite toll and patience.
His gifted and devoted wife acts as his secre-
tary and literary counselor, and all of his manu-
scripts are copied by her before being sent to
the printer.
Thomas Hardy, now the foremost Of English
romancists, lives and works at Max Gate, near
his native Dorchester. He has no fixed methods
Of composition, and while he tries to do a GER
tain amount daily, does not force himself to
work when not in the mood, which is quite
often the case. In the matter of plot, Mr..
Hardy confesses that he is inclined to be what
might be called irregular" II usually" he
says. "let the characters work out the story for
themselves. People sometimes object to the
ending Of story. They say, Why did the
author make his narrative end in this tragical
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19

from the time he received his first fee Of eli. %
to the date OF his appointment One of De-
troit's big wholesale merchants found himself
involved financially to q greater extent than he
could bear some time in 1860 and creditors soon
got wind Of the fact. Suits to recover were as
plentiful as debts and one Of these called for
S225. The plaintiffs attorney secured judg-
ment and Lawyer Brown was intrusted with its
collection. He had the execution issued and
and the sheriff was ready to proceed when it
was discovered that on account of the vast
number Of judgments entered some Of the
creditors would receive little or nothing. A
compromise was affected for so cents on the
dollar and Justice Browns client received his
pro rata share, Five per cent Of the entire
amount yielded the collector a fee of s1125
and laid the foundation for a subsequent fifteen
years practice in admiralty cases, which have
since formed the basis Of more than one decis-
ion In Michigan's state supreme court.
JUSTICE BREWERS EARLY LIFE.
Justice Brewer had attended to making few
motions for his uncle before New York city
court after being. like Justice Blatchford ad-
mitted to the barfn Albany, when, to use the
words of the justice from the "sunfower
state, he journeyed to Kansas City and
Leavenworth before either of these cities were
anything very much more than mere stopping
places ON the overland route to the Pacific.
Still pair Of hilarious Leavenworth Irishmen
paid him his first fee Of $40, and evidently 1t
was well earned from Justice Brewers dsscrip-
ton of the antics which placed them in need Of
legal aid. The defendants hired horse and
buggy from a liveryman for the purpose of ut
tending funeral several miles out Of the city.
While on their mission the mourners fell in
with a number Of cowboys and imbibed freely
OF the contents of sundry TASKS in the posses
sion Of the cowboys. They must have sue
ceeded in drowning their sorrows, for the tenn
porary custodians of the livery rig soon got on
a race with other mourners at the funeral and
a disastrous collision resulted. The buggy
was completely wrecked and the liveryman
sued for damages
Justice Brewer was called in to defend the
culprits and convinced the jury that his clients
met with accident through the carelessness OF
the other parties to the race and the liveryman
was out to the extent of his rigs value, which
for the time and place proved considerable. 1t
meant what was then regarded princeiy fee
for the lawyer. though which the Irishmen at
first demurred to paying on the ground that it
was too much of an extortion.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19

most industrious and methodical Of workers.
II am mechanic, said he not long since,
and everything do Is systematically arranged.
novel year is the result of the proper work.
ing of my machinery. l commence my yearly
novel about April or May and finish somewhere
in December. must have eight clear months
for my book. do all the work of composition
at my country home, Medan. When finished
come to Paris to superintend the publication
and to satisfy myself that all is going smoothly.
While In Paris take notes for my next novel.
There is no rest for me. LIE Roi est mort.
Vlve le Roi! That is my motto. By taking
notes mean that study the localities or the
classes OF people among which my creations
are destined to move. Then l set to work."
lola does all his writing himself. He writes
and rewrites a novel half dozen times before
he Is satisfied with it, scarcely a sentence es-
Gaping his effacing fingers. Sometimes whole
pages are remodeled, sentences are condensed
into two or three words. Here a semicolon Is
changed into full stop, commas are changed
he gives the printers do not complain, but vie
with the author in presenting his works perfect
to the world
Alphonse Daudet, often called the French
Dickens, gives this account of his method Of
writing novels: II first Of all" says he, clay
down my notes in a little pocket book which
carry about me. Then write out these notes,
crossing them off the pocket book with red
pencil as go along. The notes just after they
are written are copied clearly by my wife, who
corrects any little errors Of redundancy which
l may have committed. then take nv wife's
copy and 60 through it carefully, adding and
cutting to suit my taste. The result Of this
manipulation is conformation Of tho hero
gylphics which shock the eye. There is only
one man in the world who could interpret
them. and that is my private secretary-worth
his weight in gold let me say. To this long
suffering gentleman, therefore, my iilegibie
manuscript passes, and from his hands it
energies nearly what it ought to be, but not
quite. After few quieter struggles, however,
it is ready for the printer. My wife is positive
boon TO me. / don't really know what should
do without her. A really curious thing is that
Nine. Daudet despises novels. 1 write them,
you know, and she despises them. She often
says that my novels bore her. I think she
really prefers my note books. In my opinion,
we read too many books. What we want is to
come into contact with life. There are those
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19
LABOUCHERE ON PARLIAMENT.
One Imperial and Four Local, Like Our
States.

One Imperial and Four Local, Like Our
States.
have never rightly understood why Irish
home rule should be fought on conservative
and radical lines, remarks Mr.. Labouchere in
London Truth. At present we have an imperial
parliament which is SO blocked with business
that it performs its functions either in per-
functory fashion or not at all. Irishmen OUT
vote Engiishmen on English matters, English
men outvote Irishmen on Irish matters Scotch
men and Welshmen, moreover, do not have their
way in matters alone locally affecting them.
Surely it would be more reasonable to have
local parliament for Scotland, Ireland, Eng
land and Wales, with powers similar to those
enjoyed by the several states that comprise the
American Union, and with an imperial parlia-
ment invested with the powers of the Washing
ton Congress, all points in dispute between the
local and imperial parliaments being referred
to a supreme court. In America this system
neither shakes the stability of the state nor of
the property belonging to the individuals COM
posing the state. 1t does precisely the reverse,
for in no country in the world does q nation
hang more closely together, and in no country
is the property Of the individual more secure.
During the French revolution Capitalization
was the dogma Of the extremists and federal
ization Of the moderates. Indeed. the Girond-
lists lost their heads FOR advocating the latter.
Why therefore the conservatives should be
against liberalization is to me perpetual mys-
terry. I am home ruler, irrespective Of being
q radical, but were q conservative should be
still more of homo ruler. Apart, however,
from the respective merits Of the two systems
there is no question that it il mistake from
the conservative standpoint TO block the way TO
the reasonable social reforms which are desired
by the large majority Of the nation by passing
years In discussing home rule. This is playing
into the hands Of the extremist, just as dam
ming the course Of . stream leads eventually to
. food, end ia likely to produce effects which .
conservative would deem disastrous.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19
There Was a Difference.

Prom the Detroit Free Press.
There had been homicide in saloon and
one man was telling all about il, even TO the
minutest detail. He had seen il all and knew
what he was talking about, he said, and. not
withstanding that everybody had not implicit
confidence in his statements, nobody cared 10
call him 10 account snd make him show proof.
Naturally, such q man would be . good witness,
and at the examining trial he was put on he
stand.
'What do you know about this AFFAIR." asksd
the court.
''Nothin', yer honor he replied 50 promptly
as to startle those who had heard his story.
Didn't you," asked the surprised Judge,
"tell q number Of people you had seen il alp"
"Yes, yer honor"
Then how does ID happen that you Say here
that YOU don't know anything about it?'
We'll it's this way, yer honor, /" he ssid, with
a redeeming blush. al was only talkin then,
an now I'm a swearin'."
The court noted the distinction
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19

= day to literary work, dividing the time equally
between the morning and the afternoon He is
a rapid worker and thinks nothing of turning
of several thousand words dav. His novel,
ITO Leeward," was written In the mornings OF
a fortnight in q cave overlooking Sorrento,
where the author sought seclusion from the
gay spirits who had focked to the beautiful
Italian city. Julian Hawthorne belongs. or
rather used to belong. to the large class of peo-
pie who often put off until tomorrow what they
could better do today, and as q consequence he
has often had to perform long tasks in short pc-
RODS. On one occasion he wrote for twenty
six consecutive hours without pause, and five
or six years ago he began and finished 81, 600
word story in four days; moreover its
literary quality was excellent Mr.. Hsw-
thorne has his own ideas about novel max
ing. "A novel or any other work of art" says
MI. Hawthorne, should grow from q germ In
the authors brain to perfectly developed
organism. The novels Of my writing that have
least displeased me have come in that way A
sudden capitalization of diverse elements into
a symmetrical idea; then let it expand to the
last detail like plant with as little interior
ence on the authors part as possible. Then,
Of course, there are constructed novels like
the Chinese ivory balls within balls; but their
best workmanship is on the outsde-the in
most Of them is but blind nodule Charac-
tiers should take quality from the story, as
fruit from the kind of trees producing it
apples on one, cherries on the other" Mr.
Hawthorne admits in conclusion that at one
time and another he has shamelessly violated
all the principles he thus lays down.
Frank Stockton seldom puts pen to paper,
but dictates his stories and novels to an
amsnuensis, who writes them out In long hand.
He prefers the morning hours the best time
for work. He always carefully thinks out
story in its entirety before commencing dicta-
ton, and is fond Of writing the last chapter of a
novel first. He says he cannot see how any
one can write a well-rounded and appropriately
proportional novel unless it has been definitely
decided beforehand what the conclusion is to
be. Mr.. Stockton revises but little, and sends
his manuscript to the printer substantially as
written out by his secretary. Mrs. Frances
Hodgson BurpOtt, despite her genius, is a
woman still, and writes best among the
luxurious surroundings in which the feminine
heart delights. When she has q new novel on
hand she retires to her study after an early
breakfast, and writes without interruption
until noon. She is a rapid writer and is gen.
orally satisfied with her sentences as first
written.
far more exacting worker is Mrs Harriet
Prescott SpOford. Once in a story she was
writing she had to describe the experience Of a
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19

the mayor Of city, a village justice of the
peace. His decisions were not to be questioned,
and IN the old California days il wasn't a
healthy thing for anybody to do so. Whenever
dispute about staked claims arose. and il so
happened that 1t was not settled by one party
killing the other before a settlement was
reached. the ACADIA sat in Judgment and de-
clded the matter in short order. When a tenn
porary agreement By compulsion was reached
through the other method, and the survivor
did not get to safe distance before the vigil
lantes reached him, the alcaldia's services were
again called into requisition and a speedy dance
from the end OF a rope generally contributed
to the quota in the Marysville cemetery.
Justice Field was in those DAYS the only
lawyer the town could boast Of, and when law
and order finally got the upper hand in the
community the attorney who bewailed mono
tony in New York had no reason TO do so in
the new state. from which he went to the United
States Supreme Court scarcely more than a
decade later.
JUSTICE BROWNS FIRST CASE
was one in chancery and the Judicial dignity of
Michigan's honored representative in the tri-
bunAl, acquired during his seventeen years.
experience there, does not preclude the bring
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19

manner? Well. it very often happens that You
get to the middle of q story with the intention
OF making it end happily and then you find that
the characters which have grown up in your
hands will act in q certain manner. Now what
are you going to do with characters who do
that? Unless you falsify your characters you
must make matters end as they would in real
life. II you do otherwise you have an I'M
pleasant feeling that you are telling false
hood" While writing q novel Mr.. Hardy be-
comes strongly attached to his characters, but
often forgets their names and has to be set
right with regard to them by his wife, who fol-
lows his writing closely. Robert Louis Steven
son does great deal Of his writing in bed. He
loves quiet surroundings while at work and in
terruptions Of any sort drive him to despair.
William Black IL another novelist who de-
mands absolute quiet while ct work. He says,
respecting his habits Of composition, that after
breakfast he writes steadily FOR two hours and
one hour after dinner, which 10 all the time he
gives to literary work During the rest Of The
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19


contests for Judgment which those dignitaries
bad charge Of years ago at the very outset
OF their careers they rose to the highest
position BY appointment in the gift of the
nations chief executive. You NAV not have
dreamed that MANY Of those nine justices could
ever have argued in their clients behalf before
an ordinary justice Of the peace aud in the event
OF winning. be glad to accept S5Is princely fee
for the services rendered. No doubt you did
not imagine that the notwithstanding Chief
Justice Fuller ever wagered pair Of boots on
the outcome Of a case-he won them, too,
BY the vay-and perhaps it NAV not have
occurred to YOU a possibility that one justice
OF the number was actually judge before he
had tried his FIRST case. either for plaintiff or
defendant. IL Is true many of those things
happened thirty, forty and almost fifty years
ago. and some Of those grave judges were not
compelled to waste their eloquence in a town
ship court while on the contrary their initial
efforts we're put forth issues which have
since become presidents and are quoted as the
basis OF subsequent decisions. But if in the
aggregate the first nine cases covered no large
interests, and fees and retainers were cor
respondingly mall. the fact still remains that
the justices Of the United States Supreme
Court we're all young lawyers once, and as Mr..
Justice Brewer sand, The recollection of a frat
victory in the legal arena seems as pleasing as
a subsequent one which enriched the pleader
BY thousands"
IL was somewhere in the midi fifties wav
up in Augusta. Me-, when a young college
graduate named Melville W. Fuller was adj
mitted to the bar of his native state He had
natural inclination for the law, but never
dreamed IN his widest flights of imagination
that in little more than quarter of q century to
come he should have achieved such prominence
- lawyer that the President OF the United
states would appoin. h'n chief justice of the
supreme Court He ainly had no such idea
when trying his first care alone. And that case
the chief justice likes TO think about even now
for il brOugh, him his first fee-a IS gold piece,
which was treasured as his lucky coin months
afterward- That miniature brief did not in
solve large amonnt of cold cash. nor did il
put IN appearance within few DAYS after Mr.
fnllers shingle was flung 10 the breeze.
EXPERIENCE THE FIRST FEE.
Lott NJ. Morrill,, afterward United States
Senator, was big gun among the legal frster-
nifty Of the pine tree state in those days and
he evidently believed in activity to keep a
young lawyer from growing rusty in the funda-
mental principles Of his profession. So having
been EMPLOYED to defend negro for some petty
criminal ofense he graciously invited young
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19

counsel in his first large jury trial The case
occupied attention from the circuit court Of
that district, and the victory achieved by the
Junior representative Of '.Dow q Pierson"
marked the beginning OF . series OF triumphs
which finally landed him in life justiceship at
the national capital.
BLArcHFoRp AND BLArcHToRD IN GOTHAM.
On January i, 1893, ffty-one years viii have
elapsed since Justice Samuel Blatchford left
the care Of his legal preceptor in Albany, N.
y, with q certificate for efficiency in Black
stone theories in his pocket. The journey to
the metropolis was great deal more tedious in
those days than now, but the newly made law
yer reached Gotham in due season and at once
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19
A Trihing Feat.

From Good News.
Little Bobby-"Mamma, the boys is going to
have circus. May act?'
Mammal suppose 90. What are you
going to do?"
Little Bodybuilding much. They Is going
to have pyramid OF sixteen boys, an al / has
TO do II TO stand on top"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19
THEIR FIRST CASES.
When the Justices of the Supreme
Court Were BrieHess Barristers.
THE HIGHEST TRIBUNAL.

lawyer who Worked Their Way From
small Beginnings-when the Chief JUS
ssce was . Young Man-Experience His
Yirss -Fee-Justics Field on . Vigilance
Committee.