Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-10

London recently for $50. And GoLDsNirH
thought 30 little Of his immortal story
that he kept il in his desk for ten years!
At the same sale Mr.. BERNARD QUARrrcH,
the well-known collector in Piccsdilly.
paid f4,s50 for the Psalterium." publish
ed by Jusr 4 SoHGvrzE in 1859, which was
the largest sum ever paid for book at an
auction.
The statement recently published as to
the amount realized by General GRANTS
widow from the sale Of her husbands Me-
moirs has drawnforth from the publishers.
CHARLES l. WEBSTER d Co.. the exact
figures. They show that the amount was
largely understated. She received eleven
checks, the total of which is Sii4.s55.2s.
and about $1,000 moro was to be paid
shortly after January LIST. This record has
probably never been equalled.
This story. which was told at the last
birthday celebration of the poet WHIT;
TIER, is good enough to reprint. The poet
asked q farmer to whom he had lent
volume of PLATO how he liked 1t. First
rate" said the farmer; u see he's got
some of my ideas"
1t has been shown that since the death
OF yIcroa HUGO in 1885 the sales OF his
works have amounted to sl,4S3,673. Les
.Miserab,es" brought the highest returns.
The New Orleans PicdyIne says 1t is
reported that TANK KEE. cultivated
Chinaman who is lecturing throughout the
United States on his native land. has given
a library Of 5000 volumes to the Univer-
sity of Texas. All the books refer to
China. and are valued at $4,000 to
$50 OO0."
ALBERT WoLFF. dramatst. art critic, and
one of the owners and editors OF Figaro.
died in Paris last week. He was born In
1895, and was at one time private secretary
to the elder DUMAS.
Director General DAVIS has received from
a manufacturing firm an offer to deposit
with any one he may designate $4,000 as q
prize for the best poem OF song, to be
read or sung at the opening ceremonies of
the Worlds Fair, the contest to be open to
the world and the prize to be awarded to
the writer by a committee to be selected
by the commission. What q mighty
scratching of pens there will be should
this offer be accepted Already we can
feel our eye in fine frenzy rolling
Sir EDWIN ARNOLD, who il lecturing in
the West. has. like all poets, a vigorous way
of expressing himself. He said to Du-
buque reporter the other day, in speaking
Of English morals: THE most moral peo-
pie in England are the swells. The de-
bauched are the artisans. They do just as
they d--d please Who would have sus-
pected so much piety in the author OF
The Light OF the World ?"
The New Orleans Picdgfne is o. the
opinion that the realistic novel stands no
chance of immortality. "No mere deliDea-
ton of character it says. " independent
Of controlling conditions and surrounding
circumstances. can have any sort Of perma-
nence in public esteem"
JOHN RUsars, who is distinguished for
the excellence Of his prose, began to write
poetry at the age Of six, and by the end Of
his seventh year had finished a small
manuscript volume Of six poems. Here IS
specimen stanza from one of them:
weary for the torrent leaping
From OF tho scars rough crest;
Ny muse f. on tho mountain sleeping,
My harp Is sunk to rest.
1t is questionable il CH,rTERroN showed
more precocity than this indicates.
A certain magazine has been unprofta-
bly, discussing the question. Which is the
best book of the year9 The st. Louis
Globe Democrat thinks it is not book at all.
but is q newspaper. The Hibernianism
was more intentional than the misstate-
ment. The claim has been made IN other
quarters. but nobody seriously expects
newspapers to supersede books. When
they do that they will cease to be newspa-
pers.
The holiday issue of the Journalist is an
especially fine No. The articles are in the
main contributed by newspaper-men, and
each authors portrait accompanies his
piece. Studying these faces We are led to
wonder how it is that all the eood-looking
young men drift into journalism.