The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-13

LATEST PICTURE OF BRET himself entirely to
r literature. He is
said to be much sought after in London so
ciety, for which he has bu6 little inclination,
although he is a member of several clubs.
Mr.. Harte's literary reputation has con.
tinued to grow abroad during the years Of
his residence there, while it has declined
very materially in the United States. Ger
many is said to afford him his most profit
able field, but his works sell much less
readily in his native land than formerly.
In fact, it is reported that there is a smaller
demand for his stories In America than
anywhere else. Nevertheless he makes
about $4,000 q year by his work and de
votes but about six months to the actual
labor of composition. He writes very slow
~ and carefully and writes nothing that
is not solicited. He has an agent in Lon
don, through whom all orders must be
given.
Mr.. Harte is said to be a very handsome
man still, with q slender but broad shout
dered figure, fine, erect carriage and a youth
full looking face. croEned with silvery white
hair. His latest photograph presents quite
a contrast to those that have hitherto been
familiar to Americans.
Mr.. Harte has had a decidedly romantic
history, though it is not very well known
to his countrymep. He was born in AL
bany in 1871 and lived there till he was
10 years Of age, when he removed tc
New York city, where, at the age of II, he
wrote and secured the publication of his
first poem, "Autumnal Musings" His
relatives, rather prosaic people by all &C.
counts, looked upon his literary instincts
as little less than criminal and severely
and effectively discountenanced any further
ventures of the kind. Two years later he
ran away from home and school and crossed
the plains with ar emigrant train to Cali
fornia, then the Mecca of all youthful
minds. His "Waif of the Plains" narrates
much Of his actual experience on this I'D
venturous expedition.
After arriving in California he tried all
sorts of things. He did some mining, set
type, taught school, was an express mes
senger and tried his hand at frontier jour
nalism. At the age of II he was appointed
deputy collector at his own request. Hi,
ambition caused no little merriment among
his friends, for no taxes had ever been col
lected up to that time, and the mining dis
tricts were wild and lawless. He was very
successful nevertheless, and every tax was
paid. He was never molested, and though
be carried no firearms he never received an
unkind word from any Of the rough charac,
tiers among whom his business took him.
In 1864 Mr.. Harte vas appointed secre
tary of the San Francisco mint, a position
that afforded him considerable leisure,
which he devoted to study and literature.
It was at this time he produced 1.-THE Phi
ocene Skull" Society of the Stanislaus',
and other things which became famous, in
Guiding his celebrated CONDENSED Novels" >
which may be said to have ~inaugurated the
era Of the short story.
When The Overland Monthly was start
ed, Mr.. Harte was chosen for its first editor.
His Luck of Roaring Camp was printed
in the second number, in spite of the ad-
verse Judgment of the entire staff Of the
magazine, and was the real beginning of
Bret Harte's fame. 1t is said that 10000
copies of the story have since been sold.