The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-06-06
LOCAL LITERATURE.
A Few Things Some Missouri
ans have Accomplished in
Prose and Poetry.

Missourians have done some credit
able work in the way of literature,
but considering that the state has
reached its three score years aud ten,
it seems that the boOk-shelves should
have a larger representation of what
might have been done in authorship.
In proportion to her age, Kansas sur
passes Missouri in reputation aud ac-
complishment as a literary community,
for Eugene Ware, Noble L. Prentiss,
John J. ingalls,, E. w. Howe, Thomas
Peacock and a dozen other poets and
prose writers have achieved national
recognition.
Bconville has long been considered
a kind of literary town, and yet two
or three bO ks would represent her
achievements in literature, and less
than a half dozen writers is her list
of literary contributors. Col. II. A.
Hutchinson, now probate judge OF
Cooper county, has written several
poems of unusual interest. One, having
as its theme, a little beggar girl in
winter. first printed many years ago
in Washington City paper; paddle
Your Boat with Golden Oar" and
"Beauty's Tears" rank as classics and
have been incorporated in books g.
elocution. Major Henry NJ. CYarh \.
who was an inspector gs''e aaa ~.
Prices army, has published one or
two serial stories, and has others IN
manuscript. He lives in easy eie,
oance in an authors ideal home, ana
snends hi. time mostly with his books,
his violin and a few choice friends.
Judge H. c. Levens, now of this city,
published a handsome history of Coop
er county in 1876. The late Mrs
Barr, the former wife of DIR. Lewis
F. Linn, United States senator from
Missouri. wrote and published large
biographical volume of him while sh'
was resident of BoOnville. 1h'
Rev. Francis Holman, while recto
of Christ Episcopal church, in Boon
VILE. published a pretty volume o
two of dainty devotional poems ant
HYMNS; and the late DR.. E. l. Law
ton. father of Mrs. H. c. Levens
of Sedalia, published book Of learn
ed esays on popular topics.
There is one young writer in Ml'
souri, who has done a great deal OF eA
cellent work in verse and prose. Ihl
is Mr.. c. l.. Phifer, for the past sey
eral wears connected with the Cal
fornia Democrat. Because of his moo
estv and environments, his light ha
been largely hidden under a bushe
Some one has sand, not contemptuou:
", but facetiously, that if h wer
lust little less of a crank, b. woul
be a genius. However. this f; etiou
ness has been flung in the face
some of the finest tHercterrs, anclei
and modern. Phifer has tackle
ANYTHING from a TRACED
10 trlOlet, anu has Pu'
lished several very pretty poetica
pamphlets. His rhythm is sometim
not as smooth as a flowing brook al
his meter jos.les one from the track
casionalIy, but within the last year
two he has materially overcome the
defects. However. there Is always
be found in his verse sweetness al
purity and much melody, His tale
turns largely to Biblical themes, int
eating unusual fami iarity with II
Scriptures. His philosophy, pu
lished week after week in the Den
erat, is equal in excellence to +. '
Howe's in the Atchison Globe. and
widely read. Phifer is person
friend of James Whitcomb Riley.
Perry RAIDER, editor of the Bru
mieker, at Brunswick, after four We;
&c ell onl roro,rcb nuhliShe1 a We