The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-01-31
PROFIT IN WRITING
There Is Much for Famous Men
Who Care to Weld the Pen
IeadiBx Politicians. Finsnciers and L'n-
terateurs Who Have Been onered
and Paid Big Prices for
Their Work

Taalfnr Politicians ftnRnciers anu LIZ
terateurs Who Have Been offered
and Paid big Prices for
Their Work
There are number of men Who have
no reputstion as writers who would he
allie 80 command at almost amy time
higher rates for magazine or newsps-
per articles than almost any Of those
iitterateurs who have gained fame oy
mason of their writings Mr.. James
r Keene. who is well known as one OF
the most successful and picturesque OF
those men who deal in Wall street IN
New York city. has been many times
asked 70 write over his own signature
upon anv topic which he chose and 10
name his own price, which would
eheerfully be paid As Mr.. heene
sometimes has found his fortune ap-
preeiate as much as 100000 in a single
dav il is easy 70 see that If he charged
for such service in proportion to ms
earning capacity he would receive an
almost fabulous sum for an article from
600 10 5000 words in length
The only occasion since those early
davs of his poverty, when he made his
living as newspaper writer, that MI
Keene overcame his Discrimination TO
write was in the summer Of l591, Just
after he had held at bay an army OF
Wall street spectators. having sus-
tained the market single handed for
an entire day, backed by gold which
his California friends sent 70 him. and
thereby unquestionablyp prevented such
a manic as this country has not seen,
excepting possibly in 1857 and 1873
The strain upon his nervous system
of thus ma intaining the market against
the combined assault Of frightened IN
vcstors and spectators was 50 great
that q few days after Mr.. keene was
stricken with an illness which threat
ened 10 develop into paralysis OF the
brain. lie was removed to Long
Branch as soon as it was possible 10
lift him from his bed. and there, after
some difficulty and through the Offices
of the late sam Ward, Mr.. keene con-
sented 10 dictate an interview for pub
Iication.
At that time Mr.. Ward was enter
tanning his nephew, F. Marion Craw-
ford. and had been so highly pleased
with a story which Mr.. Crawford told
him OF an experience in India that he
advised the young man 10 write it out
and that he would see that il found
publisher. and thus it was that the
story which made Marion Crawford
famous, Mr.. Isaacs, came TO be writ
ten and printed and Crawford's career
determined.
Mr. Eeene was greatly interested in
Sir. Wards narration TO him Of this
tale. which had not been printed, and
be told Mr. Ward some of the early
California experiences Of his which
seemed quite as marvellous as did the
story of Mr.. Isaacs, and 1t was then
that Mr. Ward said TO him: ''Mr-
Kcene, if you were not great specu-
lator You might become a great novel
ist
Mr. Keene finally received the repre-
sentative Of one of the New York news
papers. lie lay upon his bed, which
was in q quiet room Of one OF the Long
Branch hotels. The room was very
simply furnished, and il seemed impOs-
sible TO believe that the man who lay
there content apparently with the al
most humble surroundings of this ten
by twelve room was able, if he chose,
10 buy the hotel and good deal Of the
adjacent property without materially
affecting his pOclletbook-
lie began slowly to dictate Il
seemed as though he weighed every
word. lie frequently changed a word
in order 10 put in its place another
which would more clearly express his
meaning When a sentence or a para
graph had been written down Alr.
I1eene would ask TO have il read over,
and when this was done he repeated IL
several times, his patience and care be-
ing quite as great as characterized
Gusl1is or Russell Lowell when they
We're engaged in prose composition
Thus for FIVE hours this great finan-
cier lay there composing and debating
this article. The mental strain was
exhaustive both upon Mr.. Ward. who
was present, and upon the newspaper
reporter. Once during the interview
q telegram was brought 20 Mr.. Keene
1rom the hotel Office. lie opened it,
read il and tossed IL upon the table
with no more concern than though il
Lad announced mostsrivial matter to
him.
This article appeared the following
day in print. it was the sensational
publication Of the month. 1t was re
published either in whole or part in a
great number of newspapers. 1t com
msnded attention not only from finan-
ciers. 10 whom every word uttered by
Nr. Reene then and since upon fnan-
cial matters was received with absorb
ing interest. but It also made a deep
impression upon literary men on ac-
coant Of the singular purity Of lis
English and the lueidi,y and felicity
of its style.
The editor OF the paper IN which the
article appeared would gladly have
sent Mr.. Keene . check for 3. 500 for
il, but the great financier did not and
would not write FOR pay. He earned a
fortune while he was debating that
article. for the telegram which he re-
ccived announced that a sudden ap-
probation that day in a line Of stocks
held by Mr. Keene was SO great that if
lie chose TO sell his profits would be
Si50OO0
Ex-Speaker Reed has unlv recently
been tempted 70 write. and for his
writings he mas received a price quite
as large as the handsome sum once
paid Mr.. Gladstone by an American
publisher for a magazine article. GOV.
Mckinley was offered 81 600 for a I.00O
word article; Gov. Russell. Of Massa-
ckusetts, a sum almost as large. but
for little longer article. Secretary
Carlisle. II he could find time ID write.
could materially increase his Income
by SO doing, and there Is not one Of the |
more prominent politicians and 6nan-
cicrs who could not more than match
the earnings Of some Of the greatest ol
the lItterateurs, provided only they
were willing to accept offers which
have been made to them
DisposinE OF His Ashes
An eccentric Washingtonian, who