Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-29
OTHERS HAVE TALKED OF PERCY
In John Jacob Astor's EOOis 1t Is Called n
New Power. But tho Theory Isn't New.

Along with the joys Of authorship. Mr..
John Jacob Astor must bear the regula-
ton burdens of literary fame and sue
cess. Numerous letters received by the
New York World charged him with rank
plagerism. 1t is a notorious fact that
from Shakespeare's plays to Mark Twain's
jumping frog there IS nothing new under
the sun, but as Mr.. Astor had gone far
beyond and above the sun in his book
it might reasonably be supposed that his
effort had at least novelty.
Not So however, In the opinion OF these
letter-writing critics Most of them base
their charge upon the resemblance be-
tween Mr.. AstOrs book "A Journey in
Other Worlds" and book called Across
the Zodiac" by Mr.. w. Gregg which ap-
peared in 1852. This was story of a
trip to Mars, with the mysterious
apergy as the motive power. Others go
still further back, and find the original
apergy in reports OF Professor John
Fiske's lectures at Harvard in 1869 and
1870. Yet, Mr. Astor displays a certain
originality where he makes apergy re-
sponsible for Christ's walk upon the wa
ter, and for Elljahs flight to Heaven in
the chariot OF fire.
Mr.. Astor does not claim to be original
In his choice OF a means OF carriage TO
Jupiter. Too many people read Jules
Nerne's story of "a trip to the Moon.
and Journey Around It," for that But,
singularly enough, in Across the Zodiac
and in "a Voyage to Mars" the same sort
of gun-cartridge proJectile is used for
the trip through space. Mr.. Astor differs
in telling the adventures of his heroes,
though. He has his voyagers hunt wing
cd dragons OF the carboniferous period on
Jupiter and witness an exciting combat
between an ant and hairy elephant.
and he also sends them to Saturn to
make acquaintance with the spirits OF
the dead. The writers of the other
apergy ronances gave their heroes bet
ter time on far-awav planets. They had
them initiated into swell secret societies,
and gave them six wives apiece.
The heroes Of Mr.. Astor's book. who
were first introduced to the public by
the World last Tuesday. Colonel Bear
warden, DR. Cortlandt, and Ayrault. in
their comfortable space-piercing car. have
a race with a comet on the trip, but
that's another story"
Mr.. Gregg's romance had but one hero.
who gives himself no name. This gentle
man, when he started for the skies In
1t2D. could ma no one sufnclentiy inter-
ested in sport or science to accompany
him His "AstroEaut," not "Astornaut,"
landed him safely on Mars. where he
finds very high civilization. He is
chaperoned into court society there by
noble called Esmo. and Is fortunate
enough 10 win his daughter, Eveena, and
to be put up and elected In the Order OF
the Star. The sovereign Of Mars sends
for him, takes a fancy 10 him, to- the
great disgust OF the chief courtier, camp
ia, and gives him six more wives.
The traveller. to celebrate his good for
tune. buys another wife. making eight In
all. This brings about jealousy. and some
OF the wives conspfre with the courtter,
Zampta, to kill him. The people OF Mars
In 1870 are about as far advanced as the
people of Greater New York In 20ci. and
do their travelling in air-ships. The ira
Weller has many battles. loses his wives
one by one. and sets out for the earth
again. But his astronaut comes back too
fast, and smashes itself and him on the
isle where the cipher Journal OF his trip
was afterwards found in a battered alum
mum case.