Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-08
THE IDENTITY OF &C. 81
A Just Tribute to . Modest vlrrin,sa
Writer.

We have only recently. says the Pub
fishers Weekly. been enabled to dlscoye-
the Identity Of &c. s." tho Paris corre.
spondent OF the American Literary Ca.
zette and Publishers Circular, concern.
ing whom we had an inquiry about A year
ago, that for want OF Information bad [,
be left unanswered at that time. -. s.,
who for over decade furnished sub,
stantial instruction and literary gossip
OF the most delightful Kind 90 tho Amed.
can book trade In his letters from Pans
to Childs's Publishers Circular. was DR..
John Dunlap Osborne. who was born IN
Petersburg, Va, Ia 1871. He studied law
In ,he Harvard Law school. Cambriiga.
Mass, and went 20 Paris early Ia the
fifties, where he remained until his death,
on Feruary l2. 1881.
DR. Osborne was a deep student, ard IN
every Sense n bookworm. Exceedingly re-
served, modest TO q degree bordering on
tlmidi,y, he absolutely summed all socA
intercourse. When not burrowlng IN tho
archives OF tho Blbliolheque Nationals
(where IL Is supposed he contracted hlI
illness, OF a consgmpt.ys tendency, he
shut himself ~ il his room. which fOs
many years was IN the Rue gAssis. No.
l2 ana was Inaccessible % even his
most intimate friends.
DEEPLY LEARNED.
Though deeply learned AMI al work
almost continuously, IL cannot b. learned
that he ever made practical Application
OF his knowledge, or that after years OF
preparation ever single WORK ot hls was
published. His very modest income was
derived from correspcnience for sundry
newspapers In the United states. For u
long number OF years, ana Up 20 tho
time OF his death. he wrote for tho New
Orleans Pcayuno under the pseudonym oe
Gamma Under the = sun'ucs OF
"Leoni Leone he was The Paris cor
respondent Or the New York Wout
for a time. Ile nj , contributed
as "Spiridion' 10 IN. columns %
the Boston Atlas. Boston Traveller.
and FOR nearly ten years contributed ~
the Saturday Evening Gazette. During
the var the lattoF Was he only America q
newspaper az communication with New
Orleans Was then 20 IRREGULAR thlt ~
was Obliged % suspend his correspond
ence with tho Picayune - hat city
After the war he resumed h'a work on
the latter About three year. before his
Death he contributed n number of -ettcrf
90 The Publishers Weekly. be rgidiY
preserved hs lncocnlto.
SIGNED ARTICLES.
Oe signed articles that wore pui ishci
by him IN American periodicals ths 81.
loving blblogrsphy. prepared ty SIR. Nn.
liam Van Sittert of the Burrows Rruih,r'
Company Cleveland. q. 10 whom we ara
also under obligations FOR some biosraphl.
cal data. may Prov OF interest:
In Scribncr's Magazine February. 1876,
volume XII. page Ji5, French nuels" /:
Aprl. 1876. volume Nis page s28 Tho
History OF "A Critic" Jults Janlnl. llils.
trated; December. 1873 volume XIX. pagi
296. oddities OF Paris" December. 1879.
volume XIX, page 3ls. American Boc ,s
on the Paris Qu8ys.' bsins poH'fcnpt
to oddities Of Paris April. is). yoi1na
Xix, "Julos Michelet." ILLUSTRATED.
In Century Magazine -Noyemtlr r. iSS'.
volume v, page "a. "Glimpscs OF Paris"
, illustrated.
Or Osborne was a man u stsflin +;
qualities-in short. a gertlemnn-aud onf
To whom the term -. r. "" m!ght hayr
been applied with entire propr.ety apd
in the best sense OF the meaning of the-
phrase. Though he spent the greater pare
OF his life abroad. he never Tor moment
waived allegiance % his native LAM. an
stipulated with HIS friends that ~ hi1
| death his body should be buried al home.
We are glad even at this late day e.
| b. able 10 pay a tribute 70 the mrnOrl
| OF one who stood I'm such close relation.
ship to our trade, and Who for ten yetr'
or more helped TO educate arl elify tho
! generation OF booksellers pr'c, Ins onl
J own, without recognition, and ln entire
self-effac,ment.