The morning call., 1894-03-18


IoT THIS story IL was to have been pO-
lltleal society novel, laid in Washington.
I'D which the true inwardness hypocrisy
anu hollowness of life here would be
treated of under assumed names There
is no doubt but that Ingalls, could carry
out this idea as we'll or better than any
other man IN the United States 81 has
caustle pen and vltrolic tongue and
though his words shine with the bright
ness of electricity they burn into the souls
of the people he attacks like red-hot IRON
He has done considerable magazine work
since he left Congress and his lectures
have taken up great part Of his time. In
the meanwhile he may have had some time
for fiction, and if so predict his book will
be bright one.
knew Bancroft quite ell. 8 His books
were sold 10 some New Orkers, who gave
them to the LeGox library. Congress bid
within $4,000 of the amount for which they
went, but a friend of the LenoX library
got them. Among them are valuable
manuscripts, which | am surprised have
n OF yet come to the public. There is
manuscript diaTv of James K. POLK. which
he copied at Nashville just before his
death, and which. am tgld, IS 1uli o! III
terest. There are lots OF original letters
OF Alexander Hamilton. Aaron Burr and
others that ought to have been included In
he collection, and l doubt not that some
good newspaper articles couid De got
out of the library by those who nave access
l.
| Is about as hard to go TO Picking after rare
books as to get into the closely guarded
archives Of that New I Ork library, ana so
Jar L nave not seen anything puDllshsd
! from The Bancroft collection. Shortly
! before BapcrOfpS death had an offer from
one OF his private secretaries, who treach-
erously said that he could get me copies
OF some rare letters in Mr. Bancrnft's pos
session It would pay for them. wanted
the letters, but L told him / could not
| Int, n
nf the matter. Bancroft was one of the
sl0west writer's we have ever had here.
de wrote and rewrOte, first debating his
thoughts TO a shorthand man and then re-
vslng them again and again as they were
| presented 10 him IN typewriter form.
| He thought $50 words good days work,
| but he kept grinding away until he was
ninety. ana his long life enabled him TO
accomplish much.
Grace Greenwood ia living here at the
| capital now. Emma ID. Z. n. South ORTIZ,
at so years of age. is writing her eighteenth
novel. She has been receiving, il is said
! $4,000 year from the New York Ledger
! tor everything she writes, and the way she
! grnds out books makes me think of talk
/ | had the other day with Bob Burdette as
to his lecture on ''1he Rise and Fall of the
| Mustache." l asked Burdelie how many
times he had delivered it. He said. Il
| don't know. Hundreds of times, and L
think thousands If times. Why, l know
L
and leave the stage believe the old thing
would 60 on and finish up on its own HOOK
| without me-" This Is the way with Mrs.
| Southworth. Her gold pen keeps gliding
on year after year. day after day, until
| one is forced to imagine that it will keep
up its speed even after she has passed
away. She lives at Georgetown, and she
writes the same character of stories to-day
as she did when her first story was pub
ishei in the National Era here two gen.
eratlons ago. Mary HaHeck F0Ote lives
here part of the time; Anna Vernon Dor
sey has her home here; Mrs. Lngau is
keeping up her literary Work connec-
ton with her magazine, and Kate Field
spends a great part of her winters at the
capital
Nearly all of our prominent men write
more or less, and David A. Wells is one of
the scientists who does great deal of his
literary work here.
BY the way, speaking of Governor Wells
L heard a good story concerning a talk
which he and Secretary j Sterling Morton
had together. The subject was the hard
times, the income tax and the treasury de-
felt. They were wondering how the Pres
dent was going to be able to make the
ends meet and at the same time carry out
his own ideas as to the reform of the tariff
and other matters. Oue suggestion was
made by Mr. Morton, and that was that
bonds of Certain class be taxed, where
upon Mr.. Wells said that an attempt
had been made TO tax that class OF :
property in his State When the tax
was first laid it was made at high
rate. and the results were that there were
no bonds returned. The rate was then
duced to a tax of per cent for every five
years, or at the rate of mills per year,
and the provision was made that all bonds
thus taxed should be free from municipal,
State and county taxes. When this law
was promulgated the bonds came in by the
thousands, and the result was that there
were S29,0O0,000 worth of bonds returned.
The low tax" said Governor Wells, was
a sort OF premium on integrity"
Yes" said Secretary Morton. sit makes
me think of what jim Fisk said about his
fathers honesty The cid mans character
was being discussed and Fisk was asked il
his father was an honest man. Mr.. Fisk
replied that he was honest as the world
goes. What do you mean BY that? asked
one of the party. L mean, said Fisk,
that he is honest according to the amount
involved. For instance, / know hat my
father would not tell lie for 1212 ceats.
but | would hate TO ask him to tell me
eight for dollar
Secretary Morton. by the way, is one of
the best story tellers of Washington. he
is man of education and culture, and he
has wide acquaintance with public men.
| During conversation with him the other
day | asked him how it came that farmers
in England could pay high rents for land
and make money off it, when our farm
ers could barely get living when they get
the land for nothing. He replied that he
supposed it was due 10 Scotch thrift, and
that he had Scotchman in his department.
who had made a great deal of money by
farming in Nebraska, and whose brother
had made fortune out of Scotch farming.
Said Secretary Morton; During q recent
visit to Scotland | visited this man. He
told me he paid 50 per acre as rent, and l
know that he sends money over here TO be
loaned, and that he has something like
S25 coo out at interest in the United States.
| advised him to send it here. He told me
he could get only per cent for it in Glas-
gov, and that he had sent 1t over to his
brother in Nebraska, where it could be
loaned out for or s, and he is now get
ting such an income from it as delights his
thrifty Scotch soul"
LAS 10 Scotch thrift" Secretary Morton
went on, II was at the colonial exhibition
at Edin burgh some years ago, and found
that every Xhlbtor was selling some
thing in connection with his exhibit. Dur
ing my stay lost my spectacles. and while
buying a new lair from very pretty girl