The morning call., 1894-05-17

at Joaquin Miller. When Sir Edwin
Arnold was banqueted at the Bohemian
Club he was asked who was the literary
light of the coast.
""There is one in California said he,
whom we in Europe think is destined to
| Immortality, but he is not here tonight
One after another local lite rateurs were
mentioned, but Sir Edwin shook his head
at each. The man l refer to-, he said,
is Joaquin Miller Next day there was
a string of plerims to Miller's house. but
the old man boarded his gate up and re-
fused to see them. Like Miller, Cheney is
overlooked. Yes, as l say be has written
the best sonnet in the English language,
and that is it,
Despite Colonel Irish's assertion, Bohe-
mia refuses 10 accept either of the two
Cheney sonnets mentioned as calculated to
rob Shakespeare of his fame. The old
Bohemian who so merciessly scanned
The SkillfHl Listener" was not satisfied
that the other filled the bill. ut is" said
be, "better than the first one IN construc-
tiOn, but in sen timen ii Is inferior. There
are one or two exquisite lines in The
Skillful Listener but in Grown Old
With Nature there is not one that rises
above the commonplace. To show how
much Colonel Irish is in the minority, ali
CheneY's friends believe the first to be his
best sonnet,s so that the Naval Officer stands
alone on that point. 1t were better to have
left we'll enough alone in this CASE
Joe Redding is an authority on good
many things. and he believes in the differ
enee of tastes, :"Chdcun son govt" is
one of the favorite phrases of the-littera-
teur, and he rolls out the choice morsel
with the purest Partisan pronunciation.
whats this?" he cried. Cheney
greater than Shakespeare. Why, the
idea is absurd. Now, l don't want to dis
parage MI. Cheney's work. 1t is a good
work, but it lacks individuality, power
There is a lack of yirility In his work
the sentiment is mediocre. But let me
see, what is a sonnet? Perhaps it does
not admit of the heroic. Lam running too
fast" and Mr.. Redding made dash for
large dictiuuary and read therein: Son
meta short poem of fourteen lines, etc..
"Ah. yes" he said, sinking into his seat.
Il was right. The heroic is admissible III
the sonnet 1t is not confined to any par
ticular line of. sentiment. So. as I was
saying, Cheney's work lacks individuality
For instance, as to the saying, 'Chacon
son. govt tina: is true Ii is true
of literary men, but here is the propo-
stion. 49, E.
HE reads "Gray's eiegy,' Ell? He knows
nothing Of literature, but that eIegy has
its effect. Later ON Gray is mentioned.
and be says: oh, yes, that great poet
The element of greatness makes itself felt.
don't you see? Now. do you suppose that
any one reading Cheney's poems would ever
say, 'Ab, yes; that great poet No. sir.
He does noteYen rank with Eugene Field
or StedmaD, for those men have struck a
vein in which they have distinguished
themselves, but there is none with which
Cheney is identified. His work is good
though. above journalistic work. but med :
OGRE, What do / think of the sonnet?
Well, l should say that it is mediocre in
sentiment, and certainly mediocre In lah-
guage. 1t lacks virlity. r.. 81
i tell you. San Francisco is q bad place
for facts. Isdoes not afford sustehance.
1t is like trying to play music in a barrel
factory. No, do not think Shakespeare
is yet in Danger =. -
One man who is perhaps more capable
of Judging the merits of poeticaL cofh posi- 4
ton than most businessmen is WIZ.
Mills. A newspaper man held delight
full seance with him last evening: in his
front hali'on the question of Mr.. Cheuey's
right to the lanTel wreath that encirelas
the un wrinkted brow Of the bard of Avon
'"The subject is too deep for me to dis
cuss off-hand;'" said Mi Mills. '@To give a
proper crtique of a poem it requires study
and / have rot yet studied Mr.. Cheney
poem. Still do not think that Shake
speare has so far arisen on this side of rhe
Rockies. but / do not wish to discuss the
merits of Mr.. Cheney's work. It would
hardly be courteous Without proper
preparation" j. Fulfil.
:. "You do not think that there is a poet
on the Pacific Coast who excels Shake
speare, do you, Mr.. MiTls2'' asked the re-
porter. T.: -: :.< !: y"
"Welf, hardly" replied Mr.. Mills, smil-
ing. 'tMY reading so far of the poetry of
the coast has not made me familiar with
anything. that excels Shakespeare's SON
nets" ::-::-z :. :
''Not:eyen NJ. Cheney's ?e !. IL.
mot even: Mr.. .Cheney's," replied Mr..
Mills, with: a smile. as he bowed the re-
porter out. ...... =. H. : -.
Dan O'Gonrell weighs himself regularly
every evening before he retfres. He was
on 4ue ScAlesi WHICH EegfSCe leG 20 pounds
exactly. when asked by ayeporter what he 1
thought of Colonel Irish's claim that Mr..
Cheney's sonnet is the best Ia the lam
guage.S :. ~. 49,: i. III: Z
! II have not weighed the subject care
fully" replied Dan. his voice shaking
with a laughter that made the register OF
the scales Ryrate between the two hum.
dred and three hundred pound marks spas
medically. ''S4y,1s this iosh?''
On being assured it was nor, the poet
remarked carefuily: "Weil, Cheney has
written some pretty good work, Some of
his lines are very sweet" = -. !. :
''Bnt is his sonnet better than Shake
speare,s, Mr.. 0'Connell % ~. :. ...-
'.Well. If you will Insist Oh coming to
the point. I-prefer Shakespeare" and then
the bear-hnuter went eff into such a pro-
logged fit of silent laug hitter that the scales
creaked and moaned and the register
danced Highland fling for the space of
full five minutes. ..-':.-<<
- EO0TPAn THOMAS