Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-16
L LOCAL LITE RATI
Interesting Interview With the Ii.
brarian of Congress.
BUSY BRAINS AT WORK ON BOOKS
The Capitals Proud Array Of In
telleCtual Men and Women.
PROMISES OF THE FUTURE

Nothing better accentuateS the fact that
Washington is rapidly becoming the Gull
tured as wen as the political capital Of the
nation than the steady increase in the
number of residents who are engaged In
literary pursuits of a high character, and
who find here congenial atmosphere in
which to prosecute their work. The colony
of the cultured has grown to very large
pre- portions in recent years and the contri-
buttons of it's members to the various
branches of literature have been numerous
and of a commendable high standard.
Probably no one is well acquainted with
the intellectual community and what 1t
has and expects to accomplish as Mr..
Ainsworth Il. Spofford, the librarian of
Congress, whose marvellous erutlltion and
scholarly attachments are familiar 10 every
student of bellies lettres in the mental
world. Mr.. Spofford Is an interesting con-
versa tlonaiist, no matter what his subject
may be. He possesses tentative grasp OF
all public cues lions, and his vigorous train
teens with originality, which his wide end
diversified reading has Ieiinei to wonder
full purity. But it is about cooks and tneir
makers that his knowledge knows no
limits to its range, and when he is able to
snatch a few minutes from his muitifarious
duties at the Capitol, The individual to
whom he devotes them may deem himself
fortunate indeed. A representative oil The
Evening STAR was thus lucky yesterday
morning, and enjoyed delightful chat
wlth AR Spvnord III one uf The recesses or
the Congressional Library.
Depression In the hook World.
There is magnus opus on the literary
stocks at this Time, said AIR. -Spofford
when inquiry vas made about what the
writers OF W ashington Were doing in their
favored neid; bat there is a state OF de-
preston in the book world, as there is else
where, and new works do not find ready &C
teptdnce IRON publishers. Some OF our
writers have important manuscripts on
manu-, put cannoI dispose OF them; but this
does not prevent continuance or work on
their part. You wish 10 l,now what is going
ON here. Well, let lie See 1t is rather din
cult To remember at moment 50 many
things. An Interesting book by two WASH
lnston writers appeared about month
ago, being the hnal volume which COM
pietes John q. Nicolay's and John Hays
Lie of Abraham Lincoln. 1t Is a highly
important work, and extremely valuable in
Its historical accuracy of events that were
vitality serious in great crisis. 1t is under
stood that Maj. John w. Powell is engaged
on an original philosophical work. neither
the subject nor the scope of which, how
ever, has yet been made known. Mai.
Powell is emInently Well fitted to undertake
such work. He has potent Intellectual
ity and cogent reasoning powers while he
has made exhaustive Investigations into
conditions which viii greatly assist him in
his present labors. 1t is not generally
known, but 1t is u fact, that Mai. Powell Is
poet, as well as scientist he possesses
very fertile resources. and writes verse, and
writes 1t pretty.
Artist Messer Is q Poet.
Another man with a poetic mind" con-
tinued Mr.. Spoford, lis Clarence Messer
the artist. He has volume Of poems
ready for publication. but it is very difficult
now to get any book published and most of
all. poems. The ng-promised memoir Of
Edwin Nj. Stanton, Lincoln's Secretary of
War. is in the hands of a man eminently
qualified for the work-Mr. George c. Cor
ham. He is well calculated 10 treat such
an interesting subject In a manner to bring
forth all the possibilities, but when the
volumes VIII be finished and brought out
no one can tell. Another resident of WASH
ington Is Henry Adams, who has been a
fruitful writer in the domain of American
history ana we may expect something from
him, ! believe, at an early period. Fred
erick Bancroft, formerly librarian of the
State Department, is now engaged in writ
ing upon our political history, and Rev.
DR.. ]. q. Craigaead has a book on our
Indian missions in Oregon ready for publI-
cation. which will soon be issued 1t will
review the controversy between Catholics
and Protestants. regarding the education
and religious instruction OF the Indians on
the Pacific slope.
Miss JOhnston's Washington Book
Another Washington author who has a
book on the eve of publication in Boston
is Miss Elizabeth B. Johnston. 1t is really
George Washington book. every day In
the year being illustrated by sententious
extracts from the writings or words of
Washington or from those who have given
noble judgments upon him.
1t is almost impossible to recite the
numerous local authors and their inten-
lions, Mr.. Spofford went on, but there is
Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett who has
Just departed on the annual trip to England
Tor the warm season. She has dramatic
work IN hand illustrative of the very in
terestlng history of the times of the re- |
gency in Great Britain during the closing
years Of George Ill. 1t is not yet fully
written.
Mrs. southworth7 She is understood to
be giving her formerly almost sleepless pen
a rest. Her contributions to the domain
of fiction have been neither few nor small.
Mrs. Sara j. Lippincott, who is better
known as Grace Greenwood, lives over here
on capitol Hill near the Capitol and Is
to the Independent and other
journals, but Is not known to have any
volume in immediate contemplation.
Scientists Who Are Authors,
THE men Of science who produce books
and, more numerously, articles, are almost
too many to name" said Mr.. Spofford, after
a moments pause. Among them are DR..
Mendenhall. DR.. ]. s. Billings Prof E. NJ.
Gallaudet G. Brown Goode, Col Garrick
Mallory. George K. Gilbert, Lester F. Ward,
Henry Gannett, Maj c.. Z. Dutton, w. J.
MCGEE, Mark w. Harrington, Cleveland
Able, Henry A. Hazen, c. V. Riley who has
done an immense amount of work; W. J.
Hoffman,, who has a very analytic close
and investigating mind; Carroll D. Wright
and a host of others, who have done and are
still doing work of high character. Prof
Simon Newcomh, whose many books in
what are known as the exact sciences have
attained wide recognition, Is not known to
have any new work in press at present but
Alexander Graham Bell, besides his absorb
ing experimental labors in the region Of
electrical science, has lately devoted much
attention to improved methods of hearing
and of utterance among the deaf and dumb
and will doubtless publish something orig
inal and valuable on the subject,
observation-disclosures may indeed be proud Of ,