The San Francisco call., 1896-04-26

home on Post street. and at the same time
he belonged to the inner circle of Bone
mians at the club where the owl reigned.
Thirty-one years ago he visited Japan
as he describes it, Brave, gentle, artistic,
lovable little Japan, which then was
nursing in quiet seclusion a beautiful
flower of artistic civilization" Since then
Mr.. Fletcher has travelled in America,
Europe, Asia and Africa fully one-third of
his time. He belongs to clubs and literary
circles in half the large cities in the United
States. He has resided in Chicago, Boston
and New York, and is now living in New
Orleans, city which possesses many at
fractions Tor the artist.
Among his friends he counts authors,
poets, actors and professional men of ce-
Iebrity. His bungalow is famed for simple
hospitality and artistic refinement. 1t
has supplied the text for many a de-
scriptive article in the magazines and
newspapers.
When Mr.. Fletcher, in company with
Scott nelson, strolled into the Bohemian
Club yesterday V the former studied the old
cartoons and declared that they were bet
ter than his memory had pictured them.
In the library ne talked of his home in
New Orleans, of his book and of poets and
artists. Eugene Fields visit of two months
last wear was delightfully."- recalled. Joseph
Jefferson's enthusiasm in the art OF paint
ing was described. Jefferson, the greatest
OF actors, hopes TO achieve fame as great
painterer, and his recent work, says Mr..
Fletch, justifes the hope. Frank r. Stock
ton is quoted as saying that no author
can tell whether book is going 10 sell.
The public decides that question" Julian
Ralph and Sol Smith Russell were on the
list of welcome guests at the Baronne-
street bungalow.
Mr.. Fletcher was led to talk about his
own book, ''Menticulture or the A G
OF True Living" 1t was published last
October, the aim of the author being to
elucidate clearly the idea that all the evil
passions are traceable to one of two roots.
Anger is the root of all the aggressive pas
sions. Worry is the root of all the cowardly
passions. The motive of the work is the
power of suggestion on the human
mind to repress these passions. In his
studies and travels in Japan and China,
he became profoundly impressed with the
belief that all evil passions might be
eradicated by killing the germs of them.
his one great sincere motive has been to
present his theory in a light so clear, and
with arguments and instances so wei! con.
sldered that there can be no possibility of
misunderstanding it. There was no
thought of commercial gain when the
work was published. The gentle phil
osopher simply thought of teaching others
how to get along in the world without
trouble or worry. Unexpectedly the
book began to be talked about in general
circles, and great demand for it followed.
The Bookman of April in pronouncing it's
success phenomenal says:
That there are many people outside Of
the ranks of faith healers, Christian
Scientists and others of that ilk who are
interested in the ultimate triumph of
mind over matter is pretty thoroughly at.
tested by the phenomenal success of
Horace Fletcher's Menticulture; or the
A B c of True Living which is being
very widely read for a work of its class"
In his conversation yesterday Mr..
Fletcher observed that the age was ripe
for the study of the mind-the spiritual.
The close of the last century had been
distinguished by the inventions which de-
veioped the most material forces OF the
world. These forces of nature now in mo-
tion would give the people at the close of
this century the leisure to study the hu-
man mind, the source of all energy. "Now
as to my book, said Mr.. Fletcher, ''the
chief source OF pleasure to me is
contained In the letters which I receive.
wherein the writers give personal testi-
mony as to the power of suggestion in re-
pressing evil passions. have had to find
new definition for worry and SO to make
myself clearly understood / nov call it
fear-thought.
Really when we come to think about it
no such thing as trouble exists. The
thing that causes the trouble has passed
and therefore no longer exists. The habit
OF thought is powerful. The influence of
the mind Is now recognized by advanced
physicians and teachers The theory that
have built up is based on proper esti-
nation of the limitations of mental weak
nesses-a discovery that they have roots
and also that they can be pulled out by
the roots and disposed of just like any
other weeds, only that the task being
mental and not physical. can be more
easily performed"
To Horace Fletcher's philosophic mind
San Francisco is one of the most delight-
full places on the globe, and as for the
Palace Hotel he says it is unequaled and