The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-02-06
'sTHE FIRST BATTLE.
The Book Describing the Late Unpleas.
antness by Vim. j. Bryan In Press
To be Issued in a Week.

CHICAGO, Jan. 30.-The last pages
of "The First Battle" the Hon. w. J.
Bryan's book have gone to the press,
and the w. B. Conkey Company, the
publishers expect to have the first copy
bound in about a week.
One of the interesting features of
the book is the biographical sketch
written by Mrs. Bryan, who thus de-
scribes their first meeting: ''My per-
sonal knowledge of Mr.. Bryan dates
September, 1879. He was then enter
ing upon his Junior year. | saw him
first in the parlors of the Young La
dies School which attended at Jack
sonville. He entered the room with
several other students, was taller than
the rest, and attracted my attention
at once. His face was pale and thin;
a pair of keen dark eyes looked out
from beneath heavy brows; his nose
was prominent, too large to look well,
| thought; broad, thin-lipped mouth
and square chin completed the con-
tour of his face. He was neatly
though not fastidiously dressed and
stood firmly and with dignity. no.
ticed particularly his hair and his
smile. The former black in color, fine
in quality and parted distressingly
straight; the latter expansive and ex-
pressive. In later years this smile has
been the subject of considerable COM
ment, but the well rounded cheeks of
Mr.. Bryan now check its onward
march, and no one has seen the real
breadth of the smile who did not see
it in the early days. Upon one occa-
sion a heartless observer was heard to
remark: That man can whisper In
his own ear but this was cruel ex-
aggeration."
As to the criticism that Mr.. Bryan
had not distinguished himself as a
lawyer, she says: "Those who thus
complain should consider that he en-
tered the practice at twenty-three and
left it at thirty, and during that PEE
riod began twice, and twice became
more than self-supporting. At the
time of his election to congress his
practice was in a thriving condition
and fully equal to that of any man in
the city"
She concludes the sketch thus: "To
give an estimate of his character or
of the mental endowments which he
may possess would be beyond the
scope of this article | may be justified
however, in saying that his life has
been one of earnest purpose, with that
sort of genius which has been called
ga capacity for hard work"
''The First Battlen is dedicated to
the Hon. Richard B. Bland, of Mis-
souri,, General James p. Weaver of
Iowa, and the Hon. Henry NJ. Teller,
of Colorado, whom the author consid-
ers 'the foremost champions of BIZ
metallism in their respective parties"
The early chapters are devoted to an
account of Mr. Bryan's connection
with the silver movement and the de-
velopment of the silver sentiment.
Then follow chapters devoted to the
Republican and Democratic conven-
tions, including the memorable con-
test over the Chicago platform.
In chapter devoted to the boiling
democrats, Mr.. Bryan says: "The
only criticism which desire to record
here is that the gold democrats sought
to use the party name for purposes of
deception. The party name belongs
to the majority of the party and the
minority cannot fairly, honestly, or
honorably use that name in such
way as to mislead the voters"