The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-31


becomes at times a nice question to de-
termine whether a given form OF punctua-
ton is Mr.. Kipling's desire or his over
sight and,~as he Is asman who, when he
wants a thing, is apt to want Il pretty
hard, and as, furthermore, his matter is
often going into type, under considerable
pressure of haste, in one quarter of the
world when he himself is In quite another
there arises on mis- account, now and then,
in printing and editorial offices, commo-
ton much larger than the Immediately ap-
parent occasion of it.
Another matter in which Mr.. Kiplng is
more than ordinarily scrupulous is In
making up the contents OF COLLECTION OF
his stories or poems. Many authors, in
such cases take about whatever they
chance to have found previous publication
for in periodicals. Sometimes they
leave the affair largely in the hands Of the
publisher dumping mass of clippings
from papers and sheets from magazines
into his lap and telling him to use what
ever he thinks best. Mr.. Kiphng's method
has no likeness to this. He decides for
himself. and with the utmost care, pre-
cisely what shall be republished, and he
has been known to change his mind. and
to require the substitution of one selection
for another, even if all the typesetting
and proofreading were finished, and the
matter had been cast. In short, MIR. Kip
ling Is at all points a man who seems to
indorse the view that genius Is the capac-
ity for taking infinite pains.
Cleveland Moffett returned a few days
ago from thirteen months of travel and
sojourn abroad. His tour was strictly pro-
fessional; he went to gather ma terlal and
write some articles and books for which
he already had commissions. His first
six months were passed entirely In Tur-
key He took horseback journey of a
thousand miles in the interior of Asiatic
Turkey. studying especially the daily life
of the people This provided him with the
matter for two books. one on the life and
laDors and status of the missionaries in
Asiatic Turkey and a book of adventure
for boys. After finishing with Turkey he
divided the remaining seven months of his
absence between France, Germany, Ho-
land and England. In these countries he
was most of the time occupied with maya
zine work.
l had word, a few days since. from
Hamlin Garland, who set out several
months ago, as 1 think l mentioned in
this correspondence at the time, for the
KlondilSe. AT the time he wrote he had
covered 600 miles of pack trail between
Ashcroft, b. c., and HaZeton. He re-
ports the trail as lined with prospectors
who were struggling forward with poor
horses over a muddy and rocky trail,
He warns all who come that the trail is
third longer than appears on the plane
surface of a map, that for long distances
feed is scarce, that the mud is deep, and
that the streams are treacherous. The
trail from Hazelton, he says, is being
blazed by a government party, but is
absolutely unknown at present by any
one in Hazleton. He reports trampers
on the trail as half starved and eaten
by the mosquitoes, and he warns all
men who are going into the Klond.ke on
foot to keep off the Ashcroft trail
The American writers who go over and
settle down in England 10 write a novel
of American life bid fair to become a
positive procession. Miss Elizabeth L.
Banks is the last person named as tax
ing the popular course. Thus far the
| result of these long ventures is not very
perceptble in America itself At inter
walls notices appear in the English re-
views of some startlingly strong and
truthful portrayals of American life,
which, when you read of it in the Amer
| Ican reviews does not seem to be&at all
| a miraculous performance, and which
among american readers you may never
hear mentioned. No doubt, in stepping
! little away from an object, there is a pos
sibility of an all-round view that would
not be possible otherwise. But then, on
| the other hand, it Is easily possible TO get
|
| of il whatever.
good many people among writers,
editors and publishers must regret in
| way, the disappearance of the Chap
! Book, which has been absorbed by the
! Chicago Dial. While they were still stud
| ents in Harvard College, Mr.. Herbert S.
Stone and his partner, Mr.. Kimball gave
the old publishers a lesson in artistic
printing and binding that they are all
gathering the profit of to-day. The ordi-
nary issues of American books have now
an artistic qualify that they wholly lack
ed formerly, and the fact Is due primarily
| to the boldness and originality of these
two young men. The Chap-Book was one
of their early ventures, and a fair embodi-
ment of their taste and IDEAS.
f. C. Martin.
The Rise of Santiago.