The record-union., 1898-11-20

Mr. Clemens, in that draw pecullar
to- him. 'And-what's-m -more-I've-
found-it-too, he added
In the new edition of his writings
Joaquin Miller devotes some attention
to the literary habits of divers celebri-
ties, dead and alive. Anthony Troll
lope, a ponderous man." he says, al
ways wrote standing straight as post
to high desk, his watch before him,
beginning always at certain minute
and ending exactly the same. That
watch would have landed me in mad
house. Whittier and Longfellow wrote
on their desks with everything at hand
and in order, and had perfect quiet.
am told that the other great scribes of
New England were all of the same dis
cipline. Bret Harte is equally exact
ing and orderly. He told me once that
his first line was always a cigar, and
sometimes two cigars. I reckon Walt
Whitman could write anywhere I once
was with him on top of a Fifth avenue
omnibus, above sea of people, when
he began writing on the edge of a
newspaper, and he kept it up for half
an hour, although his elbow was almost
continuously tangled up with that of
the driver
The novelist Sarah Tytler" is in re-
ality Miss Henrietta Keddie. She is a
native of Fifeshire, and it was while
living at Cupar that many of her EARL
Ter works We're written She now lives
In England-at Oxford.
=
The tyranny of the novel may yet be
broken, a reviewer has suggested. by
exploration and of war to a higher lit
erary plane. This may be, though novel
readers are, as class, not visibly anx-
lous TO overthrow their tyrant They
mug their chains. But by all means let
us nave our explorers and war CORE
spondents expend all the literary ar.
tney please upon their writings. !. Mr..
Stevens account of the Soudan cam
palgn, for example, has been highly
praised for its dramatic and pictur-
esque quality. o 81 sic omnes!
=
The war correspondent and the war
hero are going to give the novelist a
hard race of it in next years Ameri-f
can magazines, IF one may judge by
their prospectuses. Santiago and Ma
Mia and the blowing up of the Maine
and the sinking of the Merrimac are
to be served up in every possible form
Of rechauffe. No doubt the cookery
will be mastery, as the most distin-
guished chefs are engaged to do it;
but is there not a danger that the
tyranny of the war may become so op-
pressive that readers will sigh for the ).
reign of the novel again?
That is picturesque story told by
General Miles in 'sMcClure's Maya
zine" concerning Prince Khilkoff, the
Russian who is supervising the con-
struction of the Siberian railway.
Some twenty years ago. says General
Miles, Prince Khilkoff had a misun-N
derstanding with his father, and de-
clared that he would not receive any
further assistance from his estate. He
came to America and sought occupa-
tion- He found an humble position in
a machine shop in Philadelphia, and
was first set to making bolts in q car
factory. By his devotion to his work
and by his intelligence and acquired
skill, he passed through all the stages
perintendent of the establishment. He
at one time ran a locomotive on the
PENNSYLVANIA Central Railroad, and in
time acquired a thorough knowledge,
not only of the construction and ma
terlal OF railroad appliances, but also
OF the mode of constructing and manu-
aging such systems of transportation.
He at length returned to Russia. OBJ
tanned position in one Of the great
establishments Of that country. and
nnaHy worked his way up to the re-
sponslble post of Minister Of Public
Works for the Russian Empire which
ONCE he still holds. Prince Khikoff
speaks English perfectly, looks like an
American, and is one of the brightest
and strongest men met during my
Journey