The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-18
Henry Norman Of the
London Chronicle.
STUDIED FOR MINISTRY.
Had to DO With Preserving Of
Niagara Pals.
HIS LIFH PULL OF VARIETY.


Henry Norman, the correspondent Of the
London Chronicle, who IL also associate
editor OF that paper and came In collision
with General Greedy the other day because
of dispatches that told too much, Is Of
American training In spite Of his English
blood, and no doubt his course at the time
the venezuela trouble was up was largely
influenced by his training. He Is a right
good fellow at all events, and he has . lot
Of friends In this town.
Norman's father was q Londoner-a
broad gauged chap, who determined while
yet his son was o lad to give him u training
that would mako him q citizen OF tho
world. 1t wa not the idea to beIittle Eng
land In the youngsters eyes, but at the
same tune It was desired that he should
understand the tight little island to be
only q part Of the universe. Accordingly
the lad was sent TO Paris for tho begin
ming Of his schooling. Whether 1t was tho
original intention that his entire education
should be continental / am not sure, but l
lhink IL was. For some reason, however,
the plan was changed, n when old
enough to enter q university Henry was
sent TO this country and enrolled at Har-
ward. There he speedily took high rank
socially, in athletics and 81 u student, and
was graduated with exceptional honors.
studiss Divinity.
He received his degree in 1879, or posi-
bly, In 1880, and took the part of second
In the Greek drama played that
year by the Harvard students, the leading
part being assumed by q Greek tutor
named Riddle.
Az that time Norman's notions seem TO
have been directed toward the ministerial
calling. At all events he took the divin-
ity course after finishing his academic
studies. In tho divinity school he was as
brilliant a. ever, and when graduation
time came round he was elected to deliver
the yaledictory address. The subject
chosen was the philosophy OF Kant, and
he handled IL 80 ably that The Atlantic
Monthly afterwnrd printed 1t entire.
Norman had not been long out OF the
divinity school when he decided to 60 In
for something moro worldly than the min
istry, which he began to fear would not
furnish him with q life Of sufficient activ-
ity. II may be added that some OF his
friends had long suspected as much and
tlsat their suspicious had been partly based
on the fact that no was with difficulty pre-
vented from taking part in q boxing con-
test while i divinity student. Not that
his general conduct was anything bu ir-
reproachable; quito the contrary, as was
shown by tho fact that he was bcfriended
by Longfcllow, Howells, Holmes, Aldrich
and most of Cambridge's choicest lights.
For some little time thereafter Norman
devoted himself to writing, the products
Of his pen finding ready sale. Among 9TH
or topics to which he gave attention was
the vandalism thcn rampant at Niagara
falls. In order to protest the moro effec-
tually against 1t, the cxorbitant charges
then imposed there and the general mis-
management of the place he spent some
months at the falls, during which he sent
many letters to many papers, nearly all OF
which were published In n spirit of hearty
co-operation with his design to do away
with existing abuses. Undoubtedly his
writing had to do with the creation OF the
state reservation at Niagara later.
Becomes . journalist.
Down to this time, however, he had not
bsen dependent upon his pen for . living,
as I understand IL, his father being well to
do and supplying him with something Of
"a Income. But his father died suddenly
Ia tho eighties, and hs had to return to
England TO settle up the estate. 1t was
found 70 be unexpectedly involved. and
when settled the residue was only the
equivalent ofsebout $3.50. This made IL
necessary for The young man to earn bc-
fore be could EFT. Naturally he chose jour-
nallsm e. . calling, and naturally, being
3 Stranger TO the London editors, he had .
pretty hard row to hoe for q time.
But he kept . stiff upper lip, and he
worked all tho time. Ho didn't get dis
couragcd when his articles failed to sell,
- they sometimes did; but he studied tho
market and wrote more. striving o n
SANITY meanwhile TO hit on something
that would mako the people talk about
him II came when Matthew Arnold, who
had recently bean IN America, printed
some crft1cisms about this country which
Norman did not HkEL He answered Ar
mold, was answered In turn. and 50 at
trnoted the attention q W. r. Sscsd. then
editor Of The Pail Mall G2zs<te. DOW the
property d William wsltnrf Ass0x-
Success In ssgk&
Norman was engaged BY Stead . lirsie
his imprisonment for publizhing
DOxu0 Uup1t384I1t AM&&8 hb11A tElA@AA tAA~@-
London life. While Stead was locked
up the circulation Of The Gazette in
Aftor he came out, feeling CRATE
full for Normsn's efficient services, Stead
Dsnt him on . tour round tho world. That
was the making Of Norman.
10 would take many newspaper columns
rather than the leavings of n to tell the
story Of that trip. Norman travelled west
ward, passing through the United States
At San Francisco The Examiner,
BY W. X. Hearst, who still owns IL
the New York Journal-printcd
something the young Englishman did not
ike. This resulted, as somc say, In a per-
encounter between Norman and
Hearst, who had been old time chums,
|houRh others say that Norman only tried
10 meet Hearst. who kept out OF the way.
AZ all events Norman finally continued
his journey, tarryinR months In Japan,
Ither months In Korea and yet other
IN Spain. In the latter country
rorman and the king became such friends
hat the monarch gave the Englishman
gold mines, said 10 be Of Immense
1chn&n<, but far IN the interior and very
|lflcu1o % work. What has become of the
mines no one here knows. One report say
ho< Norman sold them. another that he