Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1899-04-25
MILLIONS OF WORDS.
.nrHoRs WHOSE PENS HAVE TRAv-
 FILLED HUNDREDS OF MILES.

xx,r;ter-JuIes Verne Who Has Written ntore Books Than tfae Years He Has Lived
 Same Other Instances of Prolific Writing.
 Among the hundreds of busy writers whose pens minister to our delight, it is difficult to say who is the most pro- life and still more difficult to give an accurate estimate of the quantity of work he has produced.
 Among English writers of today the nalm of fecundity would probably go to MT. c. A. Henty, the veteran jour nalist and novelist. Mir. Henty has hoen an industrious writer since the oorlv ffties. when he acted as special correspondent to the Standard. Apart from his press work, which must be mountain in itself, he has produced dozen novels and books of travel, and more than half a hundred delightful books for boys.
 careful estimate of his output of hooks alone places his record at about p G00 900 words, and his total pen work probably exceeds 20000,000 words. It helps US to form an esti- mate of this colossal record when we consider that to read all that MT. Hen- ty has published, reading diligently for six hours a day and for six days week. it would take forty weeks to exhaust his last column or page If we were to undertake the task of simply copying this mountain of mat ter, we would have to devote six years to our task-Working, as before, thirty six hours a week, and allowing our selves no time for holidays. And yet, stupendous as the task may seem, the total area of the sheets of paper which Mr. Henty has covered in nearly fifty years of hard writing would be only five sixths of an acre. or less than the area of thousands of suburban gar dens.
 If written in a single line-linked fiction long drawn out-and beginning at Charing Cross, the last word of the line would be found in Middlesbor- ough, nearly 240 miles from the first. At an average of payment of one guinea q thousand words, which is, of course, very much under the rate re- ceived, MT. Henty must have made t20,0Q0 with his pen. Probably E50, loco is an underestimate of his actual 5 receipts.
 The modern writer who mCsr nearly approaches MT. Henty's record is NJ. Jules Verne. another name as dear to beys as well as adults. Jules Verne claims to have written more books than the years he has lived, which are E seventy. and ii will be safe to Elaee his Literary output at quite 12000,000 words. making due allowance for the fact that his books are shorter than Mr Henty's. His journalistic work is { an unknown quantity. but, no doubt it would add materially to his record. Still. in spite of such lifelong and long life industry, line of less tltan two hundred miles seems to be q disap- spointing result. The financial return is doubtless more satisfactory, for NJ. Verne is credited with having made t100,000 with his pen.
 Miss Braddon probably ranks third among "long-distance writers of our day. Since she made her first timid .venture in 1860 with the "I9tal of the Serpent, she has produced novels at { the rate of one in every nine months Approximately; and her outpuf in fie- Aton alone may be placed at 10500.000 words, or nearly half an aeUe of man. uscript
 Marion Crawford. among our young er writers, has been markedly prolific Since 'AIf. Isaaes'' captured the read lng world, some years ago. he has Written on all average two long novels every year, with a total of about G. p30600 words, or q quarter Of an acre manuscript
 Sir Walter Besant's record is diff gut to estimate, besides. in addition to Ahis many novels, he has done a large #and unascertainable amount of work n journalism. It will be well within fhe mark, however, to estimate his out put at from ten to twelve millions of words, a record which was probably eSceeded by the late James | ayn, one the most industrious oC all our scribes.
 In books alone MT. George Meredith has written about 6,O00.000 words, a record which Mr. Black has probably exceeded.
 hr Rider Haggard's output may be paced at about 4,500,000; Nil. Grant Hens at trife more, taking into ac 'oaht his large contributions to jour
 dS while Mir. Anthony Hope has lroDably not exceeded two and a half
 lllllon words, or line thirty miles
 Mr. Barring Gould, who, although l,aGed last, is in the very first rank of bIollhc writers. has written with his
 usy pen quite12, 100000 words. and is
 ntl'Ied 5 Ie to be classed with Mr Henty Pna M. Jules Verne
 Chm Yoard