The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-15
NOTED FRENCHMAN DEAD
EMILE ERCKMNAN, WHO WROTE
MANY BOOKS AND PLAYS.
known to Fame as a Collaboration I'm
Fiction wis., the Late Alexandra
Chatra an-Other Deaths.

department
announces the death of Emile Erckmann. the
French novelist. who collaborated in fiction
for many years with the late Alexandra
Chatrain. using the compound name. Erck-
mann Chatrain. He was in his seventy
seventh year.
Emile Erckmann was born at Pfalzburg,
in the department Of Muerthe, May %, 1872
After studying by fits and starts in the col
lege of his native town he proceeded to
Paris to study law, but he never practiced
that profession. He resolved to earn a Iiv-
ing with his pen and accordingly began a
series of works of fiction in conjunction
with Alexandra Chatrain who was an usher
I'm college at Pfalzburg when NJ. Erckmann
made his acquaintance in 1S47. From that
time the two friends composed numerous
tales, all signed "Erckmann-C hatrain," and
CHARACTERIZED by such unity of composition
that one doubted they were the produc-
ton of a single individual. 1t was not until
1853 that the publication of "L'Illustre Dec
teur Matthews" gave a certain amount of
popularity to the name of Erckmann-C Chat
rian. From that time their reputation as
writer's of romances steadily increased, in
consequence of a series OF works contain
ing faithful and graphic narratives of the
manners and customs of Germany and of
the gories and military reverses of the
revolution and the first empire. Most of
these works have been translated into Eng
lish. NJ. Chatrian died Sept a. 1890. Among
their most effective works are 'Histoire
dun Conscrit de 1872" translated into Eng
lish under the title Of 1.-The Conscript;" "A
Tale of the French War of 1875" LIN
Observation-Disclosures" translated under title of
Waterloo. Story of the Hundred Days"
10 Cd
of The Blockade of Pfalzburg; an episode
OF the fall of the first French empire" Eng
lish versions of their three-act comedy
Il Ami Fritz, and their melodrama lie
Juif Polonais," are familiar TO American
theater-goers. Sir Henry Irving has famil-.
iarized piay-gOers with the melodrama by
his brilliant impersonation of the Polish
Jew in The Bells"
writing about Erckmann and Chatrain,
said: up TO 1852 they wrote some twenty
plays, dramas and comedies. not one of
which ever saw the fOotlightS. The theaters
as well as the papers and magazines, re-
manned pitilessy closed to them. The story
of their beginning is like that of most other
writer's. They were young, they were poor
they were unknown, and they struggled
Perseveringly-though they were often in
dispair at their lack of success. 1t was
impossible TO find publisher. One bright
morning happy thought came TO Chatrain,
and a few weeks later L'Artiste came out
with the translation of German story
which was preceded by biographical notice
OF the author. who was described one
or the most popular and well-known authors
across the Rhine. The story was The
Burgomaster in a Bottle translated from
Erckmann by Chatrain, and curiously
enough, every one was so ignorant of con-
temporary foreign literature that the trick
was never discovered. While the transla-
was being .continuaIIv declined With
thanks, with the most touching unaninity
not only by every newspaper and magazine
IN Paris, but even by those of the provincial
towns Finally. by dint of continued and
repeated sending of manuscript TO La Revue
de Paris, the editor, Louis Ulbach con-
time promised to insert it-some day. After
still longer time, II appeared. but no
Matthews in press, than the paper was sup
pressed on account of too freely ex-
pressed opinion about Orsm
The story of their real debut is amusing
They had sent Hugo the Wolf to the Con-
stitutionnel. in whose office it remained more
than year. no nearer publication than on
the first day. One OF the editors became in
terested in the two young men and deter
mined TO publish il at the first opportunity
soon as he wished, he resolved to create one
One of the serials was just drawing to a
He sent on errand TO Vincennes the en-
ploye who held the key of the dreadful Blue
and then. having waited until the last
minutes, he went TO the editor-in-chief, and
asked him for copy for the serial.
Copy? Why. il is all down stairs
No, that copy was finished yesterday
- Well. begin Paul Fevars last novel
Where is the key2'
g 'So-and-so has it. but he has gone to
NinCenneS and will not be back before dark
serial -
Perhaps this might help US 1t is little
novel With t queer m lms I've fcrgottep the
Quite bright little thing.
don't care what IL Is, but insert some
thing II is o'clock now and the paper APP
Thus il was that the Constitutional pub
lished Hugo tie Wolf Ii was great sue
were over. With success came wealth and
fame ard with them easy circumstances
If you want the story of their life YOU will
md II IN any or their books The incidents
fore their eyes. The little villages. described
as perfectly as Anerbacn's. were their own
homes. and the wars they tell of they either
witnessed themselves or heard of in the long
winter evenings, when the little ones on
their wooden stools around the blazing
hearth listened breathlessly to the accounts
sire or granddame There is a touching
story In Erckmann's life as sweet and ten
der as though they had written II. His sis
ter was born in 1914. and her little childish
brain was turned by the horrors of the fear
ful campaigns of that time. that she
lived for hfty-six years in an imaginary
world needing al the attention and care of
her devoted brother. During the last war
when the Prussians invaded the little city
that had been peaceful so long the sight
OF the soldiers and the sound OF the bonn
bardment awol<e in the poor brain that had
remained inactive for so many years recol-
lections OF the past. and her reason slowly
came back TO her; hut il too late. for
ehe died just the enemy had withdrawn
from their fields. Erckmann was alone AZ
her death. for he had never married and
as he would not return to his country when
IL .,. became an Prussisn soil he made his home
La ZinZcll. where he il living STILL