The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-07-21
MILLIONS OF WORDS.
AUTHORS WHOSE PENS HAVE TRAY
ELLEo HUNDREDS OF hlLEa

Ths cslossal Record Mads ny an English
writer-Juiss Vsrns whs Has Written
More Books Thaa the Years He Has Lived
Some Other Instances ofProliAe Writing.
Among the hundreds Of busy writer's
whose pens minister 70 our delight,
is diHcult 10 say who Is the most pre-
/ lie. and sill more difficult 70 give an
| accurate estimate Of the quantity OF
work he has produced.
Among English writer's Of to-day the
palm Of fecundity would probably go
to MI G. A Henty, the veteran jour-
nalist and novelist. Mr.. Henty has
( been an industrious writer since the
early ffties. when ne acted as special
CORRESPONDENT 10 the Standard. Apart
from his press work, which must be q
mountain in itself. he has produced a
dozen novels and books OF travel, and
more than half hundred delightful
books for boys.
A careful estimate OF his output Of
books alone places his record al about
100000 words. and his total pen
work probably exceeds 100000
words. 1t helps Us 10 form an esti-
consider that TO read all that Mr. Hen
" has published. reading diligently
for six hours day and for six days a
week, it would take forty weeks TO
exhaust his last column or page.
If we Were 10 undertake the task Of
simply copying this mountain of mat
ter. We would have TO devote six years
70 our task-working. as before thirty
six hours a week, and allowing our
selves no time for holidays. And yet
stupendOus as the task NAV 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 foQnd in Middlesbor-
ough, nearly 240 miles from the first.
At an average of payment of one
guinea thousand words, which is, Of
course. very much under the rate re-
ceived, Mr.. Henty must have made
100000 with his zen. Probably f50.-
receipts.
The modern writer who most nearly
approaches Mr.. Hentys record is NJ.
Jules Verne. another name as dear to
boys as well as adults. Jules Verne
claims to have written more books
than the years he has lived. which are
seventy, and it will be safe 70 rlace his
literary output at quite 100000
words, making due allowance for the
fact that his books are shorter than
Mr.. Hentys. 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. a line of less tl,an two
hundred miles seems to be disap-
pointing result. The financial return
is doubtless more satisfactory, for NJ.
Verne is credited with having made
with his pen.
Miss Braddon probably ranks third
among ''long-dstance writer's" of our
day. Since she made her first timid
venture in 1860 with the Trail of the
Serpent" she has produced novels at
the rate of one in every nine months
approximately; and her outpur in fic-
ton alone may be placed at 10.500,000
words, or nearly half an acre of man
uscript.
Marion Crawford, among our young
er writer's, has been markedly prolific.
Since "Mr. Isaacs" captured the read
ing world, some years ago, he has
written on an average two long novels
every year, with total of about g.
10000 words, or q quarter of an acre
Of manuscript.
Sir Walter Besant's record Is diff
cult to estimate, besides, in addition to
his many novels. he has don" large
and unascertainabie amount of work
in journalism. 1t will be well within
the mark, however, to estimate his out
put at from ten to twelve millions of
words, a record which was probably
exceeded by the LATE James Iayn, one
Of the most Industrious Of all our
scrbes.
In books alone Mr. George Meredith
has written about 100000 words. a
record which Mr.. Black has probably
exceeded.
Mr.. Rider Hsggard's output may be
placed at about 100000; Nj. Grant
Aliens at trihe more, taking into &C.
count his large contributions to jour-
nails; while Mr.. Anthony Hope has
probably not exceeded two and a half
million words, or line thirty miles
long.
Mr.. Barring Gould, who, although
placed last, is in the very first rank of
prolific writer's, has written with his
busy pen quite12, 100000 words. and is
entitled TO be classed with Mr. Hentv
and NJ. Jules Verne