The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-08
SOME TRICKS or NOTED WATERS.
Devices They Use by Which to Excite
Their Imagination.

| devices They Use by Which to Excite
Their Imagination.
Exceptionally clever folks have, as a
| rule, odd fanciful ways. little peculiar
| tiles, or fads. if you will, and as re-
suit admirers of such geniuses believe
| thelf heroes are troubled with the
| germs of eccentricity, and in the good
| ness or their hearts are ready to make
| allowances for the exhibition of the
| Whlmslcalltles usually displayed by ex-
traordinarily talented people
Many Psychologists, basing their
| opinion on observation. claim with APP
parent reason that genius and insanity
! are one and the same thing, but it
seems to us going to excess to consid
er writers and artists insane because
they are given to queer traits or as
sumo funny little ways, for there are
rev people who have not an odd kind
OF characteristic trait wrapped up some
where in their personality.
Spontaneous and original genius is a
natural phenomenOn we cannot explain,
although it Is unuuestionably the re-
suit of natural causes.
Genius, being an exaggerated GUAM
tlty. usually carries with 1t exagger-
ated personal mannerisms, and herein
comes the fascinating problem whether
such are to be regarded as the out
come of insanity. That is the point at
ISSUE
Queer habits of the personality do not
warrant us in inferrng insanity on the
part of those who have them. espe-
claily as these actions, however abnor-
NAL they may seem at first, are often
very rational really-We were going to
say justifiable.
Rudyard Kipling, when in the throes
OF composition, will not consent to be
disturbed on any account, and will
often skip a meal. while, on the other
hand, the celebrate Italian composer,
Cimarosa, turns out his very best work
when he is surrounded by a parcel of
young children, all playing and MAX
ing the hours of composition hideous
by their noise, yet such noise and con-
fusion help on the studies of Cimar-
OSa.
Would you call these traits the out
come of insanity or simply serving ma
ture as she wishes to be served?
a certain well known writer, whose
name we are not privileged to mention,
composes his novels walking about his
study scribbling his notes on slips of
paper and then letting these fly to the
ground. where he tramples on them
more often than not, but this habit
serves lis purpose. and he could not
write nearly SO we'll if he were to sit
at his desk quietly and dream out his
themes, as does Dr.. Farrer.
Each writer has his own way of
writing. and he rarely, if ever, departs
from the method of writing which has
distinguished him as a man with very
queer habit-insane habit, if you will.
The majority of writer's seek solitude
in their own little dens, and do not like
to be disturbed while engaged in their
work, but the seclusion desired by a
certain French author is-well. eccen-
trio. This gentleman, like most Of the
brethren of the quill, has no stated
time for work, but relies solely upon
sudden inspirations of nature. or, we
should say, genius. When these come
to him he is, luckily generally at ome,
and he flies out of the house and shuts
himself up in an old tower in the
grounds, where no one daras visit Elm.
Cujas, a continental writer of note,
has tried all sorts of positions in orGel
inspra ton, but this only comes to him
when he lies fiat On his chest, which
he does for the best part of the day.
Mark Twain lies on his chest in his
pyjamas while at work.
Many clever writers require the pres
ence of cats during their composing
hours. Ouida, for instance, is one;
Francois Coppee is another, while eau
tier, Scaccini and Baude!aire bring I'D
the rear.
Perhaps the majority of British au-
thors of eminence do most of their
work while tramping about a room,
debating to an amanuensis Rider
Haggard throws himself down in big
~, \;