The Washington weekly post., 1900-04-10
STARTED THE OMAR FAD.
Secretary Of State Hay said to BE sponsor
for the Craze.
From the Boston Herald.

From the Boston Herald
The Omar Khayyam craze now raging
through the. land owes its origin TO 10
| less eminent a sponsor than John HAY,
! secretary OF State. He watches with ap-
! preciative interest the flow of editions OF
! the tentmakers verses with which tie
! land is filling, fact to which his well
| stocked private library bears witness. No
lover OF the now hackneyed quatrains can
/ dispute Mr.. Hays claim TO paternity of
/ the fad on this side of the ocean, and
/ Englishmen of letters are hailiag this pa.
/ ternity as an actual bond OK amity be-
tween the two great divisions of the
AnglO-Saxon race
The episode begins tth Mr.. Hays nd
Tearance in London as Ambassador at the
| Court or st. James. Everybody knows
, that Mr.. Hay is a poet, but It is not so
! generally understood that he now regards
/ his poetical effusions as parcel and Dor
ton OF the dreadful past. That is. he
! does not care TO base any claims he may
| have TO enduring renown upon his metri-
cal achievements Little Breeches," the
| poem which made the name Of John Hay
Known from Bangor TO Bengal, is, in It's
authors opinion. nothing TO speak Of
hence he deprecated the attempt OF Lon
/ doh men OF letters to hail his appoint
| nent 10 the Ambassadorship as a tribute
| TO literature.
But the men In London determined 90
make lion OF the latest arrival In diplO-
macy But 10 do IL without running count
/ er TO the new Ambassadors sentiments
was the question. At last, one genius
may 1t not have been Mr. HAYS friend
and brother-poet. Alfred Austin?-hit un-
on bright idea. Let the omar EhavvaJn
Club give dinner The Omar Khayyar,
CIuD Is, IN the conventional phraseoIogv
ot such institutions. band Of brethren ng
tne muse, and Mr.. Hay, as a result OF his
years OF devotion 10 the astronomer-post
Vi fersla' mas long been recognized as
an eiecuVe amnity. IL was instantly per
ceiYed BY the band Of brethren thar an
ner in honor OF Omar Kbavvaro y-o,,I, hi,
hr. Hay IN a weak SPOT.
When the Invitation had teA, s.,. q.
the Ambassador and accepted n b.ca
necessary. II the expression be hardened
20 rope" Ar. Hay into A so4eco Tbts
was done. although nobody knows boy,
not even Mr Hay. '
NOW u was this speech which dropr,4l
IKE gentle falling dew upon the souls or
tae omar Khyyamites few and far he.
tween ~ our ration. They had been fry-
inS 20 DOpularize E4gafd FItzgeraIgs
version of the RIbaiyat ever since I,s G,s.
publication IN pamphlet form. out In gan
FRANCISCO. years ago. But they had not
SActeeHed. because nothing ever happened
10 b'lhs lhs quatra!ns 10 popular notice.
li'at speech cf John Hay totally altered
me aspect OF affairs. as they say in dIplo-
macy. IL was printed ia Calcutta. Paris
Ne" York. and Melbourne Every Omar
khayyamite wanted a copy. People who
au
tnought the Rubaiyat might De a funzoia
growth began 20 look into the matter
The American publishers were quick 20
scent their prey. There was a rush OF
eailions upon the book sellers. This tins
a year ego Omar Khsyyarn was nor ae-
cessiole In any very inviting shape. To-
day the q'sstrsins nj dainty volumes OF
myriad imprfnts. TO state the gross sales
Of the book sincs John Hays speech was
made would invite the accusation OF ex-
aggeration.
THIS simple story illustrates a fact con-
eerning Ar. NcKlEley's Secretary Of stare
which - well knogn 10 professional men
Of letters. The fact ~ Mr Hays posses-
sion in a pre-emsnsnt degree OF the M.
erary instinct. lie would have made a
fortune in the publishing business had
his attention beer called by necessity 10
that field Of endeavor. and 70 Is an open
secret that more than one literary success
OF ths recent r4gf was based upon his Ad-
vice and encouragement. In the matter
OF The Omar Khayyam craze he accom-
plgshed the rare feat OF Ee4z4nE the aRy-
eholoeical moment. Had he been a lit,le
sosnsr or a little later the efiee; were
IGlsged. IL II this capacity for SsiZing u.s
psychological mon ent that has Teen the
making Of Joan Hay.