The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-09
Hubbard's S Talk
on RoyCroft Ideals


ably represents the absolutely
unique in American advancement. In
that way of his own he has solved all
problems sociological metaphysical,
spiritual mural-aud has solved them
tn such II practical degree that lie has
made himself, his life and his work
ono object lesson at which all the world
must wonder. This is the man who
was not Obliged 10 wait FOR centuries
after his death TO see one brief mes
sage from his pen go into an edition of
millions to stand as d g,iide-post point
ing young men of all time to the path
leading successward rhc message was
as one inspired and the editions were
instantanoous--fo for Elbert Hubbard. in
that wOrld-famouS Message to Gar
cia, touched upon the key which must
uien all doors
This is the man who has printed from
his odd little shop the most beautiful
books in America. and this is the man
who has made of the simple country
folk about his home. artists. sculptors
ana true poets. who express beauty in
many ways; who has taken the stone
hat the builders rejected and made it
the head of the corner. indeed. for the
hapless children. rhe convict and the
outcast have come to him for their
chance and have verify found il.
Elbert Hubbard spoke last night in
IN" Bicycle club Ia All appreciative. if
not ~ crowded audience. The people
who were not there missed something
which no words can convey TO them
the loss.
II is a pity that Mr.. Hubbard in that
Sruttering. aaucy little periodical Of
his. The Phlistine. should say so many
awful things without somehow man
aging to attach thereto tho kindly note
in the voice. the quaint, irresistible
smile that extracts all the ouills from
th" porcupiny articles which often
read sacrilgious hut surely never
would sound so. ilunincd as they
might be with his own wonderful per-
sonality as his beautiful Roycroft
books arc cmhlaaoned by the artists
fingers.
After hearing him. no ono will ever
say that his religion is not az pure ana
sweet as = fountain in the desert
Springing, that his philosophy is the
only true phiosophy---"B kind"-and
that he does not reverence God and
love his felloW-man. III the philistine
he certainly does give some hard hits
10 hypocrisy. but there are no harsh
notes in his voice, no ungentle words
on his lips.
Mr.. llubbard's appearance is like his
inner self-distinctivc. Ina cine a man
nf medium height, with a Lizst-likc
style to his lar.Which. innocent of wave,
desccnds to his shoulders in an un-
compromising square cut from a dome
like forehead of marvellous breadth and
height. Imagine dark, dcep-set eyes,
beneath brows which seem ever lifted
inquirinGly upon the world, eyes which
have the queercSt way Of giving side
chances as inscrutable as those of the
Mona Lisa; then lips which look pre-
tcrnaturally solemn and vet at times
which relax in the most child like, in
nocent- looking smile, to which in COM
nalison All Sins would have been
mysterious and RoXcr-likc--a flowing
black nccktie, Il rough tweed business
suit and YOU have Elbert Hubbard as
he looked after the first five minutes
on the platform. but the kintlliness of
the man, the beauty Of the expressions
which sometimes fitted over his face
the CHEEKY, lovely optimism. the help
ing hand ever roady--that you can
never realize unless you hear him talk
on 'Roycroft Ideals
lie began by allusions to the ccle-
brdted remark once made about East
Aurora, to the effect that it was mot
Il place but a state of mind" and from
that time on until the end of his lee
turr his audience smiled and chucklol
and laughed outright all the time that
their eyes were not a little dim by tho
sudden mist which !; word about the
'othcr fellow as T.. HupSinson Smith
calls the one Who is il hard luck, could
bring.
lie said that East Aurora was eigh-
teen miles from Buffalo, and had a
blacksmith shop and two groceries,
where the philosophers met of even
inGs and sampled cheese. The Roy
croft printing shop made books and
things ana employed go people. They
are not exactly cheap, these books.
They are not marked fourteen cents
and sold at Friday sales. The Roy
crofters deserve no credit for origin
a!!ty, said Mr.. Hubbard, and then he
went Off on one of his delightful little
digro saions.
There is no virtue in originality
declared MIR. Hubbard. THE man who
endcaVorS to be strictly original gen
orally does something preposterous.
He cannot improve on the marbles of
Greece, and, as Emerson said Of phil
osonhv, you'll find it all in the Plato,
end all of ethics in the Golden Rulc.
They We're printing beautiful books
in Venice when America was dscov-
cred and the Ncnetians were not the
originators, for monks had all the time
there was and had been doing hand
work, of which printing was but the
imitation, secret IN deceive the buy
ers for years, Thus it was that they
left the blank spaces at the top Of
chapters for illuminated initials to be
done by hand. as we'll as borders. and
all before the days of the Western
Union ana the Associated Press.
"Eut 81 the Roycroft shops we sell
all We make and yet have no agents
and do not advertise in the Ladies'
Home journal, Lust winter We print
ed Twenty-Five copies of Browning's
The Last Ride" They We're illumin-
ated and we asked 500 apiece for
twenty-five books. We received forty
orders with the money To pay for them.
We had TO send back that money. |
trust no such sorrow may ever enter
your life as having no more books and
being obliged 10 send back that money
Yet | am not SO proud after all The
Roycroft books are disappointing and
fall below my ideal. Yet with their
IlnIitipS ard iD,papfa1tinpC hn,,a