The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-02
COMPARED D
4 GANN()N-BAL
Personality and Person OF the
Writer, ZoIa'
WAS ALWAYS FIGHTING
His Last Great Blow at a
Political Condition.

paris. Nov lola, the man OF VIII
set and persevering, and capable OF III
finite labor. is worth describing before the
reaction Of silence comes from the fac-
titious worship Of the political hero ano
ouantftative novelist, with his forty-tWo
volumes and his twelve hundred charae-
tiers of his fiction.
eThe whole person Of Zola, round and
strong. makes me think of cannon. ball
CIV de Maupassant said. At that time
Zola had a notable inclination 70 corpe-
fence. which Joined with his medium stat
IRE and sturdy build gave a certain
roundness TO the resisting quality OF a
man bound TO make his way. Through
rigid diet, abstinence from meat and al
cohol. and steady bicycle exercise the
rotundity had been reduced of late years
but the resisting air with certain angu-
lar lack Of finish, as Of d frustum from
tree-trunk remained.
on myself lola made the impression OF
one of our western local preachers IN the
clothes Of an eastern city minister, or OF
q determined labor agitator dressed con
Ventionally. He never wore his clothes
well. and sometimes said himself, i have
st least this distinction, that have the
vvorst-ftting trousers OF the party. his
face. which was never handsome, had an
increasing ruggedness as the years went
on The eyes looked blankly, Ike photo
rraphic lenses. through his glasses, ana
.h, large nostrils seemed turned up 10
sniff the scents of thronging humanity.
Much of his grim indifference, / now be
ueSe. was due TO real timidity, resulting
from early lack of use of society. The
main impression was that Of forceful-
ness.
At the dedication Of the Guy de Maui
nassznt monument in the Pare Monceau
few years ago. Zola was one OF the
chief speakers The contrast between
him and the other famous men OF letters
Who were present were striking. 1t was
NOT a matter Of clothes, for a man OF
The world would have asked concerning
all without exception: Where do the
French literary men find their tailors
nm the contrary, Zola's black frock-coat
md nearl-gray trousers were unimpeach-
ahle and the man inside them stood up
straight like one having a task to DO
road his manuscript conscientiously, and
sat down. lie was the only speaker that
was heard
ANCESTRY.
trereditv. on which lola counted 50
,,cb in his books. must 10 have had
r,rcb r. do with his own nervous make.
W. need not 90 so far as Maurice Barres'
ur,oeo natioualism persuades him that
zola was not properly French at al;
..Do.o,sa his father and the line of his
a,oes+ors were Venetians- Emile Ioia
.ronpht quite naturally that first OF his
emily 70 win fame was John Baptist
80 Of Rreseia. who became jesuit
.ho,,+ 1901 and went out to Japan a.
,issionarv. where he was burned at the
staxe after many years of labor IN lezo,
xo,,,x X canonlzed him with his com
nanions in 1860 Emile zola's grandfather
- ,-eIl nlaced in the Austrian service
v-bera Marco. the elder son. followed
-. tho children Of the latter who have
married into the petite noblesse OF united
49,, rocopnized. OF were recognized by.
tbair French cousin when he passed
th~o,,eb Venice a few years since on his
Nv n write book about Rome; and
one Of the women. who was in need ha'
ever since received an allowance from
him.
francesca the novelist's father, seems
20 have had an uneasy mind for new
projects. which continued getting him in
had a good beginning in Austrian Official
service. but was obliged to give II up
and leave the country. perhaps because
ne had mixed himself up With the car
tonari IN their conspiracies in Italy He
came into France in 1921. and was made
an officer of the foreign legion In AgierA
It was here he had some trouble with
his accounts :the records remained in
v-ha
they were extracted against all precedent
weapon to wound Emile lola in his
epbt for Drevfus My mother never
smoke 70 me Of this" said he, cut 10 the
Quick: and to the end he brooded over
the answer 20 be made TO this manoeuvre
Of his antagonists.
II is not wonderful that the mother Of
lola should have been ignorant Of her
husbands trouble in the French army
as her marriage took place later; but
the AFFAIR could not have been sravely
comnronlising. Cor we find Francois lola
shortly after accepted as engineer OF
the important canal at AK by the same
government which had examined tbs
complaint against him
The italian officer who seems 70 have
been thoroughly alert and capable had
girl from Dourdan. the country Of Fran
cisque Sarcey: 10 her Emile seems 10
have owed his peasant lack of finish join
ed with indomitahle tenacity Of purpose.
He was born in Paris in 1870 during a
short visit Of she family due TO the canal
negotiations with the government: but
his childhood and youth were passed in
the quiet southern city. HIS father died
when Emile was only seven. leaving little
behind him except his name. which the
citizens OF AK gave to a boulevard Of
their town
The mother managed TO place the boy
as a boarder IN the college at AK. when.
he passed through the usual curriculum
Of French classical studies. until he was
seventeen n view Of his later career.
Il is worth noting that twice ne obtained
I prize for religious instruction, while
his rewards in other branches We're fer
uuent In 1855 he came up 10 Paris =
Gnish the course FOR the baccslaureste OF
letters in the Lycee Saint-Louis. Here
he does not seem 10 have distinguished
himself and at the end OF his studies hs
twice failed in the examination; he was
Hedeieat in German, which he had taken