The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-06-19
HARTE'S EARLY DAYS.
Personal "reminiscences OF the
Author by a Friend.
HARD AND FAsTIDIoUs WORKER.

rtes OF His Debts,
Scores OF writer's have become known
20 me I'm the course OF long life. but
have never known another 50 fastldl.
Gus and 80 laborlous as Bret Harte.
says Noah Brooks In the New York
Times Book Review. His writing ma
tcrials, the light and heat and even
the adjustment Of the furniture of the
writing room must be as he desired;
otherwise he could not go ON with his
work. Even when his environment was
all that he could wish there were times
when the divine afllatus would not
come aud the days work must be
abandoned. My editorial rooms In San
Francisco were not far from his Sc
cuded den and often, If he opened my
door late I'm the afternoon with a pecul-
lar cloud on his face, | knew that he
had come to wait for me to go to din
ner with him, having given up the i'm.
possible task OF writing when the mood
was not on him. ITS no use, Brooks"
he would say. Everything goes wrong.
cannot write n line. Let's have an
early dinner at Martinl's." AS soon as
was ready we would go merrily of
to dine together, and, having recovered
his equnnlmity, he would stick 20 his
desk through the later hours OF the
night, slowly forging those master.
pieces which cost him so dearly.
The night before Harte left Califor-
MIA for New York little party of us,
t.hN oil ffNnf af a
farewell dinner. 1t was one OF the YER
table noctes ambrosianm. The talk
was intimate heart to heart and alto
gether OF the shop. Naturally Harte
was the center of the little company,
and he was never more fascinating
and companiOnable. Day was break
Ing when the party dispersed and the
ties that bound Harte to California
were sundered Chicago had put in
bid for the author of "The Luck OF
Roaring Camp" and dinner was made
for him as he passed through that city.
He accepted the invitation. but did not
appear at the dinner, much TO the dis
gust OF his hosts. who afterward said
that check of liberal figures or deed
for "A house and lot or both. had been
laid under his plate, but were saved by
his bad manners" When | met Harte
In New York, | asked him about the I'm.
cident, and he said: "In Chicago |
stayed with relations of my wife, who
lived on the north side or the east side
or the northeast side or the Lord knows
where. and when l accepted an invita-
ton to dinner in hotel In the center
Of the city | expected that guide
would be sent me. | was stranger In
n strange city. A carriage was not
easily TO be obtained in the nelghbor.
hood where | was and in utter igno-
rance OF the way l should take to reach
the hotel | waited for a guide until the
hour for dinner had passed and then
sat down, as your friend s. +. ID. said
to you in California, 'en famille with
my family That's all there was to
IT,"
Meeting the late Samuel Bowles Of
Springfield in New York not long after
his own arrival. Harte said with glee,
Brooks is coming to New York 60 live,
and then he and will found the So
ciety Of Escaped Callfornians."
had not been long I'm the city before
| found that Harte had already In.
Cured many debts, chiefly for money
borrowed When l said 10 Bowles that
| was anxious on Harte's account that
scandal should not come from this
condition of things. Bowles said, with
his good natured cynicism, We'll II
does seem TO me that there ought TO be
enough rich men in New York to keep
Harte a.going" one rich man. bank.
er and broker, with an ambition to be
considered a patron Of the arts and
literature. made much Of the new lit
erary lion, and from him Harte obtain.
ed a considerable sum. $500 perhaps
in small amounts varying from s. 10
$50 Mt time, One New Years day
Harte, in as much wrath as he was
ever capable of showing spread before
me note from our friend Dives In
which the writer. who, by the way,
was not reckoned generous giver, re
minded Hnrte that this was the sea son
OF the year when business men en-
deavored TO enter a new era with a
clean page In the ledger, and In order
TO enable his friend IL. to do that he
took the liberty of returning to hin
suudry o US which his friend II
had given him from time to time
Dash his impudencew exclaimed the
angry artist. What are you going e
do about itT asked, with som,
amusement Going TO do about it,
he answered, with much emphasis OF
the first word. "Goingl have mad,
new note for the full amount Of thes,
and have sent IL TO him with an init
nation that never allow pecuniar,
r matters to trespass on the sacred do
D main OF friendship" Poor Dives wal
denied the satisfaction of giving ava!
a bad debt.
1t would be grossly unjust TO say
that Harte was species of Harold
. SkimpOle, deliberately making debt