The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-17
PERRY On
AUTHORS
Very Pleasant Talk
on Literary
Folk.

The Y. w C. A. lecture on Authors
| Have Met" waslightly attended. Mr.. Per-
| ry was introduced by Mrs. II. c. Brown,
| president OF the Y. w. G. A., in few
we'll chosen words. In the course of her
remarks, referring to the volumes of
| books displayed on the tables. Mrs.
Brown said that it not Mr.. Perry S
| intention to advertise those books in any
way. That she had induced him to bring
| them. feeling sure on her part that those
who had not already seen them would
| be afforded treat, SO beautiful were
| they as to bindings, illustrations and
style of printing.
| Mr.. Perry began his lecture in rather
a humorous vein, by quoting words Of
| Mrs Browns to the effect that he was
| to talk or Authors he mad Known"
Mr.. Perry rafEted his phresing oil the
| ground that Us he hai no. yet learned
| the one man with wnom he had bcen
| constantly every moment cf tie time
for 45 years it would be most egotistical
| to say he had known" the great men
whose lives had, happily for him, touch
| ed his own. In the same happy vein he
then (wiping his brow, brushing at mos
qliitos and perhaps referring to The
rather small number OF his listeners as
well as declaiming for naode sty) told the
story of a lecturer who once, early in
his career, found before him as audi
ence only one small boy to whom he
promptly said Lets go and have oys-
| tiers instead
| Mr.. Perry began with his childhood,
when. as boy, he lived in the town OF
Windsor, next to Sage and near to Ell
| lott. OF how he had been locked in the
house of the former and when found by
| the owner, taken out through his study
window and carried his shoulders
home. OF how the words, Some day,
little man, perhaps you'll carry me-"
had been strangely verified later by a
chance meeting near brook where the
older man, with sprained ankle, had had
to be carried across. by the boy, grown
into the man.
| Mr. Perry told of a journey made from
| Windsor when on a crowded train he
had been asked to give up his seat to
some grown folks. OF how a place had
been proffered him by a kindly faced
gentleman who, at parting, gave him a
| book in which he wrote a Inc. Boy-like,
the title of the book seemed of most
value then. 1t was Oliver Optic. The
authors name signed the line inscribed
! therein.
Passing on to later years of his life In
| New York, Mr.. Perry told of frequent
entertainment in the salon of Mrs. Frank
Leslie. Here he met Oscar Wilde, who,
though originator along aesthetic
lines, yet was in person himself extreme
| ly awkward and unprepossessing.
| AT the Aldine Club in New York Mr.
| Perry came in frequent contact with
some of the most brilliant writers and
| wits-Eugene Field. Bill Nye Max
fORelI and scores of others. Eugene
Field he learned to know well, having
been associated in business with him. To
his character as a man, Mr.. Perry paid
high tribute. He made comparison of
Field and Bill Nye, saying that while
the work of the latter would die out,
and not be known hereafter the work
of Eugene Field would live on always.
OF Bill Nye, who had been editor of
paper in Laramie near Denver, while
Mr. Perry was located there, the lectur-
er said that his wit was all studied-ne-
chemically worked out-that he was en-
tirely lacking in that spontaneity which
was. for instance the greatest charm of
Mark Twain. Mark Twain Mr. Perry
had also known well. One personal char
acteristic of Mark Twain was abhor-
renee of work. His failure in business
Mr.. Perry attributed partly to this trait.
His underlying strength was shown,
however, in the way in which he con-
quered himself in the two years follow
ing his failure when, by dint of unceas-
ing application, he wiped out ent rely the
entire debt.
Mr. Perry told of visit to DR.. Oliver
Wendell Holmes Office. OF having him
make the QateD much quoted remark
that never did he see an electric car go
past that he was not prompted to take
Of his hat to the power it represented.
In an acquaintance with Marian Har-
land, Mr.. Perry had learned to know her
in a way that made it impossible for
him TO credit the stories current that
she has frequently sold her name and
fame. A money consideration he feels
certain would not tempt her. Her gem
erous heartedness might cause her to try
to help others to the extent of being
Lew Wallace Mr.. Perry knew as an !
old man of seventy years, who was then |
robust enough to climb the mountains |
near his home An Interview with him |
was quoted, where .Mr. Perry was asked |
by its author off his enjoyment of Ben |
Hur. Mr.. Perry then cited certain crit !
icisms to the details which Ile had /
been led to point But, and which criti- :
cisms had been received in the kindliest |
by the author. One was of his |
TO plush, at that early time, |
while plush was only a hundred years
Did. Another was as to the value of GER I
ain moneys. Lew Wallace had called so I
much fortune, when in actually it
would only mean some $3.50 of how
Wallace had said he had miscalculated it 1
nto $3.50, 600. They also spoke of the ref
erence to distribution of colored pro-
grams of the games-at time when |
'nly the wealthiest could have afforded
me such.
Mr.. Perry's lecture was in the nature
If delightful talk. and was replete with
stories of the men whose
James he brought forward
In closing, he said that he was re-
minded of that Introduction to the book
II one of those men of whom he had
'een speaking, l. e., Those who find any
,o1nt hereia." etc, but his audience. by
heir hearty appreciation. evinced their
entire lack of sympathy with this senti-
nent as applied to Mr.. Perry's ability !