The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-06
BY HERBERT SPENCER.


Special to the Globe.
NEW YORK, Sept. 5.-The news that
George Douglass Brown, who under
the pen name of George Douglass
wrote 1.-The House With the Green
Shutters" died suddenly on the 2Sth
ult., came as a great shock to his
American admirers OF these there
were assuredly very many The grim
story of Scotch life made deep i'm
preston on everyone who read it and,
though it was the first book by the
author, he was hailed as the coming
Balzac of his people. Literally, Mr..
Brown became famous in a day. The
book fell almost still born from the
press in both England and America.
Then one of the editors of the London
Times got hold of a copy and shortly
there appeared a review of the story
which made everyone wonder who this
young writer was that had come down
from the North to conquer literary
England? In this country the book
was on sale for several months before
the public began to talk of it; then,
suddenly, interest, was awakened and
edition after edition was sold by the
publishers.
George Douglass Brown was thirty
three years old at his death. He had
been hard working journalist in Lon
don ever since leaving Oxford, but
when his first book made the success
it did, he retired from the daily grind.
He took a house at Halsemere where
Tyndall lived and where Grant Allen
and Conan Doyle live now. Every
thing was going well for the young
man; he had been in a jubilant state
for the previous year. He had planned,
trip on the continent, a tramp through
Scotland and several other pleasure
trips, but the fame of his book actually
brought so many visitors to his home
that he could not get away. Then he
decided that he had lost too much time
and he went to work hard Oh his second
story; this story was to have been fin
ished this fall. Meantime he had be-
come engaged and was to have been
married early this fall, after which
event he had planned a wedding jour-
ney to Italy.
Makes Sudden Change.
AS young man, the author was
curiously Indifferent to study at one time
and most laborious at books at anoth-
er. When he went to school at Glass
gov he neglected his studies for two
years but, in the last there, he worked
hard and succeeded in winning scholar
ships worth altogether some $4,000.
These funds enabled him to go to OK
had ideas of his own as to the way
in which a man should get an educa-
ton and training for a life of writ
ing. He once told friend that read
ing did not count for much. tits what
man learns from life himself that
counts" he said
When he went to London he first
found employment as reader for a
publishing house. Later on he did re-
10 ctra
News, sketches for the Spectator and
general newspaper work. '"The House
With the Green Shutters" was written
first as novelette,, 10000 words long.
The publisher to whom it was first sub
mitted said he would take 1T if the
author would cut it down to short
story of four or five thousand words.
The young man was much angered at
the proposition and, instead of follow
Ing the publishers suggestion, he
heightened the story to it's present pro-
portions.
Physically, Mr.. Brown was a giant,
so far as strength of constitution and
vitality were concerned. An American
friend who dined with him no longer
than three weeks ago in London re-
ported him the very picture of health
Up to the present writing no details
as to the manner of his death have
come to hand, nor is there any infor-
nation to be had regarding the amount
OF work he had done on his second
novel. 1t is not likely, however, that
ne mad written enough Of the story
to justify it's completion by another
writer so that it is probable that his
literary fame must rest entirely on
The House With the Green Shutters"
Denies Supposed Original.
Sir Gilbert Parker has gone to con-
siderable trouble to deny any know
ledge of supposed original to his hero.
Charley Steele, in 1.-THE Right of Way
1t seems that some Chicago newspaper
man discovered a Mr.. Cantwele, whose
real experience correspondent so close
ly to those attributed to the young
Canadian lawyer in Sir Gilbert Parker's
story that he jumped at the conclu-
sion that the author must have drawn
his character from real life. The au-
thor, however, writes that he never
knew Cantwele, never saw him and
never heard of him until the newspaper
story of the identity appeared.
The anxiety of publishers to secure
books by men in the public eye is very
often amusing in it's results. A case
In point was noted on the arrival Of
the Boer generals in England. Sew
eral publishers were at the pier, the
particular desire of each being to Sc
cure the forthcoming story by Gen.
De Wet on the Boer side of the war
in South Africa. Gen. De Wet,
however, was not so anxious to make
a contract and the publishers were
not only successfully repulsed but also
routed as well. Failing in their at
tempt to secure the "reminiscences of
De Wet, they fell upon Gen. De-
larey, but he executed a flank move
ment and succeeded in making his
English visit without being persuaded
to write a book.
The scramble for public men is prob
ably just as strenuous in this country.
The Boer generals are likely to be met
by a delegation of publishers when
they land in New York. In some cases,
the anxiety to secure the work Of some
great men has been so great that a
publisher has secured a pass on the
customs boat and met the incoming
steamer down the bay. Not long ago
scientist connected with one Of the
museums in New York returned from
an exploration trip in the heart of
Mexico. The fact that he had proved
to his own satisfaction that there were
existing tribes of Aztecs living in Mex
leo was occasion for the interest of sew
eral publishers. The scientist replied.
to their requests for a book to be
Brought out right away, that it would
take him at least five years to COM
plete the work necessary to the writ
ing of such book and the publishers
turned away disappointed.
HE Travels Fastest, ETC."
In the days when Kipling was a
bachelor he wrote line which has
served as slogan for many who argue
that greatness and genius are more
common among the unyoked than the
yoked. He travels fastest who trav-s
els alone" wrote Kipling, but that, it
must be remembered, was before he