The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-01-29
I4ARTE'S EARLY DAYS.
Personal "reminiscences Of the
Author by a Friend.
HARD AND FASTIDIOUS WORKER.

Scores Of writer's have become known
to me in the course Of long life, but
have never known another so fastidi-
GUS and SO laborious as Bret Harte.
says Noah Brooks in the New York
Times Book Review. His writing ma
terials, 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 af1atus would not
come and the days work mus be
abandoned. My editorial rooms in San
Francisco were not far from his Sc
Guided den, and often. if he opened my
door late in the afternoon with a pecui-
lar cloud on his face, / knew that he
had come to wait for me to so to din
ner with him. having given UP the i'm
possible task Of writing when the MOOD
was not on him. It's DO use. Brooks"
he would say. "Everything goes wrong
| cannot write line. Let's have an
early dinner at Martini's.'' AS soon as
was ready we would go merrily of
20 dine together, and, having recovered
his equanimity. he would stick to 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 a little party of us,
eight, all working writer's, met at s
farewell dinner. 1t was one of the YER
table noctes ambrosian9. 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 1.-THE Luck Of
Roaring Camp" and dinner was made
for him as he passed through that city.
-He"aecepted 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 l met Harte
In New York, asked him about the in
cident, and he said: lin 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 accepted an invita-
ton to dinner In hotel in the center
Of the city l expected that guide
would be sent me. was stranger In
strange city. A carriage was not
easily to be obtained in the neighbor-
hood where I was, and in utter igno-
rance Of the way should take to reach
the hotel waited for guide until the
hour for dinner had passed and then
sat down, as your friend S. P. D. said
to you in California, zen 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 to live.
and then he and l will found the So
ciety Of Escaped Californians"
I had not been long in the city before
l found that Harte had already in
CURED many debts, chiefly for money
borrowed. When | said to BoWles that
was anxious on Harte's account that
a scandal should not come from this
condition Of things. BowIes said, with
his good natured cynicism. well, il
10 11Es4- 70 No
enough rich men in New York to keep
Harte a-going" One rich man, bank
err 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 q considerable sum. $500 perhaps
in small amounts, varying from So t.
$50 at a 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 il
which the writer, who, by the way,
was not reckOned generous giver, re
minded Harte that this was the season
Of the year when business men en-
deavored to enter q new era with
HIodH page III the l6OSGE, anu III OtOpF
u enable his friend H. to do that he
1ook the liberty of returning to him
sundry l O US which his friend Fl.
had given him from time to time.
"Dash his impudencev' exclaimed the
angry artist. what are you going tt
do about itY | asked, with some
amusement. "G0ing to do about it!'
he answered. with much emphasis on
the first word Going. | have made
a new note for the full amount Of these
and have sent it to him with an init
nation that / never allow pecuniary
matters to trespass on the sacred do
main of friendship" Poor Dives was
denied the satisfaction Of giving away
a bad debt
1t would be grossly unjust to say
that Harte was a species Of Harold
Skimpole, deliberately making debts
that be did not intend to pay; he sin
cerely intended and expected TO meet
all his financial obligations.
He accepted the role assigned him
without protest Once while we were