The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-19

|
entered into that period and writes
like contemporary. 1t is a genu-
Inc contribution or great historical
value, illustrating the heroiSm and
| glory of North Carolina patriots
| From a literary standpoint the ex-
cellence of the text is beyond criti-
| ciSm. The author writes in a strong,
forceful style and spirit which gives
| the work q fascination that compelS
you to forget all around you, and
read page after page. The printers
and publishers realize the great worth
of the volume, and give it all the art
| in bookmaking for which they are
noted
TOM DIXON--THE MAN AND HIS
! NOVELS.
Mr.. /. T. Marcosson, of New York
has written an interesting story of Mr.
Dixon and his work. 1t appears in
a late issue of the Washington Post
and is as follows:
Nearly every morning a tall man
walks briskly down Twenty-fourth
street and steps into the doorway of
All office building near Sixth avenue.
| His commanding figure rises above
the throng of the busy New Workers..
| His shoulders are broad and his long
arms swing at his side. From under
the visor OF yachting cap flash pierc-
| ing black eyes. The face is smooth
| shaven, strong. and clear-cut, ard the
i, mouth is determined. His long black
hair is streaked with gray. 1t is a
| face that resembles LincolnS and it
| is one to command attention any
| where. The man Is Thomas Dixon, jr.,
| the publication OF whose new novel,
! '"rhe Clansman," has once more CEN
| tered interest on this remarkable per-
sonalty. Successfully lawyer, minister,
lecturer. and author, he is one Of the
most picturesque and interesting fl
cures jim contemporary American life.
A million Americans have been thrill
ed by his impassioned eloquence and
| his books have found their way to as
many readers.
Interesting Literary Methods.
Follow him to his study on the
sixth floor. This Is his New York
workshop. 1t is simply furnished
front room, where the rumble of the
elevated trains and the roar of the
busy streets reach him. Mr.. Dixon
likes 90 write in the midst of the hur-
iy-burly of life. 1t is characteristic
of the man. In this room he began
THE Clansman." and it was here L
talked with him about his work and
his ambitions.
Teetalk with Mr. Dixon is to feel the
spell of a Singularly magnetic person.
atty. He talks as he writeS-energet-
lcally, dramatically. but earnestly. He
rs frank, almost naive in his candor.
Like most successful authors, he has
his own methods Of work, and his idea
of story is embodied In one Of his
rapid fire sentences: Get a big
theme and exhaust every resource"
He blocks scenario as If he were
writing a play. Since most Of his
books,are historical novels, he becomes
saturated with data. He makes his
characters live and act before him.
When he has the whole moving drama
before him he begins to write.
Instead of sitting at a desk he sits
il. a Morris chair with o cutting board
CASUALLY used for sewing) in his lap
This he can shift about at Will. and
the first draft of his story is done with
pencil. AS a chapter is finished it Is
copied by Mrs. Dixon on the type
writer. "Mss. Dixon is my best
critic" he says. The typewriter copy
is then revised and cut up.
How the "CIansman" Was Written
1.-The Clansman" Is 2 striking ex-
ample of this. 1t is the second of
trilogy of Southern novels dealing
with the race problem, of which The
Leopard'S Spots was the first. Mr..
DIXON .De2dll WOTk Oh tlllS pcciN oNNt
two years ago. He wrote '"rhc One
Woman while he was engaged on it.
The large canvass of '"rhc Clansman"
made 1t necessary for him to make q
profound study.
1t was difficult to get at the facts
concerning the true Thaddeus Stevens,
who figures so prominently in the
story under the name of Stonemdn
and whose confiscation act brought on
10
bought $4,000 worth of books OH this
subject alone. A single paragraph
about the ku klux Khan cost $500. IL
involved u trip to Nashville and an
exhaustive research there.
Having determined 10 make "The
Clsnsman' interpret the true spirit
and purpose of the Ku klux Khan, he
spared no effort to reveal the work
ing Of this extraordinary organization,
'fThc Invisible Empire as it was cali
ed, that brought law and order out of
the terror Of black rule in the COLI
quered South. His uncle, Col. Leroy
McAfee Ito whom "The Ciansman" Is
dedicatcdJ, WAS grand titan oc the Ku
Klux Khan.
A member of an old North Carolina
family. Mr.. Dixon. had heard from his
own people the story of their wrongs.
To all this he added q careful study
secret ritual and he talked with mem
bers. of the Khan. But the matter
of the ku Klux Khan is another story.
Sufficient To say. one has but to read
The Clansman" to realize that Mr..
Dixon has entered himself into the
spirit of the order.
DO you write rapidly?" l asked
Mr.. Dixon.
"Well that depends" he replied.
Some days ] write 500 words; some
days 5000. The One Woman was
written III thirty days. The actual
writing Of the first draft of The
Clansman' was iifty-nine days. Emo
tional characters are Il great strain on
me. I use myself up to the limit
do you revise much 2" | asked.
Il cut 10000 words out of The
Clansman. :" he said
I asked Mr.. Dixon, what in his
opinion. was the novelists first qualif-
cation, and no said: The power 10
express q problem in terms of life, like
Ibsen. Them no continued, II do not
think the writer ought to be hamper
ed by the limitation of formal style. II
believe an author should plunge into
L.. .l.s 4 to,