Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-11
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

lum-bound volume in which persians read
the adventures of Phineas Fogg. Also. he
is the cleanest of French writers.
Yet Jules Verne must die a disappointed
man. He is seventy-six years DID, he Is
nearly totally blind; he knows that he is
publishing his last books-two this year
and in spite of the immense success he has
enjoyed, the literary crown he might reas-
onably have hoped for has been refused
him.
Jules Verne is not a member of the
French Academy. The Forty Immortals
have not admitted him to their number. al
though he has often been proposed for
membership. Indifferent as the French are,
the whole population would be pleased to
hear of his election in his old age. yet it is
not to be. Why? Because Jules Verne has
not sought, above all, to make literature.
Understand he does not fall into the cate
CORY of NJ. Georges Ohnet, who may be
compared to the late +. p. Roe. The writ
ings of Jules Verne have solid literary
merit and presidents are not lacking
Freycinet for example, wrote mathemati-
cal works. and yet the great old man has
long been conscious that the academy has
natural tendency to take to itself no mat
ter what itching poets and love-analysts in
preference to merit that has not been able
or willing to transfigure itself by the indie
Unable grace of manner.
A Gilded Slavery.
At Amiens they do not speak of this thing
to visitors 1t is too close to the hearts of
the old couple. Nor does Jules Verne speak
of the gilded slavery in which he has lived
during the past forty years-a slavery so
peculiarly Partisan that it is CONF. etely
paralleled by that of the painter Roybet.
Some twenty-five years ago Roybet, being
young and desperately in love, needed
lump sum of money, and a certain promi
nent picture dealer. having confidence in
his talent, offered him the lump sum and
so much per picture for twenty years to
come. Only, Roybet must sell him all his
PRODUCTIVE must never sell picture to any
other person.
During twenty years Roybet faithfully
observed the hard bargain. which explains
why so great painter exhibited so little
that is to say, not at all, up to about five
years ago, when the contract ended and
Roybet sent one picture to the Salon that
won the gold medal.
Well, Jules Verne has been for more than
forty years under similar. iron-clad con-
tract with the publisher Hetzel. Between
1888 and 1863 he wrote plays and librettos
for light operas that had moderate suo-
cess Then in Hetzel's Magazine of E6u-
cation and Recreation he ran his Five
Weeks In a Balloon" 1t was great and
immediate success. In it Jules Verne is
now recognized to have created a new
genre, the scientific and geographical ro-
nance" and HetZel. the publisher realized
1t. He proposed to Verne a contract-some
say for fifty years. In any case Verne ac-
cepted 1t. In any case he has been bound
by it ever since And he is still bound by
1t. This year the house Of Hetzel publishes
it's annual two books by Jules Verne
THE Master Of the World" and "a Drama
in Livonia.'
His $4,000 Year.
Each year since 1864 the house of Hetzel
has published Its, two books by Jules
Verne" never more, never less. In the
publishing circles of Paris they say that
they know the salary stipulated by the
famous contract-it is $4,000 francs. $4,000
per year. He has never drawn a dollar of
copyright. The immense success of GER
tain works has furnished him no basis
for financial calculation. He has had his
81, 600 per year as his right. 1t is said that
the lucky publisher has been generous
with him nevertheless. He has made Jules
Verne many valuable presents - among
them a yacht But this does not alter the
fact that he has held Jules Verne to the
old contract-and still holds him. at the age
of seventy-seven years.
Jules Verne, you may be sure did not
tell me a word of this, nor any one In
Amiens. In Amiens they know Jules
Verne municipal councillor and worthy
retired ctizen-and that is all. His three
story rambling brick mansion, dominated
by a peculiar round tower and fanked By
model coach house and, stable, is easy TO
find Passing from the street through a
stone-paved courtyard. where two old collie
dogs sun themselves, you enter the house
by kind of conservatory. l found the
veteran romancer of science ailng from
recent attack of influenza, but Madame
Verne. a bright and active old lady, was
vivacity itself.
Looking at Madame Verne 1t was not
easy to realize that the couple celebrated
their golden wedding ten years ago. Jules
Verne, with his careful dress and dgnified
manner, gives the impression of a con-
sentative provincial gentleman.
Prophecies Came True.
'You must be proud that so many Of
your predictions have been realized" l
said by way of beginning. Take the sub
marine boats of the French navy: they tor
pedo at will the transatlantic liners enter
ing and leaving Havre. When we first
read your Twenty Thousand Leagues I'm
der the Sea- and The Mysterious Island
It was the widest kind of romance Also.
you predicted the automobile and the dir
igible balloon when most of We're still
children
tut, tut" replied the prophet, ''the CO.
incidences are much due TO the tact that
when inventing scientific prodigies 1 al
ways tried To make things appear as SIM
pie and true as possible. All my life I
have been a great note taker and sub
scriber to newspapers, magazines, reviews
and scientific reports. My story or screw
Island was suggested by paragraph IN
an American Sunday paper. though 1T en-
bodied a set of ideas l had been turning In
my mind for years The action takes place
kind OF HoatinS lSlanQ, an Alldntlc
liner ma gnified 10000 times, carrying
whole population.
1T will happen some day." interjected
Madame Verne.
Round the World in Eighty Days WAS
the result of reading tourist advertise
ment in an American paper. 1t mentioned
that 'nowadays'-it was years ago-one
might travel round the world in something
like that short space of time; and 1t at
once flashed on me that a traveller, profit
ing by the difference In the meridian, could
be made to lose gain day. Phineas
Fogg owing to this circumstance, arrived
in London in time to win his bet after he
had imagined all was lost
His Work Room.
He showed us where he worked. 1t was
a small plain bed room furnished with
couch. a great easy chair and an electric
reading lamp. One picture. Corot, hung
above the couch / had already seen his
spacious library lined from ceiling to hoor
i: Il work best in this little bare room" said