The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-03-24
ORIGIN OF BEN HuR.
How General Wallace Came tn Write
this Great Novel.

The death Of General Lew Wallace
visit to Franklin qua with the man
uscript Of "Ren Hur.' He was per-
sonaiiy unknown to the Harpers at
that time, and after introducing him
self he explained to Mr.. j. Henry Har-
per that he had written q book which
dealt with the life OF Christ. Mr.. Har-
per asked him IL Christ actually ap-
peared In the story, and General Wall
lace replied that he did. Mr.. Harner
then remarked that this subject was
a delicate n TO treat In a novel, and
General Wallace answered that if
there We're anything In the story which
could offend q fellow Christian, he
would rather u OFF his right hand
than publish II. He then explained to
Mr.. Harper that the book had result
er from a spirited controversy he a
held with b G. ~Ingcrscli on the
subject of religion, in which Inger-
soil had defeated him in argument.
General Wallace went away from the
discussion with a troubled mind. For
some time he contemplated writing a
theological work which would
strengthen religious faith at the point
Of In~gersoll's brilliant attack. But he
decided that ~theologians could do that
work much better that he, and. be-
sides, his desire was to reach and help
tho masses. He lay awake by night
pondering the question which had TAX
en- possession OF his mind, and even
tually decided to write q religious now
ell in which he could embody his I'M
Outstanding of religious truth. ben
Hur" was the result. When General
Wallace had told these interesting
facts to Mr.. Harper he left the man.
uscript, expressing the hope that his
own estimate of the work would be
endorsed by the house. The manu-
script was read in the usual way by
the readers OF the firm, and was
promptly accepted.
General Wallace told Mr.. Harper
later on that he had written the book
Iii all sorts of out-of-the places-on
boats. railroads, in carriages. where
ever he had an opportunity. afterwards
correcting and revising with the ut
most patience and care. Tt seems as
tonishing hat he had never been to
the Holy Land when he wrote Ben
Hur," but orked out the minute top
oGraphy Of the country, as it is pre-
sented in the story, entirely from maps
and reading. He once Lii to Mr.. Har-
per that when eventually he did visit
Palestine he was himself surprised at
the absolute accuracy of his descrip-
tons, which tailed exactly with the
farfS. and he xuoC fond Of faffIn~ 11.xy
he found the very stone which he had
imagined as n resting-place for Ben
at a certain point of the story.
The book was published on Nov. L.,
1889, and for the first year the sales
hung fire; it showed no signs of gen.
eral popularity. Then it began to
grow, year by year. TRANSACTIONS we're
made in language after language. The
sales still increased and everybody
it, 1t has now sold well on to
a million copies, and, what Is moro
striking, shows greater now twenty
years after its first appearance,
they have ever been. Another
feature of Its success
Is the fact that ii has never been is
sued in an edition cheaper than the
regular $3.50 form in which It was
published. On the other
hand. fourteen luxurious editions of It
been issued from time to time
by the Harpers; and its career exclus-
shows that the public has ac-
the book a 8 ~decisively as the
publishers did and has set the stamp
its approval upon its manifest sin
certify and worth.-Augusta Chronicle.