New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-09-03
HEARN AND FOLK MTISyc
Truths About Much Discussed
thor-A Book That Neupr H..


years ago IN Japan at the zenith Of his
author. 20 irritste curiosity and stfrsur,s. q
iation- The few men and women who 49,
/ his oldest and best friends we're u~H -
/ thal tsct and. Ike myself were prooablv =
amused than anything else AZ the mo,.n,.,~s
fable that began TO pile up soon as 49,
or MS passing away In Toxic came 10 ths.. -"
To hts old acauaintances n was amazlsz- -
the scores OF things which were irvuda-., a.
vented or impsrtinsntly guessed az BY ano,-~
writer's for the newspapers C'The New Yorx - -
oeins favorite medium Of publication Coz
ing the personal habits OF the nan. IA. "a
ships. social affiliations intellectual so,,,- .-nf'
tistic predictions and. finally. his rao.iva- -
choosing japan as his permanent Rom. a.. W
nouncing his British citizenship. VIA. - =
use OF informing the genislly garrulotls ola -
man who discovered the genius % the lad w.
he had found cold and hungry one morning sl.,-'
before his shop IN New Orleans thar - NJ
unmitigsted liar and humhug. for thar VIE, -. 40
went 20 New Orleans from Cincinnati h. ,r,.
~ thirty years old. ard an experienced nau,,,.-
writer who had already made his MARK w. ~
the editorial writer IN The sun that Hsarn Wa.
proud % the social companionshfp wnfoh Il. "
toyed IN New Orleans and that 50 far 49,, - -
with la Vsux. the "Voudoo Queen he saw -
50 far as hts most Intimate friend IN New C,-r..
knew, but once In his life. and then whs. -.
friend the editor IN chief OF the nevsuap4- !.
which he was attached. sent him 70 the wo-1,D -.
49,
The sun that the Philadelphia who carad q.
Hearn for tive years after he had escaped IN. ~
huence or George William Curtis had Hsa-, :.
a guest only six months. with deplorahle r.,u'..
70 others besides himself. and that Hsarn va,
never under the personal Influence OF Mr. Cur,,
snd IN all probability. never met him. Such tbl.
were chiefly amusing and interesting only a. 49,
denees OF what the Imagination. unhaunp4raa ~
morals. could do with men eager TO catch hold J,
the tail OF literary comet Hearn's friends ~
winch mean those familiarity acquainted with IN.
man and his dongs from the time that h. 4-rA-z.s
INTO pubic notice until he buried his physical ~
sonalty IN Japan. paid no attention 70 sha ,,,.,
tattle and scandal OF the legend makers until M.
errontery grew so great that a protest bss N \.
made IN the name OF literary decency and bf.ro-,-
ca verify as well as for the sake OF his family q,
Japan. Concerning his career IN Cincfnnafi "a,
men, still active in the journalistic profession ca
speak circumstantially and accurately. Thew vs-,
MS colleagues thirty years ago; with them he wa,
associated IN hours OF work and hours OF rAcrAa
ton. and from that time ell he went 70 lana, ID.
literary strivings. ideals hopes and ambitions var.
To them as an open book without an uncut AZ 90
cesled PAGE. These men are Mr. Iosepo : -
son. editorial writer for The Dayton COhIo, rou..
naL and myself Touching his Life and uo~t a,
New Orleans there are scores upon scores az w.t.
nesses IN the shape OF letters dating from the tim.
OF ms arrival there TO that Of his departure from
the southern city, and one OF uninpeachabla IN.
tegrity IN the person OF Mr. PAGE Bakar r5f,o- :.
The Ttnes-Democrst." for whom hs worked "a
VINO was MS friend and Unselhsh adniirer OF h.,
genius. Others. like Mr. George W Cable NJ
H. NJ Alden. Miss Elizabeth Bisland nov Mrs
" etnlors OK oyster Bay, who Is writing the story
OF MS hfe1 were his friends for years What
these people knew has not been published 70 IN,
world for reasons sufficiently explained By their
personal and professional characters. So far as
Snow, Mr.. Tunison alone has spoken out In hi,
newspaper defending the truth OF history and
wa~r
widow and children from vandalism. In hts last
article. Mr.. Tunison touches Loon one branch a,
he subject with which I have professional and
irtstfc. as well al personal. concsrn- He says 70
'art;
To the few men who knew Lafcsdio Hearn nnors
merged in Cincinnati 70 those OF MS Anal de-
arturo from the United States. nothing could be
ions Of his purposes and hts career that have ap-
me s,r NeW 10EE paPefs and Pa ,iS larry in
e s why Hearn went 20 Japan was because he
Re the discovery Of real African music when +,
considered that tbs man had no knOwIedEs OF
ing the scale. a thing which most people DO
aturally. the absurdity Of ali the gossip about
The fact vas that what interest," he had in this
loiect was awakened and stimulated almost en-
Iey oy Henry Edward Krehbiel; in the seventies
na ga cary eignties reporter and music critic on
ngsical critic OF The New York Tribune. Krsh-
iels musical interests included folklore well as
ff asy cHa1na soSaa
noes nc who yere born 70 a knowIedge OF Creolisn.
lat could be found there among the colored race
Jas one or the main topics or correspondents b.
Hearn took on largely the color Of hts iltimscies
alton But he had as many other interests IS
e had friends who could interest him And hts
. New Orleans he fell IN with a group OF would
= Buddhists The result was most fancifI
netempsychosis. and all the other problems .,
e1 for %P 9s t ssvS aesaF f
res Of Jewish literature 80 Tar as he could Ie3sa
conversation Of those who could read Hebrew.
~ Sg S go ssS he read sSs an s so9i
hna But there is not " trace Of interest or -
art either in the West Indies or Japan though
AS 70 the special mystery % voudooism.
amey its relation 70 the practices Or ne polsossr
Eay; OWING 10 his sequaintance Win one OF sNo
onal study in posons and in the history OF poisons
nc pOisoners- Their conversation inspired I'm
rticIs before he thought % going 70 New Orleans.
With expert knowledge o. this kind and an inumats
these things with science ne, an his S%5
ecause ne vas desirous or oeing helpful 20 thoss
Tho were Interested Hearn did not 50 70 rs
Tsr He went ther because S Il was the only place
is publishers OF that day could think OF where DIS
Martinique because any musical quest had failed.
ie came away because his publishers had lost IN,
way unwiIIingiy was demonstrates BY letters from
he Islands eucOuTaging him TO come back anu
sttle down. even II he had no literary prospects,
nd by hts own constant wish to return expresses
D 20 the OF his voyage u Japan
nus throughout his career Hearn was almost En-.
rely the creature OF circumstances In tact
. had obtained what he desired when he reachrt
Few York for the last time from Fort &c FIanSei
amely, a position as book reviewer. ne "ouu
robablv never have seen Japan.
So far Mr.. TunisOn. There Is scarcely sts'~
tent in all his article for which could not pro-
nee chapter and verse from Hearn's letters 20
le. The musical allusions IN the letters or rs
rst years IN New Orleans are only such as Nsfs
allied out by my writings which he kept a Aini
nd afectionate watch. Ar that time the Whe.s