The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-08-20
CORNISH HOME
OF Churchill, the Novelist,
Made Famous by
His Stories.
SOME NATIVES ARE ANGRY

|
people have been attracted here and
have formed quite little colony
winston Churchill, the novelist, has a
beautiful residence, similar, In archi'
lecture to Lower Brandon, the famous
seat of the Harrison family on the
James river in Virginia. IL is q
colonial house with couonial view
and 600 acres Of the loveIiest, kind OF
landscape around II. The views n
New Hampshire are 80 similar to each
other and there is such an abundance
Of them that stranger becomes con.
fuesd and his memory, after hurried
ride through the state, is like q pho
tographer's plate that has been ex'
posed several times. His recollec-
tions Of the Journey are confused
vision OF hills and mountains, forests
and meadows, lakes and babbling
brooks.
But Churchill's place would make
distinct impression upon the retina OF
a blind man, and IL Is very much un'
like the homes Of early authors. Dr.
Goldsmith never lived in such luxury;
DIR. johnson sat upon a wooden bench
without a cushon Charles Lamb
used to roost In the East India ifflce
upon a stool with long legs and hard
top; Charles Dickens had a comfort
able cottage at Gad's Hill with very
pretty surroundings, and Thackeray
did most OF his work at club. MI
Churchill does his writing in a large,
sunny room with windows facing u
the east and south, and the portraits
OF Theodore Roosevelt and Ethan Al
len Hitchcock look down upon him
while he works. On another wall is
a row OF heroes, who inspire his his
torlcal novels. George Washington
benlgnSnt face comes first and Ad'
miral Farragut is hung at the other
end. Mr.. Churchill Is at work on
new novel, writing several hours
day. He does his work in the old
fashioned way. pushing a pen across a
pad OF paper as his thoughts furnish
the momentum.
is PERMANENT RESIDENT.
| Mr.. CnuICulll 10 NV p''h"H
resident OF New Hampshire. He took
out his naturalization papers at Re
publican convention here last summer
when he made canvass for governor
as YOU doubtless read at the time. He
put up a very good fight, and II will
not be the last one. He has deter
mined to follow a political career IL
| connection with literature, and has
honorable aspirations for the guberna
trial chair and even for a seat In the
United States senate, both OF which
ought 70 be within reach OF a man u
his tact and talents. He wants 70 win
his spurs, however, and will fight ~
the rankes until he has earned promo
tion.
There Is a sharp difference II opin
ion rs to the effect OF "Coniston," his
latest novel, upon his political pros
poets. The hero OF that story, called
Jethro Bass, Is a rough and random
sketch of Ruel purkee. an eccentric
and successful politician, who lived IN
the sneighboring town OF Croydon
which is the scene II the plot, and
furnished the larger part OF the char
acters. Indeed, II will be necessary
for the vindication of his tory for MI
Churchill to publish a cast OF char
acters in the next edition OF his story
because almost every one OF the in
habitants claims to have had a part
or TO have q member OF his family IL
the novel, and a good deal OF jealous,
is involved In the intentions. Every
body agrees and Mr.. Churchill admits
that Cynthia, the heroine. and othei
women In the story except Mrs, Bass
were purely imaginary, but the mer
can nearly all be recognized, and the
political and personal friends OF Rue
Durkoe, who is caricatured as Jethrt
Bass are very indignant because oi
the freedom with which Mr, Churchill
handled him and resent the liberty he
has taken in attrlbuting to Jethro Bass
acts, words aud thoughts Of which
they say Ruel Durkee could never
have been guilty.
DURKEE WAS WITTY.
Nobody denies that Mr.. Durkee was
politician and q lobbyist, He was
an llllterate man of amusing eccen
triciues, keen sense OF humor, and
his witty sayings are now part ol
the current conversation OF the state
lie was also keen, shrewd wire
pnller. and possessed extraordinary
mental resources. but his friends In
sist that he never was boss OF the
Republican party, that he never hac
such power as the novel describes
that he was not corrupt or rich or dis
honest, and that he did not acquire
his influence over people by securing
mortgages upon their farms.
William p. Chandler has published
yindication of Ruel Durkee's mem
ory and has attacked Mr.. Chruohill IN
his usual savage aud incisive manner
He corrects the false impression
created by the story, and among othei
things shows from the records OF the
probate court that Mr.. Durkee wher
| he died left an estate OF less thar
$1,000.
We rodo through the village o.
Croydon ana visited various places
that are described In the story-th'
old store and tanery, the saw mill anf
the homo OF Jethro Bass, which has
| not been painted for generation, and
ls- in rapid state OF decay. There
Ruel Durkee was born and. lived ant
ded. And there his wife lived fol