Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-06-13
Special Correspondence,

Special Correspondence,
ONDON, June Flew prominent
authors are satisfied nowadays
to confine themselves to the
mere production of books; and
hence il is that II. Rider Haggard,
Jerome X. Jerome. Bernard shaw
PETIT Ridge. zangwill and others. ara
taking up side lines" ranging from
Socialism to farming II. Rider Has-
CARDS pet hobby is teaching farmers
how to farm. The famous author OF
"She" is the leader of the Back TO
the Land" movement In England, ana,
in order TO show people what they can
do with the land when they get back
to It, he runs a model farm at Ditch
ingham. in Norfolk. He has Deauti-
full estate and goes in for the most up
to-date methods of agriculture. In me
neighhorhood, he is known as the
squire" and farmers come to him from
ali parts of the country for pointers
on the best ways of getting the most
out OF their acreage. Rider Haggard
takes great delight in solving knotty
points on farming, and so successful
has he been with his crops that even
the government has recognized him as
an expert. Not long ago. on behalf
of the government he made n tour IT
inspection throughout the rural dis
tricts OF England ana his report on
agricultural affairs was so satisfac-
tory that he subsequently visited Can
ada for the same purpose.
SYSTEMATIC METHODS.
Though il liz a well known fact that
n successful farmer must give up pIac-
tically all his time to tilling the soil.
yet Rider Haggard manages to pro-
duce one or two novels every year. He
only gives up the winter months Ia
this work. He takes the time that
most farmers employ for ''mendine
fences" TO produce books His methods
of writing are very systematic. When
he has the plot OF story well mapped
out In his mind, he writes out a care
full draft OF It, chapter by chapter
When all the main points of each chap
ter are, as II were. "sketched ir," he
dictates the story TO a shorthand writ
er I'm a short time. Thus, she was
written IN six weeks from the time he
began to dictate. while most OF his
other books did not occupy much long
er. some Of them being done In four or
five weeks What he insists on mainly,
is getting nj perfect draft Of his
plot as possible. after that. the mere
dictation Is plain sailing
THEIR PET DIVERSIONS.
The pet diversion Of Jerome X. Je-
rome Shaw, Zangwill and a lot Of
other authors Is the study of economic
problems Al Gould's Grove. Wallng-
ford, near Windsor, Jerome also enjoys
like Rider Haggard-the beauties of
rural scenery, but, instead of going In
for practical farming, the author and
his wife give up their time 10 improN-
ing the condition Of the peasants who
! till the land. They are known as
good angels" and the surrounding
| district gives them a wide field for their
| charitable work, Jerome's home
"Gould's Groye"-is often visited 10y
| Zangwin. PETIT Ridge, W. W. Jacobs
and few others who also take a keen
| interest IN social studies. Considerable
time IL given up by Jerome IN leetur-
| ing on economic questions, ana u
| might he said that he devotes almost
as much attention 20 such matters NJ
| he does 10 the production Of plays ana
books II Is rather curious To mo a
| protested humorist going IN for serious
| social problems; but doubtless lnls ~
the other side" 10 Jerome's nature
and, perhaps. the larger aspect fett
Ridge and w " Jacobs also ueNole
much OF their time % studying inc
serious side OF life, while lsrael Aans-
| will interests himself IN trying 70 re-