Evening star., 1909-07-07
his life, for the spirit Of reverence has
governed every one who has ever lived

his life for the spirit of reverence has
governed every one who has ever lived
there.
On the edge of the grounds is spark
ling spring which Mr. Irving frequently
alluded to in his romances. "Geofrey
Crayon," in his patient researches INTO
the early history of the neighborhood. tells
US that it was invested with rejuvenatlng
powers by one of Its aboriginal owners.
who was a mighty chieftain and most
cunning mediterranean: but the Dutch
tradition says that the spring was SNUG
gled over from Holland in churn by
Femmetie Van Blarcom, wife of Goosen
Garrett Van Blarcom. She took 1t up
by night unknown to her husband, from
beside their farmhouse near Rotterdam,
and brought it secretly to the New Meth
erlands, being sure she should flnd no
water equal to it in the new country
and she was right.
Native of New York City.
Mr.. Irving was born in house at the
corner of William and Fulton streets in
the city of New York. April 3, 1888. his
father being a native of Scotland and his
mother a native of England. He was the
youngest of five sons, four of whom
were of literary tastes. and wrote for pub
lication Washington was educated in
New York, studied law and was admitted
to the bar but never practiced. Before
he finished his law studies he Joined his
brother William and his friend James K.
Paulding in the publication of a semi
monthly, semi-literary journal of Whim-
Whams and Opinions, Humorous and Sati-
rical'' called Salmagundi. 1t had a high
literary standard, and for time was
popular, but was never profitable.
In the meantime Mr.. Irving and two Of
his brothers took an interest in CONNER
cial establishment, and he was appointed
aid -de-camp and military secretary to
o. nf York which
him his title colonel which he detested.
The house of Irving & Brothers failed
during the war of 1872, and Washington
was compelled to depend upon his liter
erative. and his charming budget of tales
called "The Sketch Book made him ia
nous both in England as we'll as America.
1t was so successful that Mr.. Murray, the
London publisher, who took it up with
great reluctance and merely to oblge
Sir Walter Scott, sent the author bonus
of goo In addition to the regular roy
atty.
Few Authors So Successful.
Few authors have ever been SO successful
from a pecuniary as we'll as a literary
standpoint More than half million
copies of Irving's work had been sold on
the other side of the Atlantic when a
letter came from Daniel Webster. then
Secretary of State, offering him the Span
ish mission. The honor was unsolicited
and unexpected. and Mr.. Webster re-
marked that day to a friend that Wash
ington Irving will be the most surprised
man in America when he receives let
ter from me today
Long after Irvings copyrights ran out
his books were still the most profitable
on the list of his publishers. In 1916. upon
his return from long residence in Eu-
rope a new edition was published which
brought him more than a quarter of a
million dollars. RIP Van Winkle,' next to
"Uncie Toms Cabin" was the best seller
of the nineteenth century, and new edi-
tions are now issued every year or two
by several publishing houses.
Although we hear so much about the
enormous circulation of certain current
novels of sensational character, no
book issued in the last half century has
sold so we'll as ..Ivanhoe. The Scarlet
Letter. THE Pickwick Papers, David
Copperfield.' Vanity Fair" Cooper S