The Republican journal., 1910-11-10
"a Royal Tragedy"
A New Maine Book, the Scene Laid in
Wiscasset.
From the Portland Press. ]

|
Wiscasset.
From the Portland Press.1
About the swirling waters OF the
Sheepscot river and the quaint and beau
| tiful town of Wiscasset cluster romances
and on every hand are juttlng headlands,
hills and towering rocks which have each
their legends of the past.
AS much as has been written about the
ancient town and its stories OF peace and
war, it has remained for former Port
land man, F. F. Burgin, to weave with
the threads of anecdote and legend a
tale of absorbing interest, which he has
named "A Royal Tragedy" The book
is published by the Fireside Publishing
Company of Is West And street, New
York City, and is on sale at the local
book stores. For Maine people this vol
ume will have peculiar interest, for it
tells of things about the beautiful shores
of the Sheepscot which they would like
to know and it delves into the musty
past and brings to light romances and
tragedies of the early part of the 18th
century,
Mr.. Burgin, the author, himself has
had remarkable career. He will be re-
membered by many Portland people, for
he was graduate of the Portland High
school and lived here during his boyhood
and early youth. His father was long
connected with the custom house service
and the family was we'll known in this
city. The nom de plume, that of Nat
Wilder, Jr., under which Mr.. Burgin has
written "The Royal Tragedy" "The
Copper King" and "Within the Arctic
Circle" is in reality the name of his
uncle who lived in Wiscasset and who
first told to Mr.. Burgin the tales of old
Wiscasset.
Mr.. Burgin graduated from Tufts col
lege. which gave to him the degree of M.
| A., and then went to New York where,
taking up the study of law, he entered
the newspaper business. For ten years
he was on the New York World, first as a
reporter, then city editor, night editor
and news editor. Then he went to the
New York Press, which was at that time
in need of man of ability and energy
as its managing editor, served two years.
He then became connected with the
Herald as news editor and while serving
in this capacity performed service of ex-
ceptional value to his paper.
The war with Spain was in the air, but
up to that time few people really believ-
ed that it would come. The Herald sent
Mr.. Burgln to prepare news service fer
his paper in the event of hostilities. In
this service he went to Spain, where he
established complete system Of CORE
spondence in all Of the principal cities
and ports of Spain. So effective was it
that when the war did come and Spanish
news was cut off by rigid censors the
correspondents Of Mr.. Burgin's paper
were passing news into France continual
| ly, battling the Spanish officials and Sc
curing infof nation of priceless value to
not only the newspaper, but to the gov
eminent at Washington. This service
was continued by this news bureau in
augurated by Mr.. Burgin during the en-
tire war.
In Cuba and the West Indies also a
chain OF correspondents was continued
and serving as news editor while the war
continued Mr.. Burgin had the pleasure
of seeing copy come in from all these
sources which could not be duplicated by
any other news service.
After this he ser> ed seven years with
the New York Commercial as its man.
aging editor and in the meantime had
been admitted to the New York bar, and
practice of his profession.
His life as newspaper man and his
legal training fitted him for the mission
to Alaska, where he went as the repre-
sentative of many large interests, and he
is today identified with some of the big
mines in the territory of Alaska. While
within the Arctic circle Mr.. Burgin had
many thrilling adventures, many Of which
he Incorporated into his story the Coop
per King"
In the book just published by him call
ed "a Royal Tragedy" there is told an
interesting story. Historical incidents
are used in the telling of it and to make
the tale more interesting the exact
chronological sequence of these events
are not followed too carefully The story
deals with the fortunes of Sally Cloud.
the charming daughter of Captain Ma
thanlel Cloud, a Wiscasset shipbuilder of
the latter part of the 18th century, a
character who existed and concerning
whom many stories are yet told about
Wiscasset.
The old block house, yet to be seen on
Davis island, the place where the early
settlers took refuge from the attacks of
the savages, is infinitely described, and
also the thrilling tale of the savage at
tack and the massacre along the Sheep
scot river. In these exacting incidents
the heroine of the story played a part
and after many adventures, during which
she of course fell into the hands of the
Indians and met the william of the story,
she went to France in the schooner which
her father built for trade with France.
There is yet standing at Edgecomb the
old house which figures in this story of
Mr.. Burgin, known to everyone as the
Marie Antoinette house. 1t formerly
stood on the northerly end Of the island
of Westp0rt and tradition has it, and the
story is undoubtedly true, that the house
was bought for and prepared as the home
of Marie Antoinette, the unfortunate
queen of France who suffered death in
Paris during the reign of the terror.
In this story of Mr.. Burgin's the hero
inc, Sally Cloud, accompanied her father
and her lover to Paris, met there many
personages whose names figure in history
and was finally arrested with others and
sent to priso,. There she came in con-
tact with the unfortunate queen of France
and was used as messenger to acquaint
the queen with the plans for her rescue
by Talleyrand and his fellow conspirators.
The plan was to take the queen and the
dauphin to Wiscasset in the schooner
commanded by Capt. Nathaniel Cloud,
but owing to the queens refusal to leave
France the plot fell through.
But of course the heroine of the story
gets out of prison, manages to escape