New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-08

lence. OF hard work and Of kind OF
rough happiness. Men were men III
those variegated days. Their natural
traits came swiftly 70 the surface. Bret
Barte STAYED there for seventeen years
and in the staying accumulated literary
material that lasted him lifetime. It's
value 10 him lies obvious upon the sur
face OF his work How far he was actu-
sIlv identified with the movement Of
things in san Francisco IS another ques-
ton. on which Mr.. Merwin IS not an
altogether Illuminating authority.
He has no doubt upon the importance
Of his hero in Californian history.
Humorously observing that no mention
Of Harte's arrival in San Francisco was
made in the newspapers, that no guns
we're flred and that no bands played, he
Sravely adds, but the youth OF eighteen
who thus slipped unnoticed into Cali
fornla was the one person out OF the
many thousands arriving IN those early
Warts whose coming was a fact OF I'M
portance." When he chronicles Harte's
tourney back TO the East in 1871 he de-
clares that II marked the close OF an
epoch for California, characterizing the
Young author as the most distinguished
n.rson in the state These and other
similarly naive remarks are, Of course, q
credit TO the biographeTs ardor, but
thew are scarcely an aid in the task OF
establishing the Californian period OF
Hsrte's life IN some sort Of perspective.
While Mr.. Merwin collects some inter
asting facts. he does not arrange them
TO the best advantage; nor is he very
happy In his calculations. His criu-
cisrn. we may add. is throughout very
weak. This judgment more especially
applies 70 his Interpretation OF Hartes
character. Occasionally he seems TO be
on the right track, but to be pulled up by
something Ike timidity, as though he
feared TO cut TO the bone or felt I'M
certain Of his warrant 70 DO so.
II there is one fact which we may
gather from the available records and
from the testimony Of Harte's own writ
Ings II is that he was a bor4. observer
interested In life as a spectacle rather
than as an affair inviting participation
action. He served for time as an eN-
press messenger. and he must have wit
messed some picturesque Incidents His
friend. Charles Warren Stoddard. has
written that he ran a thousand risks"
But Mr. Merwin tells US that Bret
Harte's predecessor was shot through
the arm by q highwayman; his sue
cessor was killed" and we must make
the most Of the implication In these
words Harte himself appears TO have
EMERGED from California with a whole
skin. His biographer tells Us that there
IS no conclusive evidence as 10 his ever
having worked as miner. II is hard 70
believe. he adds that he did not try his
luck al gold seeking. when everybody
else was trying. but we find this on the
contrary. distinctly easy to believe. The
truth is that Harte was more than In
dolent. he was a man who liked his ease,
and We cannot imagine him taking with
any sort OF gusto 20 the back breaking
duties OF the gold seeker. No It was his
destiny to look on. TO use neither a pick
nor a bowie knife. but pen. Just once
IN this narrative he figures as playing a
constructive part among his fellows. and
that is op the opening Of the war, when
Californians were trying to make up
their minds as 10 whether 20 stay in the
Union or not Then he bore himself 70
rood purpose. IS Mr. Merwin thus re-
lsLAs
At this critical tirne z mass meeting was
held 10 San Francisco. and. 81 the sugges-
fton OF starr King. Bret Harte wrote 3
E,oAro 10 bS read 81 the meeting The poem