The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-26

hnd the preceding lectures which elic-
lied them. In high degree readable.
veteran OF the Civil War and the
Book Publishing Bu.in~ss,
While In his rather vouminous rem,.
niscehces. Memories OF Nh Youth put
nams). GEORGE HAVEN PUTNAM dwells
most fondly upon his military service
IN the South, September 60. to Sep
tember 50. II will doubtless be the
nearly unanimous Judgment of his au.
d!ence that the high water mark of
his story Is the narration Of his ey
perience as n student in Germany. TIL.
description OF European views o. the
American civil war and the attitude OF
individuals Is well as Governments tow
ard the North and the South will In
,erest the oldsttrs who recall those
trying times. and must be valuable TO
younger folks whose tex, book militia
ton Into the history OF their own land
has been crabbedly domestic In It's
outlook. The official record OF the
publishing house that has given honor.
able repute to the reminiscent's family
name was set forth by him In his re-
r.
George Palmer Putnam: and these per-
sonal memories" are broadly typical OF
he generation that established forever
the indissolubilty OF the Union OF
States.
In is4o the book publishing frm OF
Wiley and Putnam succeeded to that OF
Wiley and Long. of which the elder Put
nam had been representative in Eng
10
England to organize a London branch
of the house. and lived there TIL rs.
Thus II came about that George
Junior, was born tApril 2. ls4D In
British territory. Al that time England
mad no general naturalization law.
though one was passed later In the
same year. In 1872 Secretary OF State
Cass had concluded with the British
authorities an arrangement whereby
hildren born to citizens of either coun-
try soiourning in the other were to be
permitted at the age OF 81 to declare
allegiance 10 the county 81 their choice
on his twenty-first birthday anniver-
sary Mr.. Putnam was 40 busy In North
Carolina assisting Gen. Sherman to
secure the surrender Of the last army
~ the Confederacy" that he forgot al
about this detail of selection OF citl
zenshp," wherefore ne playfully de-
scrlbes himself as a "citizen by impli.
alton"
In ls4S the Wlley-Putnam partnership
was dissolved. and tho Putnams re-
turned TO New York. In the '50e New
York was an English speaking town:
French, German. Italian and other alien
tongues were little heard in the streets
Staten Island, where the family liVed
for some years. at Stapleton. was rural
and beautiful. The winters were harder
than In these degenerate days, and
so were the people. When the Putnams
moved into East Sixteenth street in
response TO the expansion of the pater-
nal business undertakings the children
had gl!mpses OF the notahles. principally
literary. OF the day. Mr.. Bryant was
The central lum!nary of n circle includ-
ing George W. Curtis, then doing "Potl-
phar"; Parke Goodwin. Frederick
Beecher Perkins, Fredt rick S. Cozzens
CRichard Haywarde" OF "Sparrowgrass
fame). Caroline NJ. Kirkland. Mrs Mary
C.avers": Mss Anne Charlotte Lynch
afterward Mrs. Prof. Botta. and Cathe-
r!ne SedEwlck. Eheu! What would these
names mean 10 present day high school
class in american literature? Thack-
erays bury figure and broad face.
(which II II had not been for the broken
outline OF the nose would really have
been atestic." impressed the boy: and
he remembers beirG patted on the head
by kindly old gentleman In priests
dress. while his father admonlshed: ut
Is probable, Haven. that you will never
again have your head pressed by the
hand of king" The king" was
Eleazar Williams. Louis XVII" In
1856. while living In Yonkers young
Putnam often saw Washington Irving
at Sunnyside:
have DEFINITE memory OF tho kindly
expression of the old sentleman's face as
he sat behind his big desk In the little study
0r as he stood AT the door of the study.
which opened directly out on tho lawn.
waving good-by
one sunday afternoon the old gentleman
took the pains to give me some word about
hts own childhood. When he was
year old tho nurse. taking him out saw
AZ the corner OF Broadway General Wishing
ton passing by on horseback. Lit
tie hshingtons were not so plentiful In
i7si at they became in later years and the
General was quite ready to delay his ride
for the purpose Of giving a greeting to his
litIie namesakc lie took the boy up on the
saddle and placing his hand upon the little
ones head gave him formal blessing
| looked with Interest al the head that
had been touched by Washington. and then
found mvsel' perplexed nj Mr. Irvings word
'hh, ! should not see the spot on which the
Generals hand had rested spoke TO my
father aft"rward about the incident, and
h" said; why, you stupid don't you know
that Mr.. irving wears "a wig"
Cooper and I3ayard TAYLOR were
among those whose business used TO
bring them 10 the publishers Office.
where the publishers son. sitting quiet
In corner, used to watch and listen.
In "lS52" Zone of Mr.. Putnam's
wrongly remembered datss) his father
introduced him to a tall. good took ing
man In the dress Of naval officer.
Haven" said he, YOU want To remcm-
her this gentleman, He tells us that
he has discovered now people OF
whom, In the course OF the next hair
century we shall hear a good deal" Il
was Commodore Perry, back from
Japan. Prominent events OF this
decade In New York were tho fire that