The sun., 1916-12-03

Eastern enterprise. This characteris-
tic seized upon 2 vast. wilderness,
- and AIDED great cities.
Joined its varid parts with steel and
iron. made>Gre4 highways out Of the
once we'll nigh iinpassab!e cattle paths.
and from an elemental existence de-
veloped a complex civilization. Nor Is
there to-day In all this region q greater
or finer city than fair Los Angeles"
Henry Brevoort's Letters to wash.
/ ineton Irving.
Is any one writing letters to-day
that people will want to read in the
twenty-Hrst century? The Letters
of Henry Breroort to Washington
IrrinO .(Putnams: first edition. lin
ited). dating from January. 1911. to
October, 1S43, will be read with. de-
light not only by those especially in
terested in either or both Of the cor
respondents but by persons not con-
cerncd about Irving or Brevoort but
appreciative Of the peculiar merit OF
bright. intelligent contemporary re-
Election of times past. These two
handsome volumes complement the re-
Gently published other side of the cor
respondence.
At the beginning Of these letters
Brevoort has just completed a
trip out through the wilderness from
Montreal to Mackinac; he is in the
fur trade. He states with clear under
standing the Indians chief grievances
against the white man. In h next
year, 1912. he is in Paris. The French
country Is fertile, well titled. the
peasautry exhibit every mark Of fat
content" British reports Of absolute
beggary and despair are false. In the
capital he wishes his friend were with
him. to help him 'in laughing at this
most ludicrous. characteristic, quizzl-
cal, nonsensical & delightful OF all
the nations. under the canopy OF
heaven" He asks for "A new Knick-
erbocker & a sctt of Salmagundi," to
be presented to MAD: D'Arblay, the
authorizes OF Evelena. &C., Sc" >
lie jumps to Edinburgh. jeffrey Of
the Review Is "a little inky Hector"
His opinion Of the Society in n Y
g. Philad: u singularly ~.ludicrous."
Here are promenades. he says, crowded
with rival bellies. yet are they not
Broad Ways" Scott Is admirable.
mot n grain OF pride or aniectation In
his whole COMPOSITION. The city is
agog over Sir Humphry Days new
doctrine OF a distinct acidifying prin-
ciple from Oxygin." London: Nine.
de Stael is Just arrived from Sweden,
and "she has a very reverend black
beard"
New York. 1890: an this City for
tune Is resolved TO let no m escape
her caprices: the whole aspect OF do
nestle life has changed. All the ordi-
nary sources Of industry seem to have
closed--a great portion Of the Houses
in the City are to let. & their inhabi-
tants are obliged to seek n livelihood
elsewhere" Brevoort's letters consti-
tute an intimate description OF the
business life OF his time; not very
different. In its ventures. Its hazards,
failures and successes. from the bust
ness life Of Gotham to-day.
Columbia College affairs. Duels-
Decatur Barron. etc. Dinners and the
play. Small talk. o. the town. Paul
ding and Vcrplanck. Dealings with
publishers. a request that Irving's
brothers be made to understand
hat Brevoort Is not ~'intrudinG" in
w. is literary affairs, and n belated,
unkind letter from the beneficiary Of
his friendly pains and assumption Of
%pecuniary risk. In this affair Irving
shows up badly: Brevoort writes
s%plendidly, with dignity and force.
In 1927: "Mr. Spy Cooper Is now in
~ ale s.Tl,a Ib.G.t.rp l.. " ---
Cooper has "a rough & confident man.
ner OF expressing himself, but you will
fnd. him n right good fellow at
bottom The Life of Columbus is
out, and greeted as "in the first rank
Of historical compositions. You have
every reason to he satisfied with the
kindly feelings Of your c%ountrynen."
Brevoort Senior. "the old gentleman"
has just passed his SGth year--with no
other annoyance to his happiness but
the "encroachment Of the City upon
his domains, The. Corporation will
persist In raising the value OF his land
by cutting 1t up into streets, &
burthening him by assessments. The
old Gentleman rebels & talks OF the
purity OF the olden time, but is
obliged to submit" Walsh of "fhc Am:
or, Review" pays two dollars a page.
In 1929 Brevoort sends IA letter in
Producing "Mr. s. p. j.. Morse, a gentle
man for whom | entertain very cordial
feelings OF regard" lie is zone OF our
best painters and has essentially con-
tribntcd both by the aid of his pencil
and his pen to advance the state of the
arts among us"
In July, 1881, Brevoort Is at Paris
again. and writes: "a very mistaken
idea has prevailed In the United States
that the late revolution was an event
favorable to the recovery of our claims.
more especially az our I'd Lafayette
might have II In his power 10 inter-
pose his influence In obtaining their
adjustment under the new Govt. But
the truth IL, that even with the best
dispositions In our behalf the old Gem
eral has never had any real influence.
and eve II he had possessed Il any
overtures from him would have. beer
regarded with distrust as coming from
one anxious 70 requitc obligations and
p~redisposed TO our interests. He has,
in fact. had nothing to do either d.
rectly or indirectly in the settlement
Of u differences"
From Paris. January. 1893: This
VII he ccnvay"d ~ 90 by Col. Theta