The Washington herald., 1920-09-19

chase them" he told me. For many years
he has been collecting books illustrated by
Cruikshank, Leech. Rowlandson and II. h.
Brown better known as ''Phiz,' and also In
acquiring first editions of Thackersy and
Dickens
But found this a constant care and it
kept me fairly busy in discovering the source
of supply. To be bibliophile required more
leisure than l had to give to it, so l was
obliged to give up this hobby. Now | keep
only the books for which l have a special
prediction. Ny idols in American life are
Abraham Lincoln and Ralph Waldo Emer-
son, and anything that pertains to them
am eager to acquire"
Mr.. Bangs had seated himself at his desk
in an alcove. Close beside him was the
typewriter holding some unfinished manu-
script, and I appreciated, in such a busy
man, his air Of leisure, and wondered at his
vigorous health.
How do you keep so '6t'?" l asked
him.
"A number Of years ago" he replied, II
watched the way Hopkinson Smith was
working, and l wondered how any human
being could keep up such a record and not
break. lie would spend six or eight weeks
in Venice, Holland and England painting
water cOlors; then he would write a dozen
or more stories and a novel, besides giving
twenty or thirty lectures in a country re-.
quiring travel, which entirely INTERRUPTED
the placid flow of his existence All this in
addition to his profession as an engineer.
One day l said to him, Smith, how do YOU
rest? and he answered, Always by doing
something else Now. I've always had a pre-
dilection for physical exercise and, when in
trim, walk from five to fifteen miNs day.
While my minI may be resting, the subcon-
sciOus mind never rests-proyided you've got
one! Lecturing is arduous work and alb
serbs time. My only relaxation consists
in contacts with people on the road it
self, matching minds with the man on the
street or the man of the railroad and get
ting the point of view of the man in the
crowd.
I'm summer l work from until l, and
aside from walking, my out of door exer-
else consists in a game of golf or in weedin;
my wife's garden. / take a great interest
in it and am a semi demi hired man. l
don't know much about flowers but / do
what I'm told-all the while thinking about
something else he added smilingly.
Years ago Mr.. Bangs started out to be a
lawyer and all his energy when in college
was directed toward the study of law.
During his freshman year he was elected to
the college paper, "Acta Columbiana." The
managing editor of the paper was always a
junior, and when he was in his sophomore
year Nicholas Murray Butler, now presi-
dent of Columbia College, held this position,
but the work interfered with his studies, so
he gave it up. Although only "soph, /"
Bangs was elected in his place and held it
until his senior year. The important part
of it all to him was that the same printing
house that printed the college paper printed
Life, which brought him into contact with
the proprietor of that famous periodical.
When, at the end of bis first year in the
law school, a position became vacant on
Life. it was offered 70 him. And this,
said Mr. Bangs, ended my wild careerings
and possible future as lawyer.
He remained four years with Life, ant
then accepted a position with Harper &
Bros. to take charge of their department o
humor, which position be held until 1872
when Harpers Weekly passed into the hand'
of Norman Hapgood. He was closely atil
lated with this house for many years, ant
its old time directors are still his mos
cherished friends.
During the war found myself in Jnnu
ary, 1915, the only Stacker in the family
Mrs. Bangs was engaged in war work an
my three boys were in the army itself-on
in France. l was in the position of bein
a civilian quartermaster; but, thanks to tn
American committee for devastated Franc,
/ was permitted to 90 to France In tn