OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10363, 18 May 1895, Page 2

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

(Fbom Oub Own Correspondent.) San Fjrancisco, April 6. LITERAHY NOTES.

\: At this tiitte of- writing ■ the besfc'r known novelist in. this city is Ferguß Hume. The Examiner'is publishing every Sunday several chapter^ of a detective story by this gentleman', and^ the paper in puffing its'.own wares is referring to Fergus Hume in terms that would hardly be acceptable to fchfl ordinarily modest man. Mr Hume is described as " the literary sensation of the hentary's end," "the famous. writer," " the man who has caught the attention | of two continents," and "the author of 'The Mystery of a Hansom Cab.' " " But,'' says the Examiner, "' The' Mystery of a Hansom Cab' is a simple complication compared with the plot of 'The Third Volume,' Hume's greatest work: It is weird,! thrilliDg, absorbing," &c.. &c, all of which goes to prove that should any one ever have an>drder to write a yarn for an •American, paper he or she need, not fear that their name and fame will be insufficiently heralded. As the tale also runs in the Toronto 'Globe and other papers, Hume will be making',; "^l'&foglad to'-saly, a good srim of moaey out of-Jit.';..-Writing for a syndicate seems. to be ; the:' most successful plan nowadays. ~ The Ttiie itself daals with a father, son, 'and mother. The father was murdered years 'blitoVte the'tale opens', and the, mother accused oi the crime, but acquitted. The \ question is : !Who;irnur: dered,my father ? .for, byGod's help, I mean to find him, or her ! Personally, living in a city whose papers reek, with crime every day of the week, and where,3o m'urdsis. are 'finmmitted annually, aridbeingin a State'where; 150 murders happen every year, and iii.a country 'where ?oQo;de"eds of blood,'.,b'to^.the. brightness lof the'sun';'or .moon every',36s days,' I cannot/ [' tinder^jMch^ conditions.. and': wifchih eucb. an 'environmeiit/ follow auy murder yarn ; with a great degree of interest.; The subject.matter is trite; the incentive insufficient. Nor cjin I siltogethe'r understand what Interest murder tales can have for others whatever; but then people differ. -■ Apart from this, Hume's work: is juntas good as any other yarn of alike kind,snd just as well told. May he wade in blood till fortune crowns him! ... ~ .'.

The "Trilby'1 craze is stilt with us. Mature hiatoriahs of our Social life will regard it v as we regard the plagues'/of Egypt. ~'lli.ißiunaocounir-a--ble 'and'^justifiable; although, to,give.Du Maurier his due, he himself is' surprised at the • success of his work:;. .Meantime, we have, in addition to "Trilby" teas and conversaziones and concerts, the dry-goods stores advertiaibg "Trilby" gloves, and "-Trilby"■, shades; 'and > so: on. Then " Trilby'< has \ been •brought into the living . picture bnsi-i-otass, and somebody poses as "Trilby" every iSight to admiring crowds—not,' I bilieve,- as '"the altogether," although they are not above 'that, if it comes to the pinch. .'But, as. a though' 7»|l this were not sufficient, " Triibyi" has bsenfjdramatised, and the play produced, and with rgreat success, and the critics back East say "it contains one of the most powerful secrets known to the drama. So the "boom" is being worked .in • splendid style:—in fact it would seem as. though some others, in additicn to the fortunate orunfortunate—as you view it—author, "-stood in" fora share of the profits. The play deals mora with Svenga'li, emphasising his hypnotic powers over Trilby, thau does the book; whjlst Taffy, the Laird, and Little Billea—"Silly Billy," Ambrose Bicree terms him—are subordinated. Nor is this all. In 'Mfi'Clure's ■ Magazine" for this meiith we have an. inter-' view with Dv Maurier, and sketches of his life and home, and 100,000 copies of th» magazine are to be published to meet ■ the .expected demand! Lastly, aorhsohe in BostojJ has discovered a book called "Trilby, the.Fuiry of Argyle," by Charles Nodier, of the French Academy, written in iB2O and published in 1822, and. which was widely read at the time. ' This work was rushed after, by. five publishing hbiisSs, andj translated arid.p.iib]UheQ*ejghtda.ys ■fro& its'digdSjvefy!' I have, sufficieutjy poor an opinion1 of .DuJMauner's. "T,rilby" to'think any i'ntel!i|enfc''maJnof the world cpuid^have written it without- resortiHg to.plagiarism, - and,.this seems to'be the-general view. I look upon Dv Maurier ss a very, very lucky man. ■ •' Paul Bourget's "Outer Mer" articles, and to wßich I referred in a previous letter, wei;e the cause of some vigorous lauguage between Mark Twain and Max O'Rell. The former deemed it necessary to answer Bourget, aud unbosomed himself of a coarte, splenetic article; .remarking incidentally, by way of'answer to Bourget's joke that an American cciuld always, fill up his spare time ia ttjing to.fiud out who. his grandfather was, that a I'renchman.conld fill up his spare moments iv wondering whohis father wag. This coarse innuendo was viewed by Max O'Rell as an unwarranted insult against every French ■woman, and, in replying thereto, ..he hotly affirmed that were Twain to make such a stater ment in Paris he would have his nose tweaked by every man he met. And to thia^Mr Mark Twain replied by colling Max O'Rell a " thing," a plagiarist, a contemptible this, that, 3nd the other, which, to the ordinary mim', looks very much as though Twain had mad« au unmitigated ass of himself in attempting to repel criticisms upon the United States similar in effect to those made by every person of whatever nationality from Dickens to John Burns. :. . ■ social gossip. We have had several" distinctly interesting little morsels to . discuss since the Gould.Castellane wedding. This last is a matter of history. The briue. is lost; she has become merged,,so to speak, in the glorious effulgence that radiates from au ,eld crest, an old houss, and au old name. .True it was a little painful to read, as we all "did read, that those elaborate gowns of which we'heax'd so much could not possibly be worn this seasoii by the Countess Castellane, owing to some one of the many relatives of the noble husband having, most inopportunely, decided to quit the aristocracy of ■ Paris for a more refined sphere in the obher world. This ibeans mourning, and consequently the submergance of the new countess, foe noxt saason she will be no loDger a sensation, other stars will have arisen in the firmament of the Faubourg St. Germain; aud her glory will, ere it has arisen, have departed. But there are compensations for the Lazarus without the gate. We have been enabled to discuss the Vanderbilt divorce and the Vanderbilt settlement. True, we were hardly treated fairly in this matter. The hnsbaml made no defence, entered no counter plea, kicked up not the least bit of a shine, but let the whole business go in a manner exasperatingly prosy. Mrs William X.—as we all call her—obtained her decree, her Newport million-dollar palace, her town house, her furniture, pictures, &c., and her allowance of 200,000i30l per year. Per contra Willie X. —that's the way we always refer to the husband, so as to distinguish him fto/n Cornelius Vandetrbilt—obtained a lettuce from the judge and his freedom. Now it will b". admitted by any impartial person that when the very highest family in our plutocracy contents itself with so dull, so uninteresting, and so aggravating a settlement of what oughb to have been, under proper management, the sensation of the twelve-raonth, the great goggleeyed public has a right to complain. Recognising this failure to meet a popular demand, the pipers searched up the records to discover who ts was the lady iv the case, »s it is not possible 'd !to secure a divorce under the New York -d j State laws for any other cause thsiu one. It id 1 was fouud that the lady is a well-known memut i ber of the Parisian half-world, who, having met

Vanderbilt at the races at Longcbamps in 189+, succeeded iv doing what scores had tried in vain to do before, In other, words, Miaa Nellie Neastrettar converted a prim, ordinary, stocky, elderly man, the father of grown-up yom\g ladies, husband of a proud and sensitive woman, owner of one of the largest fortunes held by a single man, iuto a perfect fool. Vaudetbilfe made a complete ass of himself from the atart, aod elevated his companion by his wealth to a position of envy and splendour, and from which she openly flouted his wife aud daughters, to whom he waß bound by every tie of honour and manhood.

However, he has got her upon his hands now, and will, unless experience counts for nothing, be heartily sick oV bis bargain snd ashamed of himself before many months. Meanwhile, the cynic may amuse himself in estimating how many thousands arc toiling and moiling in the slums and busy haunts of New York to earn a pittance for theni3elires and. create, .a surplus wherewith to bedeok and bedrape the object of Mr William: K. Vanderbilt's adoration..

But there are other titbits for the gossips. Youcau't.yery well have a divorce without a marriage, and we are, to have a few of the latter in the way of compensation aud as a forerunner to the former. I have it on the very best authority—viz.; the newspaper whose reporter knows someone who. was at one time related to a cousin of somebody whose uncle was formerly engaged to the sister of a young clerk in the Austrian Embassy—that the daughter of Pullman will, at a very early date, marry Count j Isenberg Bit stein, who, a3 all the world knows, is a cousin to the jCrown Prince of Austria. There have been.remarks about this charming little romance for many seasons past, but it is now positively known —see the authorities quoted above—that all obstacles have' been; overcome, and the ardent arid constant and, disinterested devotion of the genial young count, iv who3e veins rolls some of the bluest; and noblest blood of Europe, will meet with its reward. Prior to the consummation of this' social function Mr Oarzpn, M.P., will lead to the altar Miss Letter, of Chicago. Mr Curzon, from all accounts, is a decant young fellow. He has studied and travelled, and written his observations in a readable way; but whetherhe really isa possible' Premier of England, or whether he haßbeen "mentioned for the place," I e.iunot say. I have "me doots," but am i careful not to coritradiot any newspaper report, j knowing, as I do, the proverbial reliability of all information so conveyed. At all events the papers gave us two columns on the Curzon family, with piofcute'i of the .family creat, and heraldic devices and country, house,..and-told us how the family!. came, over . with!,, those ! multitudinous. .rascals!.; who.;' sought pliinder ' — and ... got it— under!;. -''.8i11y,.".; the. Norman, arid altogether .gave, a... yery.; fair.example pf.what Burkes peerage'i.qughto;to hi). 'Of Miss Leitsr I know nothing but good. :Sh'e" is accomplished, intellectual, rich, fler father

in the pro-historic days of Chicago;kept a small dry goods store—he is now a many-times* ''millionaire.

Nor 13 San Francisco forgotten in this enchanting downpour of strawberry leaves p.nd garters. Oar girls manage to pick up a crumb or two occasionally. Thore is Miss Maud Burke for instance, and everybody, who is anybody at all knows Miss Burke. She it was who nearly succeeded in landing Pcincs Poniatowslri, "of Poland. Rather vague this, but; amply sufficient for the initiated; but aft«r a good deal of clever acgling, iv which the young lady displayed remarkable ability, Miss Sperry managed to hook the fish who, being rather hungry, gulped at the bait. Mis 3 Burkes turn has come, however, and the ''proud boast was made in big letters at the top of the column that she would wed an Efiglish peer and wear a coronet! lam afraid the reporter has mixed matters somewhat, for as the* future huaband is given •as Sir B ache Cuiiard, son of Giinard of steamship fame, I am rather anxious to kaow where the peerage and coronet come in.' At all events, if Miss Burke h"?s bought; them she ought, in honour, to; gut! 'em. ~'F iat, justitia, &c, &o. Nor must I forget to mention that a certain London photographer .lias tokl the world—that ii, a very small psi'fc of it—how the most popular jicd most sold portrait is .that of ihe Queen, and how the vast majority of such pictures are sold in the United States and to Americans. Sh-s-a-sh! NOTES AND COMMENTS. A combination of the kinetoscopg and the phonograph has been perfected by Edison, and will be offered to the public in the Bhape of an instrument which will show action and give phonetic expression syuohrohously. The field opsned up by such an invention is practically inexhaustible. . . . An elev.ited electric railway, running from New York to Chicago, and lator to the Pacific Co-Hit, has been incorporated. It is proposed to carry freight only, and it is claimed the saving iv coafc and expedition will be at least ia the proportion o? 8 to 1. A Half-million Club, having for its object the increase of San Francisco's population to 500,000 by tha year 1900 has been formed. In view of the fact that many psople hold that San Francisco is worse thun eitUer Sodom or Gomorrah, and have no delicacy or hesitation in ?ayii;g a like fate ought to befall it, and in •view of the further and corroborative fact that, according to published figures, the annual birth rate is some 3000 less that the death rate, I fail to see ths necessity for any such club. Of course it is merely another way of manufacturing a "bor.m."

Said an United States Senator in a speech on St. Patrick's Day :—" America in particular ba? reason to b« proud of thu sous uf Erin. Wo sing Tom Moore'n songs, weep or-'r the ' Laifc Rone of Summer,' aud rejoice in Bobby Burnn and the great men of every branch of the Celtic race." Thia appropriation of Burns

marks a new departure, and could be easily enlarged upon.

Lillian Rujeell was called upon tha other day to sing " The litar-spangled banner," and astonished her audience by saying, " I don't; know the words; give me something easier." This from a woman who boasts of her Americanism is not bad ; bat it turned out on inquiry that not one person in the crowd of patriots who called for the song could give the singer the words. The occasion was tho opening of that absentee- patriot Carnegie's gift to Pittsburgh

A similar incident ocenrrad on board one of the American linera some year 3 ago. Bsing the Fourth of July, the Americans on board naturally ■ had to celebrate'the glorious occasion ;eo afser • dinner and ' speeoh-m&king, Chauncey D.epew called upon tHe assembled guests to sing " The star-spanged banner," and not one of the whole crowd knew it.

I notice Messrs* Carnegie and Pullniao have been quoted by n. Now Zealander to the following effect:-—''.And on every side there are warni).is3, theoretical and practical, from Mr, Balfour and Sir Henry Thompson, as well as from Mr Carnegie,and, Mr Pullman,.,that if capitalistic enterprise is to be carried on at all wages must follow profits and must speedily come down." To quo'ts a couple of men who within a generation have risen from small wage-earners to multi-millionaires in such a connection is ab3ucd. At the very time these two men were on some such fallacious plea as the above seeking—successfully, I admit—to i teale down the cost of labour, the one was donating millions on parks and libraries, taken as "profit" from this overpaid labour, aud the other paid out' in the year 1891- a dividend of 8 per cent, on a watered stock of 35,000,000d01. The only troth in Pullman's remark, if-lie made it, is "wages speedily come down," but it bears no relatiou to profits. The three, female representatives in the General As3smbly of Colorado are nois getting along altogether comfortably. During a discussion on the Age of Consent Bill the galleries ■were cleared, ■ bufr out new women had to endure it all. On another occasion when the question of providing for the accommodation;, of men and woaieu on. the juries of the upper oourta all the f«males in the House cleared out save our three representatives. Some of the male members used terrible language, but the Speaker did not interfere. AH of which goes !to ■ prove that women have not yet elevated politics—rather has politics,depressed thstn. The above, by the way, will sufficiently answer this startling assertion of a correspondent in a New Zealand paper:—"'The logical' issue of obtaining the franchise by women is a ; seat in Parliament,' says the germs fly-catoher. Why ? The women of "Wyoming have enjoyed, the franchise for some 30 years'without desiring to enter'tha'Legislatures. They have contanted themaijlvea'witii execcising theirabsolutely-jasV right aiid;p'rjvnego'. to vote for the sentatives of "the people, arid have thas" done yeomen's ssrvice to the State... Why should

the' New Zealand woman, enfranchised for little more than a twelvemonth, aspire to tread in fields her American sister, with some 30 -i years' experience, has not thought of entering?" As ft matter of fact I called attention to the re turn of women to our State Parliamonts.months ago. The American woman has no compunc- ■ tions on this score. She, meanß to get anywhere and everywhsre—God bless her. An orator- on St. Patrick's Day orated as under :—" The' United States of America in its' vast-ness, power, and comprehensiveness of its institutions is the result hot of one century, but it is the achievement of all his'.ory. It comes down to us consecrated and hallowed by all tha toil and tsara aud hopes and dreams of man from century to century, following the light of liberty until at last it has reached its highest state of civilisation as seen So-day. I tnka it that this republic realises all of the dreams and hopes of every man who has struck for free-, dom, of every philosopher who has dared to^ thiuk, and of e-ery historian who has faithfully recorded the events of his time."

-. A wotn^n ws.s arrested in Victoria (8.C.) for wearing bloomers in the open streets. ■ Hore ia•: San Francisco women use the bloomer costume for,hioycle riding by thQ;hundred, and no one is foolish enough to question such a proceeding. Iv f.ict, <m Suudiy l«,so a-young girl rode her "bike!' iv the park,-much to the dsligb.!; of the Philistines, having at her- costume a dark, blue sweater and black tights. And why not? Says Mrs Houghtou, member of tb.fi Board of Larly Managers at the World's Fair :-^" I am goiug to make a crusade against the suffragists. Idoit in behalf of the sansible, souud-ininded women of my sex We are tired of this misrepresentation by the faw. Millions of women who shrink from the gl'ire of publicity protest, bat do not care to leave their happy homes to make the fight. II) is the greatest; curse that could come to us. I lived in Washington Sbato when women clamoured for suffrAg^. Th«y got it, and at the end of two years begged that it be takeu away from them Why, I remember one casa where they had to aerre ou a jury. The crime was a horrible and revolting one, and the women cried and wept because the judge could not legally excuse them. They were locked up with the men for 48 houra. At the next general electiou they and their husbands voted for unequal righfs."

It is generally conceded that the citie3 of California are uot very safe places to live iv at this time. Murderom assaults, stabbing, shooting, slugging, brutal . crimes, nnd daring daylight robberies are common. There is much protest and declamation, but so long as judges and courti deliberately go out of their way to protect criminals, little will come of it. . An accurate record of the pre3ent state of affairs would not bn accepted as true by the m&jority of readers. I therefore omit it.

.Toaquin Miller h:»e returned from Hawaii, fiil«<i wif.h loafebing cud- scorn for the self-cou-fllitutod oligarchy in power there. The poet's hot shout has muds thrfiierFspwer patriots, who yelled for "the infant republic," "real mad."