Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1887 — THE SON OF HIS FATHER. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SON OF HIS FATHER.

Charles Dickens, Jr., Interviewed by a Pittsburg Reporter. [Pittsburg special.] Charles Dickens, Jr., was interviewed here, and talked freely on literature and literary men. Referring to Haggard and Stevenson, he said their success was due to the fact that the people were tired of the small-beer style of writers of the Howells and James school. He added: “I say this with all respect to the gentlemen named, but it is on obvious truth. The reading public has grown weary of that sort of work, and they seize upon the originality of Haggard and Stevenson with avidity. Mr. Stevenson has, of course, much of Defoe in his wording Mr. Haggard has also a predecessor.

‘Kaloolah,’ which was written years ago and never made much of a stir, has very much of a family resemblance to ‘She’ and the present romantic school. These gentlemen have been fortunate in their opportunities. They have hit upon the tide which leads to fortune. ” “Do the editors of English periodicals have many offers of matter from American story and essay writers?” he was asked. “So far as I know, American writers do not endeavor to write for the English market. They find their best market at home. In fact, I may say that what woula do admirably for the American public would hardly suit English readers, although to a very considerable extent English writers please Americans.” “Is there much demand for poetry outside of current publications in magazines ?” “Very little. Volumes of verse are almost without sale. There is, however, much good work in the periodicals—work which is much above the average of half a century ago—and for this there is great demand.” He thought the greatest weakness of the writers of to-day was lack of originality. They work for money instead of fame, and hence are careless in manner and matter. Some of the greatest writers of all departments of literature were Americans. Newspaper literature in the United States, he said, was very fine considering the haste with ■which everything had to be prepared. Considerable excitement was caused at the New York Metal Exchange by an unfavorable report from the Calumet and Hecla copper mines. The copper transactions on the exchange for the last two days amounted to between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 pounds. 1 The commission appointed by Congress to procure a site for a new postottlce at San Francisco report that the $350,000 appropriation for the purpose is ihsufficient, owing to the high value of leal estate in the city, and recommend that it be increased to $850,000.