MR HENRY GEORGE

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1549, 1 December 1883, Page 4

MR HENRY GEORGE

**\Vhatovor may bo thought jfy t,ie ideas propounded in " Progress Poverty," the popularity of 'ilio l#k and tho boldness of its proposals for the regeneration of society justify some Recount of the career of its author. A correspondent furnishes the following details:—Henry George was born in the city of Philadelphia on September 2,1839. Ho received a good general education, and seems early to have displayed a robust independence of mind. s|is father says of him: " From his ifroyhood Henry had been self-reliant, 'iiand had always been a good boy. I had no fear of letting him go out into tho world by himself, Ho was self-willed and long-headed. History was his favorite study, and when 1 ho was about 14 years of age ho was ; "'lißa possessor of quite a respectable library, composed principally of historical works." Young George's first venture was on board the sailing ship Hindoo, then under orders for Calcutta, " He was absent on this voyage three 1 years, and in that time by careful ob- ■ )■• servation added vastly to his already respectable store of knowledge. Dissatisfied with the sea, George mado up ' his mind to learn the printing trade, and for this purpose entered the office of a firm of printers in 1850, Tho panic of '57, however, wrecked the firm with • whom he had engaged, and he was ' i thrown idlo, After returning to the sea . for some timo, the' gold fever' took hold of him, and he left San Francisco for Eraser Eiver. Although unsuccessful in falling upon any very remarkable .and lucrative spot, he went along with many of tho " rushes" to the most : favoured districts, and ultimately returned to San Francisco a sadder and a wiser man. Probably had Henry seorge been a successful " digger" the remarkable works which he has broduced would never have soen the lightIn 1861 George obtained a situation as . a compositor in the office of the Alta '; California, at that time one of the loading newspapers on the Pacific coast, While working as a compositor he . began to nse his pen, and in the shape of" Lottcrs to tho Editor" and various anonymous articles ho became known as a contributor to the newspaper of no mean importance. George afterwards changed his office, and engaged, still as a. compositor, in tho San Francisco Times. Ho continued his anonymous scribbling, sending his communications to the papor on which he was employed, He was now becoming quite an experienced writer, and he dealt in a thoroughly original way with a great variety oT topics, The editor of the -Times becamo curious to know the author of the remarkable letters, and set inquiries on foot, For a long time the attempt to discover the writer was .uMJCCJssfuI; but as tho letters still continued to come in, a watch was set on the letter-box connected with the editorial room. This stratagem was succ!tsful, and George was discovered dropping a letter into the box. Dr Gunn (the editor) immediately went upstairs to" the composing room, and tapping .George on tho shoulder as he stood at his work, said to him, "You don't want to fool away any more of your 'sme as a compositor; I have a place for you in the editorial room/' This account of our author's elevation from ; {he compositor's framo to tho editorial , chair is characteristically American, Within three months after joining tho staff of the Times, George became managing editor, which position he hold until 1867, when he resigned for the purpose of becoming connected ,wi;h tho editorial staff of the San "Francisoo Herald. But economical and social questions began to trouble George, and he returned to Callnia in 1869, and for a time devoted himself to study of the land question, which was then agitating the Pacific Const. In 1871 ho published a pamphlet, entitled " Our Land and Laud Policy," setting forth in brief the views which lie afterwards amplified in his now «slebrated work, The pamphlet created a decided sensation. From this time George adopted the profession of a journalist, and was connected with various newspapers, Although tho actual writing of "Progress and Povorty" occupied little more than a year George had for many years previously begun to prepare himself for his work, Ho read and thoroughly mastered all the writers on political "ieconomy, and, indeed, everything bearing on the land question, from whatever source he obtained his information, was carefully weighed and considered, Not until 1878, however, was our author satisfied that his years •f Study had fitted him to deal in a comprehensive way with the great problem of which he had determined to attempt the solution. In that year he fortunately held a municipal office whioh afforded him considerable leisure •and he dipped his pen in ink for the first line of "Progress and Poverty," From that time forward for a little over a year he pushed on the work till the entire manuscript was ready for tho printer's hands, Of his method of working it is said: "George made a practice of never trusting to hismemory to reproduce any important idea which might come into his mind, but immediately reduced it to writing or carried it into effect; thus though, when weary, he would stop work for a time, and go fishing or yachting with a friend; still ho would get out of bed at any hour to insert a point in his work which bad come into his mind, Countless times he hacked a chapter beyond recognition; a chapter assigned to a .. particular book was by no means certain not to be transferred the next day 'to a position three or four books before or following," But though George had got his ideas reduced to manuscript, the book was not yet published, . The publishing houses of New York would have nothing to do with a work of so Radical a nature, and' he was in- ; detyei to a friend and former business nssotlato named Hinton for tho printing of 500 copies, which were immediately bought up. George supplied . the Appletons (publishers of New • York), with the stcreotypo plates of " Progress and Poverty," which he is reported to have made with his own hands, and from that house was issued tho second edition, which wont off as rapidly as the first. Many editions havo since been issued i