the americanization of edward bok-第8部分

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wing　her　the　wonderful　photograph　just　presented　to　him。　Edward　saw　that　the　widow　of　the　great　Lincoln　did　not　mentally　respond　to　his　pleasure　in　his　possession。　It　was　apparent　even　to　the　boy　that　mental　and　physical　illness　had　done　their　work　with　the　frail　frame。　But　he　had　the　memory；　at　least；　of　having　got　that　close　to　the　great　President。

　　Mrs。　Abraham　Lincoln；　October　13th　1881

The　eventful　evening；　however；　was　not　yet　over。　Edward　had　boarded　a　Broadway　stage　to　take　him　to　his　Brooklyn　home　when；　glancing　at　the　newspaper　of　a　man　sitting　next　to　him；　he　saw　the　headline：　〃Jefferson　Davis　arrives　in　New　York。〃　He　read　enough　to　see　that　the　Confederate　President　was　stopping　at　the　Metropolitan　Hotel；　in　lower　Broadway；　and　as　he　looked　out　of　the　stage…window　the　sign　〃Metropolitan　Hotel〃　stared　him　in　the　face。　In　a　moment　he　was　out　of　the　stage；　he　wrote　a　little　note；　asked　the　clerk　to　send　it　to　Mr。　Davis；　and　within　five　minutes　was　talking　to　the　Confederate　President　and　telling　of　his　remarkable　evening。

Mr。　Davis　was　keenly　interested　in　the　coincidence　and　in　the　boy　before　him。　He　asked　about　the　famous　collection；　and　promised　to　secure　for　Edward　a　letter　written　by　each　member　of　the　Confederate　Cabinet。　This　he　subsequently　did。　Edward　remained　with　Mr。　Davis　until　ten　o'clock；　and　that　evening　brought　about　an　interchange　of　letters　between　the　Brooklyn　boy　and　Mr。　Davis　at　Beauvoir；　Mississippi；　that　lasted　until　the　latter　passed　away。

Edward　was　fast　absorbing　a　tremendous　quantity　of　biographical　information　about　the　most　famous　men　and　women　of　his　time；　and　he　was　compiling　a　collection　of　autograph　letters　that　the　newspapers　had　made　famous　throughout　the　country。　He　was　ruminating　over　his　possessions　one　day；　and　wondering　to　what　practical　use　he　could　put　his　collection；　for　while　it　was　proving　educative　to　a　wonderful　degree；　it　was；　after　all；　a　hobby；　and　a　hobby　means　expense。　His　autograph　quest　cost　him　stationery；　postage；　car…fareall　outgo。　But　it　had　brought　him　no　income；　save　a　rich　mental　revenue。　And　the　boy　and　his　family　needed　money。　He　did　not　know；　then；　the　value　of　a　background。

He　was　thinking　along　this　line　in　a　restaurant　when　a　man　sitting　next　to　him　opened　a　box　of　cigarettes；　and　taking　a　picture　out　of　it　threw　it　on　the　floor。　Edward　picked　it　up；　thinking　it　might　be　a　〃prospect〃　for　his　collection　of　autograph　letters。　It　was　the　picture　of　a　well…known　actress。　He　then　recalled　an　advertisement　announcing　that　this　particular　brand　of　cigarettes　contained；　in　each　package；　a　lithographed　portrait　of　some　famous　actor　or　actress；　and　that　if　the　purchaser　would　collect　these　he　would；　in　the　end；　have　a　valuable　album　of　the　greatest　actors　and　actresses　of　the　day。　Edward　turned　the　picture　over；　only　to　find　a　blank　reverse　side。　〃All　very　well；〃　he　thought；　〃but　what　does　a　purchaser　have；　after　all；　in　the　end；　but　a　lot　of　pictures？　Why　don't　they　use　the　back　of　each　picture；　and　tell　what　each　did：　a　little　biography？　Then　it　would　be　worth　keeping。〃　With　his　passion　for　self…education；　the　idea　appealed　very　strongly　to　him；　and　believing　firmly　that　there　were　others　possessed　of　the　same　thirst；　he　set　out　the　next　day；　in　his　luncheon　hour；　to　find　out　who　made　the　picture。

At　the　office　of　the　cigarette　company　he　learned　that　the　making　of　the　pictures　was　in　the　hands　of　the　Knapp　Lithographic　Company。　The　following　luncheon　hour；　Edward　sought　the　offices　of　the　company；　and　explained　his　idea　to　Mr。　Joseph　P。　Knapp；　now　the　president　of　the　American　Lithograph　Company。

〃I'll　give　you　ten　dollars　apiece　if　you　will　write　me　a　one…hundred…word　biography　of　one　hundred　famous　Americans；〃　was　Mr。　Knapp's　instant　reply。　〃Send　me　a　list；　and　group　them；　as；　for　instance：　presidents　and　vice…presidents；　famous　soldiers；　actors；　authors；　etc。〃

〃And　thus；〃　says　Mr。　Knapp；　as　he　tells　the　tale　today；　〃I　gave　Edward　Bok　his　first　literary　commission；　and　started　him　off　on　his　literary　career。〃

And　it　is　true。

But　Edward　soon　found　the　Lithograph　Company　calling　for　〃copy；〃　and；　write　as　he　might；　he　could　not　supply　the　biographies　fast　enough。　He；　at　last；　completed　the　first　hundred；　and　so　instantaneous　was　their　success　that　Mr。　Knapp　called　for　a　second　hundred；　and　then　for　a　third。　Finding　that　one　hand　was　not　equal　to　the　task；　Edward　offered　his　brother　five　dollars　for　each　biography；　he　made　the　same　offer　to　one　or　two　journalists　whom　he　knew　and　whose　accuracy　he　could　trust；　and　he　was　speedily　convinced　that　merely　to　edit　biographies　written　by　others；　at　one…half　the　price　paid　to　him；　was　more　profitable　than　to　write　himself。

So　with　five　journalists　working　at　top　speed　to　supply　the　hungry　lithograph　presses；　Mr。　Knapp　was　likewise　responsible　for　Edward　Bok's　first　adventure　as　an　editor。　It　was　commercial；　if　you　will；　but　it　was　a　commercial　editing　that　had　a　distinct　educational　value　to　a　large　public。

The　important　point　is　that　Edward　Bok　was　being　led　more　and　more　to　writing　and　to　editorship。



IV。　A　Presidential　Friend　and　a　Boston　Pilgrimage

Edward　Bok　had　not　been　office　boy　long　before　he　realized　that　if　he　learned　shorthand　he　would　stand　a　better　chance　for　advancement。　So　he　joined　the　Young　Men's　Christian　Association　in　Brooklyn；　and　entered　the　class　in　stenography。　But　as　this　class　met　only　twice　a　week；　Edward；　impatient　to　learn　the　art　of　〃pothooks〃　as　quickly　as　possible；　supplemented　this　instruction　by　a　course　given　on　two　other　evenings　at　moderate　cost　by　a　Brooklyn　business　college。　As　the　system　taught　in　both　classes　was　the　same；　more　rapid　progress　was　possible；　and　the　two　teachers　were　constantly　surprised　that　he　acquired　the　art　so　much　more　quickly　than　the　other　students。

Before　many　weeks　Edward　could　〃stenograph〃　fairly　well；　and　as　the　typewriter　had　not　then　come　into　its　own；　he　was　ready　to　put　his　knowledge　to　practical　use。

An　opportunity　offered　itself　when　the　city　editor　of　the　Brooklyn　Eagle　asked　him　to　report　two　speeches　at　a　New　England　Society　dinner。　The　speakers　were　to　be　the　President　of　the　United　States；　General　Grant；　General　Sherman；　Mr。　Evarts；　and　General　Sheridan。　Edward　was　to　report　what　General　Grant　and　the　President　said；　and　was　instructed　to　give　the　President's　speech　verbatim。

At　the　close　of　the　dinner；　the　reporters　came　in　and　Edward　was　seated　directly　in　front　of　the　President。　In　those　days　when　a　public　dinner　included　several　kinds　of　wine；　it　was　the　custom　to　serve　the　reporters　with　wine；　and　as　the　glasses　were　placed　before　Edward's　plate　he　realized　that　he　had　to　make　a　decision　then　and　there。　He　had；　of　course；　constantly　seen　wine　on　his　father's　table；　as　is　the　European　custom；　but　the　boy　had　never　tasted　it。　He　decided　he　would　not　begin　then；　when　he　needed　a　clear　head。　So；　in　order　to　get　more　room　for　his　note…book；　he　asked　the　waiter　to　remove　the　glasses。

It　was　the　first　time　he　had　ever　attempted　to　report　a　public　address。　General　Grant's　remarks　were　few；　as　usual；　and　as　he　spoke　slowly；　he　gave　the　young　reporter　no　trouble。　But　alas　for　his　stenographi