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Copyright, 1887, by W. T. Call.

Press of B. W. Dinsmoss & Co., 12 Frankfort Street, New York.

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No particular order has been followed in the arrange- ment of these autographs. They have been selected from a host of signatures of eminent persons, only those being admitted here which are distinguished by some marked peculiarity. In but a few instances, and then for special reasons, has it been thought desirable to reproduce auto- graphs made more than a century ag6. No other work of this character is known, according to the evidence of promi- nent collectors and dealers, to have been published in this country. Even a hasty glance at the following pages shows that the title Remarkable Autographs is not misapplied.

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We have it on his own authority that Dr. Johnson wrote his unique and imperishable " Rasselas " in the evenings of a single week. Well, here is a calculation that may be- surprising and perhaps useful : A rapid penman can write thirty words in a minute. To 'do this he must draw his pen through the space of a rod, sixteen and one-half feet. In forty minutes his pen travels a furlong. We make, on an average, sixteen curves or turns of the pen in writing each word. Writing thirty words in a minute, we must make 480 turns to each minute ; in an hour, 28,800 ; in a day of only five hours, 144,000 ; in a year of 300 such days, 43,200,000. The man, therefore, who made 1,000,000 strokes with his pen was not at all remarkable. Many men — newspaper writers, for instance — make 4,000,000. Here we have, in the aggregate, a mark 300 miles long to be traced on paper by such a writer in a year.

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, Some of the peculiarities of every-day correspondence are so marked that they have become universally recognized, and the mere mention of the feminine hand, the school-boy hand, the business hand, the Italian hand, at once presents to the mind's eye a definite, well defined picture or idea. Every intelligent person, in fact, is more or less familiar with a large number of distinct styles of chirogra'phy. At a not uncertain point, however, in the philosophy of handwriting common knowledge stops, and the astute "chiromancer" goes on alone. The indications by which he judges char- acter are somewhat perplexing to the uninitiated. He (or she) is likely to be a very learned individual. He regards the capital A as the symbol of strength and beauty united. * When the strokes are firm and do not run off into flourishes, . the " strong barring " is taken as indicative of a forceful will. A loop, at the top of this letter is evidence of a strong sense of beauty. When the capital takes the form of the small a, he discerns simplicity and clearness in the ideas of the one who wrote it. A loop to the small d calls for tenderness and generosity, while the three cornered capital D suggests excentricity and imagination. We are alsC told that "an F with a flying top betrays imagination and indifference, while a curly one shows cultivation and a sensitive mind."- A curly H shows poetry and art, and a curly I gives grace and sense of beauty, while a straight

one gives a higher and more precise nature to the artistic- instinct arid increases the poetic faculty. Then it is said- that " disproportionate loops betray self-assertion," and that we should " look out for them in letters like P and L and Y." Again : " Letters stopping short at their finals show economy ; long and extended finals with spacer between the words indicate generosity, if not extravagance. Inward curves denote egotism. Stops are also most dis- tinctive. Heavy and black, they betray sensuality ; long, they denote vivacity and originality. An i dotted with a fleck indicates recklessness. Absence of stops shows want of caution and an unsuspicious nature." And so on. These quotations, however, are probably sufficient to satisfy the reader that a superior knowledge of characteristics in hand- writing has created a kind of fine art — so fine, indeed, that very few should hope to make progress in it much beyond the first " pshaw ! " in the course. Stripped of its nonsense,, the subject is full of interest, and is well worthy of serious consideration. To call a knowledge of character indica- tions in handwriting " grammatomancy," and trace it back to the cradle of palmistry, astrology and mysticism, may be all very well, but it is much more to the purpose-, and gives better satisfaction generally, to have a little more realism to present. The truth is that the utility of the art, or science, or pastime, has not yet become patent. Fifty years ago the mortality table, on which the success of the life insurance system now stands, would have been of little value except as a curiosity. Perhaps In another fifty years

character indications in handwriting may have become an important study. There are numerous evidences that a logical method will after a while be applied to the subject. Instead of basing conclusions on Chaldean myths, attempts are being made, here and there, to get at general character- istics by comparing the handwritings of individuals of a. distinct mental class. As an instance we may cite the paper recently read to a number of Phflad&phians on " The Handwriting of the Insane," in which it was shown that the giving way of the mind in an educated person is often indicated in bad spelling, blotting, frequent erasures, the absurd use of parentheses, italicization and underscor- ing in excess. Insane pride and obstinacy ,'it was said, take to capitals, and make frequent use of the letter " P," which becomes perfectly enormous. Many of these indicia were found in the handwriting of a public man who recently became insane. In him, too, was noted another peculiarity, a tendency to commence at the right instead of the left hand side of the paper, this being carried so far that often he would not leave himself room on the paper to complete even his signature. If what has been learned in this single line of inquiry is true in San Francisco and London and elsewhere, it must be regarded as an important fact. There are many, however, who would like to know the why, and so long as this little word stands out unchallenged the " grammatomancers " will hold a strong position, for they always have the stars to fall back on. The graphological chemist puts moonshine in his retort when he finds candor

in an open a and secrecy in a closed o. But we all can see something in pronounced tendencies, and can readily ap- preciate the significance of striking peculiarities and affec- tations in the sign-manuals of celebrated persons. That the autograph, more than all other writing, is characteristic of the individual, there can be no fair doubt. If it were not so there would be no autograph collectors, and where is there an intellectual household without a few treasured autographs? At this point it is not inappropriate to pre- sent a modest appeal from the composing-room, just as received ] What the compositor asks (but at present can- not obtain) is, not that the n and u be made alike, but that each have its distinctive shape*; not that the t be made similar to 1, but that it be crossed, or else formed after a fashion much in vogue, namely, a stroke more or less sloping, with a loop from the bottom to the centre on the side farthest from the letter following it ; and lastly, that the i be dotted, an omission which seems to meet with great favor among authors, though it is very tantalizing to the compositor, since in bad manuscript the undotted i may be taken to represent either c, e, or r, or even supposed to form part of what in reality is the letter m. But if the i's were dotted, and the t's crossed, few complaints would emanate from the printing offices, or, indeed, ever be heard, so great an aid is the due placing of these letter belongings to tire task of deciphering.

June, 1887. .W. T. Call.

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F. E. Spinner. What signature would grace the open- ing page of a work of this character with more exact appropriateness than the famous " grapevine " autograph. For more than the lifetime of a generation it has been the despair of the graphologist, the reader of character in handwriting, the treasure-trove of the collector, and the delight 6i the bank cashier. A child can imitate it to. the point of recognition, but no expert has yet succeeded in catching its true spirit. This, historic " string of eels "~is indeed sui generis, peculiar to itself, and marks the only instance in which the autograph makes the fame of the man. The fac-simite is from an official document bearing the superscription, " Treasurer's Office, September 27, 1862." It is considered, flourish and all, one of the best specimens extant of the renowned hieroglyphics of the Treasurer of the United States at the birth of the greenback and the "shinplaster." The writing on the Government notes is less free and natural than that here given, in which a pecu- liar flexibility fills the place of mechanical stiffness. The reader is cautioned not to attempt character reading in this truly remarkable autograph. While these pages were in preparation a letter was shown to the writer, to which was attached the ever-familiar signature, executed as well as the failing eyes of a man at the age of 85 would permit. By his-autograph the world has known him. %

~ % Bismarck. The inexperienced chirographer may be surprised to learn that the apparent B in ..the first half of this autograph is an s, and that the queer- looking character at the beginning is a B with the prefix v. The signature is, of course, in German. Everybody knows what to expect in the handwriting of the most prominent figure in the political world-*— the "iron-willed Chancellor." The caa#ns applicable to writing of a different style maybe employed in this instance by those familiar with the char- acteristics of the German hand. The strokes are strong, and the letters are formed with energy unmistakable.

J. KT Emmet. Without a key, few could guess what this " queer,' weird thing" is. Inimitable in his talent, the smiling * Fritz " is also inimitable in his chirography. And surely no one envies him in either respect. The charm of his lullabies, cuckoo songs and Tyrolean warbles is be- yond the reach of envy, and in a different sense so is his autograph. It is a badly constructed plagiarism on an im- perfect cobweb, and cannot be honestly analyzed.

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Jay Gould. The broad, plain shafts, of which this signature is composed, stand out cold and watchful, like the sentinels of a treasure house. With a little urging of the imagination the capitals may be regarded' as monu- ments to wealth and power. The significance of tJfcs signa- ture is as great in reality as in the fancy. It was once placed on a check for $1,500,000. This is a business auto- graph—that of a man who has the genius to succeed, and who, if report says truly, knows it himself, for he has been credited with the remark that if he stood penniless and without influence on the steps of the Stock Exchange he would acquire wealth in an incredibly short time. His home impulses are tender and ordinary, and are only slightly indicated in this specimen.

Rqscoe Conkling. Here is a fine subject for the student in grammatomancy. , It is perfectly clear, and has those fine loops and curves that are pleasing to the eye without being essential # to the main stems. The graceful sweep of the C in particular may be taken as indicative of a. mind that loves to embellish a hard fact so that it may make an impression without seeming to be hammered into place. A direct and minute comparison may be success- fully made between the chirography and the oratory of this distinguished man. The intent is never lost sight of in either case.

Theophile Gautier. One of the most curious auto- graphs of this or any ether time is that here repro- duced. There is no affectation about it. The natural course of the pen has been followed. In his general writ- ing Gautier produced many a page- of legible, and even beautiful, manuscript in prose and poetry of the highest or- der of French genius. He may be called a true calligra- phist, that is, a good penman. This does not, however, apply to his autograph, which is not only too small, but has de- generated in the hurry and familiarity of the signature into a step-ladder scrawl of minute proportions. A very good authority has said that the author- of such a hand could never by any possible chance be an ordinary person.

Emile ZpLA. The world may scoff, but Zola will continue to write books full of the most barefaced realism. And the world will go on reading his books and keep him in the place he has long held, of the most popular novelist of the day. He is the greatest genius in realism, despite, or perhaps by means of, his evident belief that nothing is too slimy to be handled. The authorities in this country think differently, and his works in translations are sup- pressed. Howells and other masters of a tamer realism ad- mire his genius. Zola writes a plain hand, and in his signa- ture runs the strokes where they naturally go, without regard to elegance or taste. He is after the actual,, and in his books, as in his autograph, he drops his lines into the depths.

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Sitting Bull. Like the penmanship of the school- boy, this autograph must be taken as unformed, if not pre- mature. It is not possible to form a fair judgment of its prominent characteristics. That so celebrated an Indian should be able to wield a pen as well as a tomakawk is not in itself remarkable. Whether the dropping of the capital letters is significant of the natural craftiness of the red men, as a race, has not been ascertained, owing to the scarcity of specimens from which to form a conclusion.

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Geo. Francis Train. This is the train on which many a great idea has come into the present century. The track takes a long, graceful sweep, doubles enigmatically on itself, shoots off suddenly into * a mag- nificent G, and disappears in a flare of light, forming in its course a beautiful horseshoe curve. There are other styles of autograph in the repertoire of this singular individual, but this one, life size and genuine, has come to the writer on a semi- business communication, and is beyond doubt

characteristic of the of the greatest century have his brain, only more evenly lects. And able cosmic

entirely man. Some ideas of the come from to be utilized by balanced intel- now this unspeak- philosopher eschews audible communion with the world, and pass- es most of his time, in pleasant weather, on a favor- * ite bench in Madison Square, surrounded with hosts of little children who ply him with ques- tions, and problems which only children and the really great think of.

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Jenny Goldschmidt. The " magic of a voice," which brought the world to the feet of Jenny Lind, does not find its co-ordinate in her chirography. Her autograph as here presented is striking and legible at the same time, but is devoid of those wonderful qualities which marked her voCal efforts, unless, indeed, the conjunction and execution of the y and G may afford a subject for the analytical mind of the expert in handwriting.

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William Shakespeare. Scholars have accepted only three of the autographs of the man who represents the entire genius of his .country as genuine, and even the signature in the British Museum bears the stigma of doubt- ful authenticity. It is not out of place, then, to reproduce here that remarkable find of recent date which is closer than the others to the signature on Shakespeare's will. It would hardly be said, even on a thorough acquaintance with the quaint style of writing of the Elizabethan period, that the great dramatist's autograph is in any way hand- some. The peculiarities of the chirography of the times may be seen somewhat more clearly, perhaps, in the follow- ing full-size fac-simile of the signature of " Good Queen Bess " herstlf. '

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Mary E. Walker, M. D. It can hardly be called discourteous to say that the famous doctor is to the eye not less agreeable in demi-male attire than in her autograph. The difficulty of assigning the proper sex from the general, appearance is typified in the variety of slant to the letters, which makes it puzzling to fix upon the slope of the name as a whole. The curious whip-lash flourish may be taken as expressive of singled disappointment, anger, and deter- mination. U is evident that the pen, at least, must give in,, however stubborn the world may be.

Victoria R. The first autograph of her Majesty, in the above pair, is an exact reproduction of a genuine sig- nature made in the year 1886. The second is a4so a perfect fac-simile of the Queen's signature as written in the year in which she ascended to the throne of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, beginning June 20, 1837. The two writings thus represent the extremes of a period of nearly half a century. Comment on the truly remarkable simi- larity of the signatures of the Queen at the age of 18 and at the age of 67 is wholly superfluous. At first glance the autographs appear identical. The flourish following the

royal R, with the somewhat elevated period, and the loop and long sweep of the V, present the principal variations of the later writing. When the early signature was created her Majesty was already accomplished in music, drawing,. and the continental languages, With botany as her -favorite study among the sciences. She had been taught to seek health and acquire fearlessness in those outdoor recreations that have-ever been regarded as the true foundation^ on which the power and greatness of the English mind is built. These autographs are particularly interesting just at the present time, as this is the great Jubilee year in which the United Kingdom will celebrate the most successful and satisfactory fifty years ever covered in the reign of a single sovereign. The Queen was born May 24, 181 9, ascended to the throne June 20, 1837, was proclaimed June 21/1837, and was crowned June 28, 1838. Victoria, Queen, is known by name and fame to more living human beings than any other individual ever has been at any one moment. Her autograph is a splendid specimen of calligraphy.

Edgar A. Poe. A professional chirographist, who has probably made a closer study of handwriting as a sci- ence than any other person in England or America, pro- nounces Poe " the supreme prince of manuscript." It is perplexing to the student in chirography to find that the genius which created Annabel Lee and The Bells figured anyway but fantastically in manuscript. Poe's social letters and acknowledgments of invitationsv might serve as models for steel plate engravers. The above specimen of his signature is nearer the average of his penmanship than* most others extant. It was selected from a number for this reason. Poe's genuine autograph has a high value in the collector's market, and is fast becoming rare.

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Walt Whitman. This autograph is a genuine surprise. It is, indeed, entirely ordinary, not at all outlandish, and even tends downward — what ! no ambition ? Whence, then, those acrobatic, juggleristic, prestidigitatorial feats with language ? Robert Buchanan, the Scotch-English critic, playwright, "and poet (a good one in spots) rises to explain. He christens the " good, gray poet " of Camden (N. J.) the American Socrates, but greater, and likens him to the founder of Christianity. This modern Titan lives " in a land [N. J. is a part of the U. S.] of which he will one day be known as the chief literary glory," and he (Mr. B.) has sees "face to face the wisest and noblest, the most truly, great of all literary men." Of course it would be useless, and even sacrilegious, to attempt to dissect the great one's sign-manual, for Mr. Buchanan is speaking for a coterie of latter-day poets and prophets. It is not out of place, how- ever, to reproduce the words of one who has seen a real Whitman manuscript. " The handwriting is bold, rugged almost, as would be expected in one who aims at thought and truth, and disregards "the means by which ordinary people do ordinary things. If he makes a mistake, he scratches it out or rubs it out with his finger. Having seized an idea he puts it down^pn anything at hand. A single page may represent brown, blue and white paper and red and black ink, with some pencil marks." In this light the above signature is useless to the character reader.

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James G. Blaine. Note the striking family resemblance in these pei\ marks and those of Roscoe Conkling. Mr.* Blaine at this time is the most prominent American citizen in private life. His autograph is plainly indicative of his masterly command of the pen, and everybody knows that the same adjective describes his manner of handling men. The small letters are made in a most decisive way, and show self-confidence and wonderful energy. The capitals are somewhat squeezed, as if their author lacked the breadth of thought which belongs to the genius of all time. A man who embodies the vigorous rushing spirit of his generation, Mr Blaine's autograph in its entirety is a good index to his rapiri^ and brilliant career. It partakes of the most dis- tinguishing qualities of the man, even to his magnetic presence. For his signature certainly has a fascination in it. A physician once tested the Senator's nerves by having him extend his arm to full length and hold his thumb and forefinger as close to each other as 'possible without touch- ing. Many of us will say that he need not have looked be- yond the autograph. ^

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Kalakaua R. Long live the King! About twelve years ago his Majesty came to the United States. With one ex- ception, he is the only reigning potentate who has honored us with a visit. The queen, the interesting and accom- plished Kapiolani, has recently made the long trip across the continent. The King of the Sandwich Islands writes well. In this we may, perhaps, see the beneficent influ- ence of our glorious land of the free, for nearly all the trans- oceanic business of the Hawaiian Islands is done with the United States. It is pleasant and reassuring to know that although half of the 80,000 people on the islands are full- blooded natives, and hence somewhat inclined to uncivilized things, they all are governed by a King who shows earnest- ness and breadth of conception, m his sign manual ; wnich should be used for a running headline in all the copy books needed in the schools of the Sandwich Islands.

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Ouida. Each reader will look at the above writing with a different sensation. To one it will seem coarse, unwoman- ly, pretentious ; to another, bold and strong ; to a third, commonplace and unattractive. And so on: for in this instance, at least, judgment yields to prejudice or bias. There is one characteristic, however, that all can appreci- ate together. What appears to be flourish is really under- scoring. Tl>e same weakness is found throughout her manuscript. It shows earnestness that needs to* be propped up, and it may indicate rancor. The masculine form of the letters and their unconnected march are not affected, as in the writing of some fashionable young ladies nowadays. Those who are familiar with Quida's books (and who is not?) will hardly be surprised at her chirography. It seems to be in some way a most befitting thing. It is not handsome, nor is it particularly ugly, but it compels attention.

D. L. Moody. The giant is not a creation of the fancy or a thing of the past — in the matter of autographs. Now we will see how Mr. Moody's pen work conforms with his methods. Here, then, is a paragraph, found in a Chicago paper, which does not in any way refer to the autograph of the celebrated Evangelist : " One thing" about Mr. Moody, eloquent or ineloquent, when he speaks to .an audience, large or small, he does not spare himself ; he is not afraid of exertion. It is as if he would not tolerate an indolent fibre in his being, least of all when in the pulpit. Nobody in his presence ever thought to say : ? Thou sluggard.' There are a good many ministers who, if they were to bear in mind that remark of John Brown, l It's a mighty big thing for a man to do all he can,' would presently find a notable increase in their congregations and in their power for good over them." No, Mr. Moody does not "spare himself." It is not necessary to be in his presence to know that he is not a sluggard.

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W. Hogarth. "See, what a beauty!" as the poet remarks of the tiger couchant. Then try to reconcile this with your impressions of the work of the great engraver of the first half of the last century. The effect will bo mystifying. It is easy to discover the artist in the exact and delicate chirography, but the characteristic that* the world of his day would not let him depart from, and which the world of to-day always sees in the mention of his name,, does not appear at all in the above. It is simply impossible to associate this handsome autograph with the bulging cheeks, idiotic leering, and beery passion of the vulgar tales in picture that were the delight of his time and are the wonder of the present day. Hogarth fried painting and high art, but the people would not have it from him, and now we have two geniuses to admire — one in " The Rake's Progress " and similar productions, the other in his auto- graph. )The critics say of the former that the moral of hi& satire is always stern, true and unmistakable.

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Brigham Young.* A plain and straightforward bit of penmanship. In this respect it is different from the cele- brated Mormon's theory of happiness. It is a good signa- ture to be attached to a-letter seeking proselytes to the so- called faith, for the least wise can as easily read it as print. It is entirely praiseworthy in this regard, and in its lack of pronounced character there is something soothing tq jaded eyes. Jaded hearts, on the other hand, will not so calmly regard it. But there is nothing uncanny about the writing itself, and this fact gives contradiction to the startling news of a few months ago that the deceased Mormon, after ten years of quiet sleep, had suddenly appeared on earth again, to oppose in person the threatening ogre' known in Utah and elsewhere as the Edmunds bill.

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T. Carlyle. This is an instance in which the man. himself stares at you through his autograph. What a weird, crabbed, fantastic, erratic, cabalistic, dyspeptic looking thing it is ! But npte its rugged strength and. originality. Who ever saw such a T before > It is a cross of German and English equivalents, just as the Chelsea Philosopher is a cross of the German and the English mind. Carlyle ever had a queer idea of capitals. His wonderfully abstract essays bristle with them, and add their mite to mystify the reader. He does not care what you think of his chiro- graphy. It is jagged and individual, and has a great idea in it somewhere; and that is enough. If you will see some- thing grand and beautiful in his autograph, he, if alive, would perhaps see something heroic in yours. If yes, then you must indeed be a demigod. So, do your best, and say you see the splendid light, whether you do or not.

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W. D. Howells. This diminutive specimen of the handwriting of our best-paid novelist ought to be a source of gratification to some of his critics. It is almost effemi- nate, and seems to justify a part of the meaning of a writer who cynically speaks of the novelist as " that gentle apostle of man niillinery." Of course we all know that this is unfair, unjust. True, we might expect such a signa- ture as this after some of the doses of sweetened puritanism to be found in " The Minister's Charge," or after the monotonous commonplaceness and weak humor of " Their Wedding Journey," but it hardly accords with the strong, perfect character pictures to be found in that masterpiece of genuine realism, "A Modern Instance." In one way this specimen is characteristic. It is subdued, easy, neatly connected, and inoffensive — just the kind of writing to suit a drawing-room taste. And yet no writer of the day has made so many artistic touches and photographed so truly people and phases of life that we know aire actual. Real- ism is a question of taste and courage. Compare this signature with Zola's and imagine the best elements of each combined in one, and you will have a fit sign-manual for the great realist yet to appear.

Laura D. Bridgman. Considering the conditions, this is perhaps the most remarkable signature ever penned? Made blind, deaf and dumb by a fever in her infancy, Laura Bridgman is the most celebrated exponent of the possibilities of the senses. She has developed such a power in judging the intelligence of a stranger by a touch of the hand that at one time she was regarded as possessing what is called the "sixth sense." Equally marvelous is her command of the idea of proportion as exhibited in her well constructed and interesting autograph.

W. T. Sherman. Our doughty and illustrious warrior chief (well named William, signifying bold, valiant ; and Tecumseh, meaning big injun) photographs his conqueror nature in his autograph, of which he is pardonably proud. After virtually closing the war by his triumphant march, through Georgia- and the Carolinas, he turns his victorious eagles toward new fields of conquest. Note the. ambitious loop of the T. His later struggles have been (see daily papers) against the pouting graces of the weaker sex; hence his occasional defeat, though gallantly contesting. Here is the latest dispatch from the field of battle to the Spri?igfield Republican : " General Sherman, who, it is well known, has a free and easy way with pretty girls, came along where the young lady sat writing a letter at a table^ Bending over her the grizzly old veteran picked up the. half finished sheet and turning it over to a blank page put his autograph on it in bold form. She [sweet enemy] tore it in pieces right before him and took a new sheet, baffling the presum- ing gallant, who beat a retreat." Napoleon could have done no better.

Ch. Gounod. This is said to be not an "average speci- men of the quality of the handwriting of the world-appre- ciated composer of "Faust," He is usually, a good penman of the neat, clear, small-letter style prevalent among French- men of the less extreme type. He is accused of eccentricity and of finical faults, which do not appear in the above signature^, at least' to any appreciable extent. It has, on the other hand, the stamp of ingenuousness not at all incom- * patible with the genius which is acknowledged to be his. Strauss composed enticing melodies in an artistic way, but Gounod with similar resources works on a higher plane. If he has encroached on the fantastic and unreal, he does not give more than a hint of his idea in this autograph.

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P. T. Barnum. It is useless to overhaul this sign- manual for the meaning that most everybody who believes in the mirror qualities of handwriting thinks must be hid- den therein. Of course by this is meant that element of the intellect which, when largely developed, 4nay be called the bump ofhumbug. The greatest of all showmen has certainly been the most stupendous of all humbuggers. But his has ever been genuine humbug. He knows that every one else knows that he knows that everybody knows that he is hum- bugging. Human nature loves to be fooled, but hates to be swindled. P. T. Barnum always gives more than the value in the money. His signature is as unpretentious as his private life.

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Oscar Wilde. There is no doubt as to the significance < of this autograph. Made at a .time when the craze for yal- lery-greenery art was in full bloom, it shows the best effort of the faithful apostle of the too-too in attempting to put the soul of his convictions into plebian ink-trails. As there is nothing, similar to it to be met with in ordinary places, it may not have been libelous to attribute to him the remark, that, " to disagree with three-fourths of the public on all points is one cf the first elements of sanity." Alas, for the • star of Oscar ! The susceptible young lady of the day is now truant to the aesthetic style of chirography, and she must just at present be "dashing and straight and strong, not romantic and yearning." Some day she will return to her earlier love.

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G. Washington. — -M. Washington. History . is the- slave of circumstances, and as the foundation of the gov- ernment is the greatest event in'a nation's career, these two autographs are the most enduring pair that this country will ever know. The one who, by courtesy of the times, was called " Lady Washington," and the other, who will always be known as "the father of his country," do not figure at all extraordinarily in their penmanship. Some writer has observed : " What firmness and dignity is expressed in the signature of Washington ;" but these qualities are surely difficult to discover in the writing as a whole, or in the letters separately. They are not seen, for instance, in the n's the s the cross of the t or even in the capitals. Still, wjio would wish that these autographs had been pro- nounced in style?

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Byron. Look over all the other autographs herein, and then judge whether it is straining the fancy to see intense personality in this. All of us will agree in thinking it not the accepted characteristic hand of a poet. It is genuine, there can be no doubt on that point. The pen was guided by a natural impulse. There is a nervous energy about the pen's course as it sweeps back upon itself that is strikingly apparent. Now, if these conclusions are correct, the poet throws himself into his autograph; for Byron's genius was of all geniuses the product of his per- sonality. His mind created all those unequalled beauties only in relation to himself. It was not an imaginary hero, but he himself who " gazed upon the glittering sea below, whence the broad moon rose circling into sight." An astute critic says: " Never, in the freest flight of his thoughts, did he liberate himself from himself." The " nervous energy " above noted cannot be missed even by those who read Byron's greatest work for the sake of the moral shock. The grammatomancers and single-letter analyzer's will find much more difficulty in this autograph than has the writer hereof

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Don'd C Mitchell. This well-known American gen- tleman of letter is prepossessing in the every-day attire of his name. The world recognizes him quicker, however, in the assumed guise of "Ik Marvel," as he gracefully, half- pathetically, gives himself over to the " Reveries of a Bachelor." Successful in literature, lie has lived to a time when he finds the chief duties and pleasures of life in de- voting his energie's to finding what a New England farm is good for. He writes- a good hand, from which little can be guessed as to his general convictions.

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G. Dore. Although sloping the other way, the signature of this peculiar French artist, who has reached a height in fame the " why" of which is hard for many to understand, at once brings to mind the remarkable parallel it make's with that of Mademoiselle Rosa Bonheur. But in the case of " Golden Gustave" the writing is characteristic. Those weird, night-mare illustrations, which some have admired so much as, scenes from Dante, may easily be understood to have been made by the hand that executed the above chirological fantasm. " His works," says a fairly apprecia- tive critic, " show him to be an artist,in spite of his hastiness and mannerism." The latter word is easily correct ; " hastiness^" rests on the assertion that the artist has exe- cuted fully fifty thousand designs. His sign-manual is a correct guide to his art.

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F. S. Key. The only interest which attaches to this autograph is that created by the fact of its haying been made by the hand which wrote that exceedingly common- place but immeasurably popular song, The Star-Spangled- Banner, which is as well known in the United States as the Marseillaise in France, or the Rhine Song in Germany. The song was suggested and partially written while the author was detained in the British fleet during the bombardment of Fort Henry, of which he was an anxious .spectator. He was many .years District Attorney of the District of Colum- bia, and in the early part of the century had some reputa- tion as a poet. There is little to be-said of his chirography except such criticism as may be made on the obscure for- mation of the initials.

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Benja. Franklin. Here are seen two peculiarities dis- tinctly united. Every letter in the name is the acme of exactness and simplicity, while -attached to the whole we find a prolonged, mysterious, groping sweep of the pen, which seems to have wandered from the plain path in search of the unattainable. We will go to no less a person than Sir Humphrey' Davy for a quieting explanation of the incongruity. That eminent analyzer of nature looks into the construction of Franklin's mind, and finds' that it was endowed " equally for the uninitiated and for the philoso- pher." It is not necessary for our purpose to go farther. The world loves Poor Richard for his common sense, his simplicity. We see these elements in every stroke- of his signature proper. The philosophers may find ail the com- fort they wish in the dreamy, uncertain flourish. In his youth he was a practical printer, and early learned the value of plain penmanship., but he had enough of the wandering spirit in him to cause him to run away from his relatives. In Franklin's character and in his autograph, the " unin- itiated " idea prevails.

Bartley Campbell. Ordinarily an inquiry into the significance of an individual's handwriting is most success- ful when the search is directed toward undercurrents, or, in the case of an extremist or pretender, to what may be termed overcurrents. r The presence of unmistakable in- dices may be regarded as significant, yet their absence must not be taken as proof of anything. The signature of this lamented author of several extremely successful dramas of a not elevated order of stage art is one from which little can be gleaned. It is difficult to tell what im- pulse guided the pen which formed that unique C into its combination. His final breakdown is not foreshadowed herein, by adopting the deductions of the Philadelphian who has studied the chirography of many brain-sick un- fortunates.

O. W, Holmes. Without inquiring into the prevailing mental tendencies of the ever brilliant Professor, let us- take his autograph as a good specimen of a recognized graphological truth. A writer for the Harpers brought the idea out, and the newspapers immediately seized it, and made it current throughout the land. In condensed form it is as follows : " The handwriting of distinguished Bos- tonians is usually more delicate and perspicuous than that of distinguished New Yorkers, as any one who has ever received epistles from Mr. Lowell, Dr. Holmes, Prof. Nor- ton, or the late Mr. Longfellow will testify. More pains is taken in forming the letters, and the total result wears ar( air .rather of neatness than of dispatch." So far as gener- ally known, these statements have not been controverted, and each reader must decide for himself which of the two styles of chirography (and hence which order of talent) is preferable. *

Wilkie Collins. The pen has taken hold of the pa- per in this instance, with remarkable vim. There is no hesitation, no wavering ; it hurries on its course in a most rapid and untrammeled flight, that is at once business-like, and .not suggestive of mere fanciful impulses. But the cen- tral thought, to which everything else seems to be subsidiary, is the mysterious and wholly characteristic C, which is orig- inal, and, with its cross-scoring, decidedly odd. It captivates the attention. It is the one distinct impression which the autograph leaves when removed from sight. •Wilkie Collins is the acknowledged master- of plot. His fiction lives through its singular power in fascinating the reader by means of a peculiar central idea. .

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Henry Clay Lukens. Those who know " Erratic En- rique " do not care anything about his autograph from the point of view of these pages, for it is no more suggestive of anything erratic than his personality is of any one not all geniality and good sense. The " New York News man " has sown smiles right and left all over this happy land, and " Erratic Enrique's " books have not lost public appreciation as those of mere comic writers inevitably do in a short time. Our subject has for many years been one of the hardest working practical journalists in the country,- and is now in harness, attached to one of the liveliest and most valuable of our weekly journals. "His signature is a good enough one for any man who doesn't want to know how to whine or scratch, and always trots along on the sunny side of the street. %

John Hancock. What a signature this was to be- the first on the great Declaration document. It is a sort of de- claration of independence in itself. There is no getting away from its Gibraltar meaning. Formidable, honest, and unmistakable, the autograph of the President of the Con- tinental Congress does full justice to his character. History records an estimate of the man, which is faithfully reflected in his autograph, viz.: "A man of strong common sense and decision of character, dignified, impartial, he always commanded respect." And so does his sign-manual.

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Florence Nightingale. As one of the most famous women of the century, our subject sets a good example" in the quiet neatness of. her signature, which seems to be in keeping with, the syllabic beauty of her name. Nor is it out of harmony with the idea which has caused a highly educated and brilliantly accomplished woman to devote her life most intensely to the alleviation of human suffering. No one has accomplished so much as she in perfecting the hospital system of the British army. FlorenceJNightingale's ingenuous autograph would probably be feelingly cherished by a larger number of persons than that of any other indi- vidual.

Martin F: Tupper. The only distinguishing peculiar- ties of this signature are the overwrought flourish, the ec- centric use of colons for periods, and the self-sufficient ap- pearance oj the T. The eccentricities are, of course, forced ; the rest of the writing is wholly ordinary, and plain withal This is fairly descriptive of his poetic faculty. Without u Tupper, the immortal Tupper," witty literary critics would be deprived of a prolific source of mirth. .What are called "the people," however, have liked Tupper's almost gro- tesque platitudes immensely, and forty or fifty editions of his " Proverbial Philosophy " have been sold in England and the United States. No one of authority calls him a poet, in the accepted sense. His autograph is certainly commonplace enough in its natural characteristics to satisfy his admirers, and placidly pretentious enough in its pecu- liarities to meet the humor of his critics.

Edwin Booth. Those who hav£ not had the privilege of seeing and hearing the great tragedian may learn some- thing 01 his method by a scrutiny of his sign-manual. The name of Booth has been a. synonym for splendid stage art for years and years. In the time of Gibber Barton, Booth played -the part of the ghost in Hamlet in so great a way that it became a matter of record for unequalled excellence. In our own time Edwin Booth stands without a peer in his accepted method. The very quick of his style lives in his autograph. It is preeminently heroic. And, like all things heroic nowadays, it occasionally over-reaches, and shows something like a snarl — perhaps, bathos.

Percy B. Shelley. There is an ethereal, shadowy- effect about this singular chirography that is not lost by a continued scrutiny. It is idealistic, illusory, unsubstantial,, spirituelle. And of such was the genius of Shelley- Master of his realms, all who have attempted to follow have dropped by the way, surrounded by beauties even there they could not hope to reach." The practical Macau- lay has named him the "poet for poets," and most of us,, unless we belong to a "Shelley Society," will prefer his wayside pieces. In its own way, this autograph has as much that is distinctly and naturally genuine as that of the poet's fellow wanderer, Byron

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George The Count Joannes. There is no occasion for laughter now. The great and only original "uncrushed tragedian " was no imposter. He was genuine to the mar- row, and he leit no. doubt of his entire lack of spuriousness. He was an emphatic genius, as any one may see by the strong underscoring he gave to his sign-manual. His writing is not sensational; it is strong and earnest. His earnestness, as all old theatre-goers know, was such that he was wont to reject no tokens of the audience's appreciation, except full-sized cabbage buds, over ripe gallinaceous fruit, and the like. H*is titular name is not a corruption of plebian George Jones, but the acknowledgment of a divine inheritance. He is gone now, and we should gaze on his autograph as on that of one who has taken more than a mite from the dreary burden which humanity bears.

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John Howard Payne. This handsome running sig- nature is without noticeable characteristics to distinguish it from the ordinary style of many good penmen. Payne was an actor, dramatist,*and general writer of not more than average attainments, but his name will outlive that of many a genius of high order, in connection with that perennial and univer- sal song, " Home, Sweet Home," the words of which, and not the air, originated with him. This song is said to have made the fortunes of all first connected with it, except its author. He suffered the hardships of1 poverty, which his neat and accurate chirography might have averted if de- voted to the, humdrum duties of the counting room.

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B. P. Shillaber. Humorists rarely show anything characteristic of their quality in their pen-marks ; but as humorists are also rarely themselves when funny, it is hardly reasonable to look for public-known traits in their ink-tracings.' The fact that those whose business it is to create a laugh are most frequently persons of serious and even gloomy propensities, has been remarked in every generation. Without attempting to discover the peculi- arity of the inner spark whence ^springs the outer flash in this most universal of laugh producers, it must suffice to know that the above is one of "Mrs. Partington's" entirely acceptable autographs. ;

Charles Carroll ^of Carrollton. The bluest of the famous blue, blood of Baltimore runs through every vein of the signature of the, greatest of the Carrolls of Car- rollton. The indigo hue is there, whatever acuteness may be necessary to distinguish it, for C. C. of C. was a de- scendant of the old Irish kings, the inheritor of a vast estate, and hence one of the richest men in the Colonies, the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independ- ence, and a man " whose manner and speech were those of a refined and courteous gentleman." We may admire these patrician pen-marks without reservation, for they are truly American. Nor must we regard the estate attachment, " of Carrollton," as aping an un-American custom, since it was used to distinguish the signer from a kinsman bearing his name. It is to be hoped that all the present Carrolls of Carrollton are not less democratic in their aspirations than the signer shows himself to have been in this autograph.

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R.Wagner. There is no doubt that this is the com- poser's autograph, but as the letters are certainly not Ger- man nor English, nor anything else except Wagnerian, so far as can be discovered, it is somewhat rash to say what they spell. Nevertheless, the previous assertion is authoritative. And when you come to think of it, there is no reason why this autograph should not be regarded as an authentic specimen. It embodies the musical idea of its author to perfection. His doctrine in music is to photograph thoughts and deeds with sound by the avoidance- of melody, and to make the unhallowed public, see the invisible by means of pamphlets and reprints of favorable newspaper critiques. He has conquered the public and, according to one of his standard-bearers, has overcome even his ancient enemy, the French; £pr, as this interpreter remarks, the master cannot be ignored since " his music has made more noise in the world than, that of all other musicians put to- gether." (No italics in the original.) The majority of us may give in to the music, but never, never, to the auto- graph.

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Cu. O'Conor. Few signatures are so directly charac- * teristic of their author's intellectual tenets as that which dignifies this page. One who cannot see unqualified strength in its towering, rugged capitals, must deny nearly every palpable suggestion that handwriting can offer. In the proper spirit it is not difficult to discern logical vigor, clear cut purpose, and force of resolve in the impressive outlines. For his connection with the historic Slave Jack case and with the prosecution of the Tweed Ring, the gen- eral public will" long venerate the name of the great law- yer, but it is among his fellow-laborers we must go for the undoubtedly just estimate which recognizes in him the leading legal intellect of his time. His autograph may be regarded as the shadow of his mind.

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Robert Burns. All who are familiar with the writ- ings of Burns must be struck with the singular patness, so to speak, of his autograph. Properly considered, it meets the requirements perfectly. It is an artless, open, school- boy sort of hand, that no one would tjiink of noticing under ordinary circumstances. And (this is not a paradox) Burns was ordinary in every way, and therein lies his extra- ordinary genius. No other poet has gone to the verge of inartificial beauty and unforced feeling. His Woodlark, with its realism and genuine sentimental cry, "For pity's sake, sweet bird, nae mair, Or my poor heart is broken, '** stands, alone of its kind. He wrote things as remarkable for their indecency as anything ever penned. No sane ad- mirer deifies these. He slipped into ways unnatural to his. life impulse, but he always returned to himself, and in his- thoughts as in his autograph, open simplicity and un- affected naturalness are the characteristics.

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Th6mas A. Edison. All true citizens of this throbbing lancbaught to be proud of a man who can write his name this way when he feels like it. No graphologist dares to let his fancy play around these upright, half-print letters. The E looks slightly suspicious, however, and may hint at some- thing. But the comet! There's the mark. This wonder- ful phono-electro-magician, following the general law, must put himself into his autograph somewhere* The name proper may be prosaic and .suggestive of cash, but that im- mense sweep through the regions of the blank tells the, true tale The comet needs no interpreter. Every one knows ivhat its mission is in this place.

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R. Bonheur. Bold design and picturesque effect are the best things to be said of this famous artist's sign manual. True it has an animated effect that may be called typical of her best efforts on the canvas, but this is not an affirma- tion to be made without an effort. That her best paintings are those of animal life in action goes unquestioned ; but that the spirit of the " Horse Fair " and other productions of a like nature is more than faintly shadowed in the above, is too much to say. As a whole, this autograph is unsatis- factory, puzzling, and representative of little that will stand for the quality of her work.

Francois Coppee. More than any other class poets have the habit (sometimes conscious) of putting their mental quality into their autographs. This specimen of the hand- writing of the " most distinguished French poet since Victor Hugo," is remarkable for its photographic effect. We will let an acute analyzer of his poetry present the estimate : " In poetry as well as in personal adornment, filagree is sometimes very charming. A noticeable member of the filagree school of poets is M. Francois Coppee. He fash- ions his filagree so prettily that it would be hard to deny him the n-ame of poet. His faint little melodies in the minor key win us like seolian murmurs from shadowland.'* Further comment is unnecessary.

Hernando Cortez. This autograph is historically correct. It should have first place in the celebrated Cist collection of eleven thousand autographs of as many illus- trious persons. It should go far in making up the value of the $100,000 Reich album. .» Can you trace the individual letters ?

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