Remarkable autographs ... With notes on indications of character in handwriting

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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.

i

JP* gisiswxje ©otrjerjejfl itx W&xitiuQ.

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.

QUnxnttttistits in %&u&mvitiu8.

, 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.

7

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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. '

4

M^L^%

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.

\

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.

'/////

djj^22i

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.

■

l.fXi^

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.

l^^?/^^i

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?

IM-

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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.

CA

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.

m.

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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.

'» ' »'

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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