Practical English Composition Part 3

Write a biographical note of about two hundred words concerning a citizen who has just come into public notice.

II. Obtaining the Facts

If the subject of the note is already distinguished, the facts can usually be collected from books and periodicals. Poole's _Index of Periodical Literature_ will point the way. Most newspapers keep an indexed ma.s.s of biographical material, which, of course, is at a reporter's disposal. When these sources fail, the man himself must be interviewed, which is a task that requires tact, politeness, persistency, a good memory, and a clear idea of the character and quant.i.ty of the information needed.

III. Models

I

James McHenry was born in Ireland, 1753; came to Philadelphia, 1771; studied medicine under Dr. Benjamin Rush; served in the Revolutionary War as surgeon; became Was.h.i.+ngton's secretary, 1778; sat in Congress, 1783-86; was a member of the Const.i.tutional Convention; was Secretary of War under Was.h.i.+ngton and Adams, 1796-1801; and died in Baltimore, 1816. His most conspicuous public service was rendered in inducing Maryland to ratify the Const.i.tution. Fort McHenry, the bombardment of which in 1814 inspired Francis Scott Key to write the _Star-Spangled Banner_, was named in McHenry's honor.

II

Alexander Hamilton is one of those great Americans of whose services to the nation no American can afford to be ignorant. As a soldier in the Revolution, no man possessed more of Was.h.i.+ngton's confidence. To him as much as to any one man was due the movement that resulted in the formation of the Const.i.tution; he took a leading part in the debates of the Convention; and the ratification of the Const.i.tution was brought about largely by the _Federalist_, a paper in which he so ably interpreted the provisions of that instrument that it has ever since been regarded as one of the world's political cla.s.sics. As Secretary of the Treasury under Was.h.i.+ngton he performed wonders; Daniel Webster said of his work in this office: "He rent the rock of the national resources, and abundant streams of revenue gushed forth. He touched the dead corpse of Public Credit, and it sprung upon its feet." He was born in Nevis, one of the West Indies, in 1757, and was mortally wounded by Aaron Burr in a duel, 1804, at Weehawken, New Jersey.

IV. Organization of Material

Models I and II ill.u.s.trate two types of biographical notes. That about James McHenry consists of three sentences, which give: (1) A chronological survey of his life; (2) a statement of his chief public service; (3) the fact by which he is most likely to be remembered by the casual reader. It is a good brief form to use in writing about most men and women. Model II is better if the subject is remarkable for many achievements. Its structure is as follows: (1) A keynote sentence; (2), (3), (4) three ill.u.s.trations of the fact stated in (1); (5) dates. The same principles apply to notices of living people. In writing use one model or the other; do not deviate from them, unless you first find a better model, and can persuade your teacher that it is better.

V. Exercises

1. Reduce some biography which you have read and enjoyed to a biographical note of two hundred words.

2. Write a biographical note of two hundred words about a living person of national reputation.

3. Write a biographical note of two hundred words about a living person of state or city reputation.

4. Write a biographical note about the school janitor, the school engineer, a member of your own family, your hired man, your maid, or any other interesting person from whom you can extract the desired information.

VI. Suggested Reading

Carl Schurz's _Life of Abraham Lincoln_.

VII. Memorize

THE SEVEN AGES OF MAN

All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players.

They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.

And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel And s.h.i.+ning morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woful ballad Made to his mistress's eyebrow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard; Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part. The sixth age s.h.i.+fts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side; His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

SHAKESPEARE, _As You Like It_, Act II, Scene 7.

CHAPTER IV

REPORTING ACCIDENTS

"The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

I. a.s.signment

Report an accident which you have seen. The object of this exercise and those which are to follow is threefold:

1. Vocational--to begin to teach the art of reporting, and hence perhaps lay a foundation for students' earning a living.

2. Ethical--to show all the pupils how a report should be made and thus give them a standard by which to measure newspapers.

3. Artistic--to teach all how to write modern English clearly, simply, and correctly.

II. Model

This is a report of an accident on a city street, witnessed by a reporter, and telephoned to a colleague at the newspaper office.

With a crash that could be heard for blocks, a high-powered touring car, owned and driven by Mrs. William J. Sheldon, wife of the millionaire gum manufacturer, who lives at East Boulevard and Clifton Drive, collided late last night with a heavy milk wagon at Payne Avenue and East 30th St. Both Mrs. Sheldon and John Goldrick, 656 East 105th St., driver of the milk wagon, escaped injury, except for a few minor cuts and bruises.

Mrs. Sheldon was driving east on Payne Avenue on the way to the Pennsylvania Station at Euclid Avenue to meet her husband, who was coming from New York. The street at Payne Avenue and East 30th St. had just been flushed; and, when Mrs. Sheldon endeavored to turn out toward the car tracks to avoid hitting Goldrick's wagon, which was just turning into Payne Avenue, the car skidded and side-swiped the wagon.

One wheel of the machine and the mud guard were torn loose, while gla.s.s from the shattered wind-s.h.i.+eld rained over Mrs.

Sheldon as she strove desperately to twist the wheel. Goldrick was hurled from his seat, landing in the back of the wagon, which was piled high with cases of milk bottles. The horses were thrown from their feet by the shock.

Mrs. Sheldon and Goldrick were extricated from the wreckage and conveyed to the office of Dr. W. A. Masters, Payne Avenue and East 32d St., where their injuries were dressed. Later they were taken to their homes.

III. Suggested Time Schedule

_Monday_--Dictation of Model and Study of Last Week's Errors.

_Tuesday_--Notes and Queries.

_Wednesday_--Oral Composition--e.g., Telephoning.

_Thursday_--Written Composition.

_Friday_--Public Speaking.

IV. Notes, Queries, and Exercises

1. How many paragraphs are there in the report in Section II?

2. What is the subject of each?

3. The object?