IGNATIUS DONNELLY.
Ignatius Donnelly is probably the best known
writer Minnesota can claim. He has published a
number of books, but, somehow, he has always
narrowly escaped giving the world a really great
book. He had originality, inventive power, and
a good command of language, but his books are
not over-interesting. Not that he lacks learn-
ing, not that his themes were not of high port-
but simply because he had not the genius of
absorbing his reader's attention and carrying him
on with him, page after page, even unconsciously
to himself. Besides, the majority of his books
are imbued with many of the new theories of the
past fifteen or twenty years, which the sound
judgment of the majority of the American peo-
ple will never permit of their practically adopting.
Ignatius Donnelly was born in Philadelphia,
November 3, 1831. He graduated at the Cen-
tral High School in 1849. He then studied law,
and three years later, was admitted to the bar.
In 1856, he practiced his profession in St. Paul,
and in 1859, at the early age of a little less than
twenty-eight, he was elected Lieutenant-Gover-
nor of Minnesota. In 1863, he was elected to
the national Congress, and re-elected in 1865 and
1867. His services in Congress are best remem-
bered by his unswerving support of the measure
(176)