Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1880-10-30
POETIC.lL CONTRIBUTORS.

SOnse Observations Vcrse Writing.
Iwant to say word in friendly counsel
to reoently-fedged contributors to the
press in general.
In the first place. hazard
the assertion that, in the cases of
nine out of ten "amateur If you will
pardon that term-contributOr to this
and other journals, almost the first effort
they make is in the direction of poetry.
l say Sin the direction" because very
few of the number who make the effort
succeed, or ever will or could succeed
by any confederation of circumstances.
This mistake of sliding off INTO poetry
every time you happen to hear an owl
hOot or blue-ja squawk is as lamenta-
bic as it is universal. l "know how it is
myself" and several efforts of mine are
now in existence, through the agency of
a lenient and long-suffering editor,
which, Notwithstanding the stringency
of the money market, would give
dollar and half could 1 Oblitcrate, to-
gether with all consequences and re-
membrance of the same. But 1 can't
so I'm Just that amount in pocket.
1t generally happens in something
this way: The victim of the delusive
fancy. through some unfortunate cir
cumstance, happens to become possessed
Of an idea. Perhaps it produces strange
sensation. as entirely new and "fresh "
things are apt to do. He fidgets around
for while, and finally, in the excite
ment attending the phenomenal occur
renee, finds that he has written line
Of some six or seven words. HI looks
at it, and it presently strikes him that
perhaps he can find something that will
rhyme with it. At this point the mis-
chief begins to grow serious. In the in
terest of much-ablsed public the en-
bryo rhymster should I've Drained on the
spot. Perhaps the first line is some
thing after this fashion:
The brightly-glowing Southern sun WAS sinking in
the West.
Now, it's too bad that Old Sol should
have such sinking spells, hut he has
had them ever since yOu and 1 used to
sink to rest over our mothers knce-and
beneath the shingle-and the chances
are excellent for his continuing to have
them after We are done writing pO-
etry and paying our dog-tax, Just
the same rs though We had never wor
ried our little brains about him.
But there is that line it is worthless
alone, but there are great possibilities.
He will experiment-and he does. He
runs his hands through his hair, and
writes
Az the Kansas squatter testified, while pulling down
his vest
BY this time he has become feverish-
and well he may! Who ever heard of
Kansas squatter saying anything about
the "SOuthern sum-" and as for the
vest-he never wears such thing. But
the divine afflatus is ON him with both
teet, and so in his torment he concludes
the outrage:
And the vest was Short a. was the day. and Southern
| a. the sun,
And his sixteen boots blocked up the way-and the
dreadful deed was done!
The deed was done, but another was
left undOne-a homicide, with the posi-
SCISSOR of the unfortunate delusion for
the victim. But l am getting savage.
To conclude, when you have an idea,
sleep over it; and when you get up in the
morning, if you still have the same idea,
and possess the inclination and time to
express it, do so-but do it in prose.
Unless you are an experienced hand at
the task you can gain nothing by re-
sort to the muse, and you stand very
fair chance Of losing everything by it,
the idea included. Should you ever de-
sire to serve your country in a reporto-
-ial or journalistic capacity on some great
daily you will have to hold your situa-
ton on the merits Of your prose produc-
tions your poetry will in all probability
be assigned to the waste basket Prose
good prose-is frequently paid for, and
literally, . but poetry never-that is,
hardly IL e - sr,N
With the best of intentions. Doc.
AN old North Carolina farmer got a
double-barrel shotgun when he heard