The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-06-15

4
And so. my boy, you want to write
for the papers? And for the maya
Zines? And by and by the reviews
Well, you are right On your way t
that literary Canaan. II you have
no other trade, profession. or occupa.
ton, that is the very reason why you
should write for the papers; for TO be
a successful carpenter or a good shoe
maker is the gift of fortune; but to
write for the papers comes by nature.
am glad that you realize this import
ant fact You would not think of going
into cobbler's shop aid sitting down
to make a shoe, when you knew thai.
you couldn't tell q welt awl from a
shoe; but you will naturally DRIFT
into wiring for the papers," Indeed,
you will. my son, and you will also
naturally drift against the bank, or
upon a sand bar, or against a snag.
You don't want to naturally drift"
into anything. You want to get up
steam or put out the sweeps and pull
like a pair of steers for some definite
point. Then you'll get there. But
if you 60 to NATURALLY drifting" you
must remember that all the drift.
wnod lodges on the banks when the
fresbet is over and the river goes
down. Journalism isn't a trade,
know; every map cannot be taught
to write poetry, or novels. or even
humorous sketches. But do think
you must have some earnest purpose
and decided bent in that direction
before you can hope for success.
Naturally drifting" will only carry
you down stream and over the dam.
SO, THAT MY WOODS WERE PRINTED. ="
And you shave a hard time getting
into the pspsrs?" An. didn't know
you had long before you told meS Nv
dear boy, have been younger than
am and now I am a great deal older
than I was; but 1 have seldom seen a
man who didn't have a hard time
getting into the papers The first
story I ever wrote fer tbs press-here
it is, in the original MS, "Only a
Tramp" And here is my second
effort, 1.-THE Machinist's Story" And
here, too, is the pleasant little note
from the editor of one of the maya
zines to which I sent those literary
gems: .tThe enclosed contribution is
returned, with the thanks Of the
editors. So many manuscripts are
received that it is offer impossible to
assign reasons for, etc., etc., etc. It
must no. be supposed because an
article is not needed by This magazine
it necessarily is defcien. in merit.
Many contributions must be returned
for reasons which have no connection
with their literary value" How do
l know the formula 80 well? Ny son,
learned it by heart from often read
ing it. No, those two gems were not
published that year. Nor, while rea-
son holds her throne iii this distracted
globe, will they ever be published. l
keep them ia their own sacred pigeon
hole t. remind me that l once was
poor myself, "lest being tied up with
pride" I should "fail into condem-
nation OF the devil'' as we'll as of the
editor. The gods have been good to
me, and have blessed me far beyond
my deserts; for many years fortune
has turned to me shining face,
wreathed with a smile like a grape
vine, and yet, even unto this day, my
son, it not unfrequently happers that
some editor, with many and profound
regrets, thrusts that two edged note
into my soul, and then twists it.
And yet dearly beloved, I do not
hate him for it. pity him some.
times, when l think what good
thing he is losing; I am sorry the
poor man stands in his own light.
But am not angry. Oh, no. I send
the MS. off to another editor. That
is the only way. oh youthful, mex
perienced, uuaedged Shakespeare,
you can "get into the papers" 90
from editor to editor and when you
have exhausted the list, read the
sketch to your wife; how she will
praise it, and soothe your wounded
spirit, God bless her; and then begin
at the Top and 60 through the editors
again, and though the editor. May
not regard man nor poets, yet because
you trouble him, he may print you'
piece, lest by your continual coming
you drive him mad. But if every
one OF them persist in declining
with thanks" then you must bow to
the final decision OF the Rhadaman-
thus who stitch upon the editorial
throne, and judgeth the manuscript
Of all the world and eetteth aside the
poems, all the long and some of the
short stories, and most of the first
attempts fer the fuel department..
When Rhadamanthus condemns your
sketches to the hottest realms OF Tar
tarus he does SO reluctantly and pity
iugly. He does not rejoice in your
disappointment, because be was once
a literary tramp himself. 1t is only
the very young editor-and the young
man who has been writing up dog
fights and runawsys on the paper two
weeks, always calls himself an
"editor"-who del ghts mos. savage.
ly in roasting unfortunate consribu-