The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-02-04
HOW TO TELL STORIES.
Brooklyn Eagle.


 A rule prevalent in nearly all estab- lishments is that copy from a regular writer must pass through the hands of at least two recherche second one being left in darkness as to the report of his fellow -employe on the story. It frequently happens the opinions are diverse. Then a trusted writer, or more generally the proprietor of the paper passes final judgment on the matter, and very often that means the author has to rewrite, perhaps, more than one- half of his story, which is not very pleasant.
 With very few exceptions story is paid for in installments. In the case of a known writer the story Is &C., cepted or declined on the first two in- stallments, and if accepted these in- stallments are paid immediately. As to the amounts paid they vary far more than the fame or ability of the authors, many of the higher priced authors having gained secure foot ing through accident.
 Harlan P. Halsey of this city claims to be the best paid story-writer. Not long since he told me George Munro was paying him at the rate of $7 800 per year for the 'Old Sleuth" stories. Among the women writers Mrs. Southworth leads, with Mary E.. Bryan a close second. Mrs. South worth has something like $7,O0O per annum from the New York Ledger. The other lady, who came not so very long ago from below Mason and Dixon's line, attracted the attention of her present employer by her work on the Sunny South. Her pen yields her over S6,000 year. Speaking of the south, there is another lady living there who makes a living writing for northern weeklies, and her pen is probably the most prolific in the business, but yet she does not earn as much as Mary E. Bryan. This is Mrs. E. Burke Collins, of New Orleans. I believe the first paper on which she earned money was the New York Clipper, to the columns of which she furnished several serials and many sketches. I have known serial from Mrs. Collins pen to be running in the Nea0 York Weekly, another in the Fonatly Story Paper and third in the Saturday Night. Besides, she fur nished sketch weekly to the Family Story Paper, and also did other lit erary work. It is said of Mrs. Collins that she has never been seen by any of her northern publishers. Still another southern lady whose romances are highly popular with the masses is Mrs. Emma Garrison-Jones, who is em- ployed by MT. Norman L. Munro. This lady is an invalid, and has not left her home for years. Her salary is about equal to that of Mary E. Bryan, and to earn it Mrs. Garrison Jones is not required to write as much as the former. As rule, persons who write of the salaries of actors or writers are given to exaggeration.
 At the time of the death of Colonel E. z. c. Judson (Ned Buntline) it was said that for many years Messrs. Street & Smith had paid him 2,OOO salary. AS a matter of fact, the most Buntline made in his halcyon days was about $5,OOO. To the writer's personal knowledge the late George G. Small (Bricktop) was paid $5,000. But there was time in poor Smalrs history when his income to triple that sum, and it came from the half interest he held in once very popular paper, now de- funct, named Wtld Oats. Small was carpenter and worked for years at the bench. His first writings were published in the Police Gazette. He was a warm hearted man and helped many struggling writer to attain at least fair need of success. He died comparatively poor. Larry or "Hop," who helped Wtld Outs to success, is now in Australia. But for bad management, the pa- per would be alive and prosperous to- day.
 Small made this city his home. Another Brooklyn man immensely popular as story writer is Dennis O. who, when he doesn't sign his own name to his productions, uses the nom de plume, Corporal Morgan Rattler. His forte is Irish stories and romances for boys. He is printer by trade. Many of the men who pose in the higher ranks of literature secretly envy the financial success of their less pretentious brethren, and not few of these moguls have sent stories to the cheaper publications only to have them refused. A case came under my notice not many months ago that is worth describing. was shown letter from prominent member of the Authors club, who offered to write sketch weekly-under an as- sumed name, of course-for popular paper for ridiculously small sum. The would-be contributor was in- formed by return mail that his offer cOuld mt hp entertained