Telegram-herald., 1889-12-06

HtfSets II AttNEefs Aa@ss
spscial cogFesFoaazeesl
BosroS. Nov. z .-Sssrsd At table
u . restaurants ths ether ss~siHg tie
writer saw she man Who wrote one of
the two great literary successes ef ths
year il American 6ction.
"Weu. Aox Il Thou Shalt Not sell
tngf- Asked
PRS rate. WAS the aHsweE; ''the
Amer p News company tells ne thai
my 10 aud Looking Backward are
tbs oaly books that sEe selling - amount
% anything
The speaker was the man who. under
the assumed name of Albert Ross.
wrote that much discussed book, Thou
ShAls Not" and = companion novel,
His Private Character. In that ss-
sumed name theTs Is al intentional pun
on the name Of the series in which both
novels were published. the AlbagToss se-
TieS
AT first the novel Thou Shalt NOT"
was put forth 10 the reading public
anonymously. Ii was not long, how
ever. before there came a demand TO
know the name Of the author. With
the success OF the book assured, it Was
deemed advisable to stll keep his per
sOnality secret while seemingly salts
flying the demand for the authors name.
His real personality Is now FOR the first
time made known in print in this arti-
Gle. He is Linn Boyd Porter. He is a
man OF about 81, of medium height and
stout, with frank and CHEEKY manner.
His pleasant blue ewes light up with a
smile when he meets you, and the chang
ing expressions Of his face, which are
unconcealed save by short mustache,
show most Enthusiastically his pleasure In
meeting old or new friends He has
served an apprenticeship Of many long
years in newspaper work. For years he
was editor Of The Cambridge Chronicle,
and latterly ne has been one Of the night
desk editors on The Boston Herald, from
which he resigned when his book be-
came q success.
During our talk, he became rather
more communicative on personal mat
ters than Is his wont, and for the first
time openly acknowledged that he was
the author of Thou Shalt Not" be
also gave several incidents relating to
the early history of that book which
have never been told. Aspirants for
literary fame and resulting fortune will
be interested in this story Of a phenom-
enally successful novel. 1t is now near
ing its one hundredth thousand, and its
sale is made more remarkable from its
being the first work of an unknown
writer. i tell the story just as he told
il me.
Il wrote the story" he said, nearly
three years before it was published. In
order to secure perfectly legible manu-
script dictated it to typewriter, after
which l laid it carefully away in q bu-
reau drawer. l often took it out and
read it over. and never doubted that il
would be success If it once got on the
market; but could not muster sufficient
courage to offer it to any publisher. At
last, when going on n pleasure trip TO
New York, took the manuscript with
me, determining TO make one desperate
effort TO overcome my timidity. The
next morning walked to Twenty-third
street, and with many misgivings as
cended the elevator, TO the Office of G.
w. Dillingham;. / never felt more re-
ieved in my life than when a gentle
manly clerk informed me that the pub
Usher was not in.
"'Here is some manuscript that
would like to have him read,'" said,
laying down my little package. The
clerk took it, informing me that il would
probably be returned at my expense,
which did not doubt in the least. IL
such had been the story's fate, it would,
very likely, have been relegated to the
bureau drawer for another three years,
but within fortnight received letter
from Mr. Dillingham;, accepting the novel
and proposing q royalty, which was as
generous. believe, as is paid by any
American house 10 its authors"
IL is not likely that any anonymous
novel has ever had such a rapid rise to
great circulation in this country, for the
first editions appeared, as stated above,
without any signature whatever, and
with no especial advertising or other
means of attracting attention. When
the second novel was issued last August
there were advance orders for 20. 900 cop
les. More than $4,000 more have been
sold since that time. and the demand for
both Thou Shalt Not" and His Private
Character" compels at the present time
the printing OF 1900 copies a week. They
are sold from Bangor to San Francisco
and from Galveston TO Montreal, and the
demand bids fair 10 continue.
While thus talking over his success.
Mr.. "Ross," as he still prefers to be
called. let out the fact that he is en-
gagged on and has nearly finished story
which viii bear the peculiar title
Speaking OF Ellen" Ii treats Of the
labor question. and In it Is interviewer a
love story Of the kind which has made
his pen famous Ellen Ia the chief Of
the spinners and weavers of Riverfeld.
and the contest Of intellect between
her and Philip Westland. agent of the
corporation. in which, OF course, the
girl comes out victorious, makes a story
which. as rapidly outlined by Mr. Ross
IN his impetuous conversation, must %
of absorbing interest
TIE writer asked him the question now
so fr'-sentlv raised:
"D-a g. Tay q write novelsT
II ft be said that his income. the
first year = his attempt IN that direction,
excecoai tie salary Of a United States
cabinet oflcer and egualed the combined
amounts paid By the state Of Massachu-
Eetts 90 its governor and council In
other words. it amounts 20 about - 000
q -, - che Ger -.,~ IL -r-st1 r,rl1 -