The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-01-26

IL he purchases either lot just what he lie going TO
get. An expert, whose judgment is unerring, has
already passed upon the quality of the grain from
which the sample Is TAKEN and the grading which
he has given Ii fixes its rating In the market. A
hundred men may look at one of these inspected
samples and not one Of them will ever think of
questioning the grading rating which has been
placed upon them. A lot of wheat graded No.
could not be sold al the price asked for No. 1, for
the class In which II has been placed determines It's
price.
This systematic and unerring determining of
quality and value set me to thinking how different
II Is in the work of the writer
Here we have all the different grades of products
from prime, fresh No. to old stock, stale and dam
aged and which is always drug on the market
but the grading has never been reduced to anything
like the system which those Board of Trade fellows
have adopted in their business And while one man
here in Chicago may inspect and grade millions of
bushels of grain, his rating following it, perhaps
until II is finally ground into flour, without any
one questioning his judgment, yet people who read
and who buy their supply of mental food Just as
methodically as they do their bread and meat and
clothing, would not consent TO accept any persons
Judgment, except their own, to the value of the
latter commodity. Every one who reads an article
forms his own opinion to its value, and rarely
permits anothers estimate II to change the opin-
ion he has already formed 1t Is this difference of
opinion that stands in the way of uniform esti-
mate OF the value of literary work This Is even
from purely commercial standpoint for one editor
may reject an article which Is offered to him, rs
being not worth the space would take in his COL
umns, while another would buy it at once and pay
a good price for it.
| have studied not little this matter and
have finally come to the conclusion that literary
productions be put into three general classes.
They follows: No. 1-productions so good
that they receive universal approval. No those
that are good, butnot good but that they will
be severely criticised by many and warmly
defended by others whose peculiar views tastes
they may happen to please. No. S-those that are
50 bad as to receive universal condemnation. In
this latter class would come doubtless such arti-
ces usually found in the humorous depart
ments of our leading magazines. l have often been
amused at the different comments l have heard
upon the same article. 1t should be understood
that am not abiding to articles of religious or
political nature for on such matters there will
always be antagonistic opinions. But story,
SKETCH poem humorous article of the class
which have designated mo. p" will have its
friends and foes For instance, heard the follow
ing conversation only the other day Two friends
were seated at lunch when one of them asked the
other:
"Did you read Bill Nye's letter yesterday"
ayes looked at it," was the reply, in tone of
indifference.
"Great, wasn't it2" continued the first speaker,
with enthusiasm. 81 tell you, Nye's a dandy"
"Writes the worst slush l ever saw" growled
the other ale used to be good, but he's played
out he ought go chase himself around the block"
am glad to record that Mr. Nye's admirer did