Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-11-23
LUCKY BOSTON AUTHORS.
HOW LOOKING BACKWARD" AND
THOU SHALT NOT" ARE SELLING.

who tAs writer oe The Latter hook ne.
ally Is-nis Answer 70 the Qusstisa
"Doss Ksvsa writing rsyf'' with Ad.
vice to Aspirasss to Literary Fame.
Especial ccrrespoudencs.l
BosroN, Nov. 2l.--Seated at q table
In restaurant the other evening, tho
writer saw the man who wrote one Of
tho two great literary successes Of the
year in American fiction.
"Well, how is Thou Shalt Not cell.
ing9' asked.
"First rate" was the answer; "the
American News company tells me that
my book and Looking Backward are
The only books that are selling b amount
T. Anything"
The speaker was the man who, under
the assumed name Of "Albert Ross"
wrote that much discussed book, "Thou
Shalt Not" and companion novel,
Ellis Private Character" In that as
sumed name there Is an Intentional pun
on the name Of the series in which both
novels were published, tho Albatross 20.
ries.
At first the novel ''Thou Shalt Not"
was put forth to tho reading public
anonymously. Il was not long, how
ever, before there came q demand to
know the name Of the author. With
the success of the book assured, u was
deemed advisable to still keep his per-
sonality q secret whilc seemingly satis.
f,~r kIX<,u al
His real personality Is now for the first
time made known in print in this arti-
Gle. He is Linn Boyd Porter. He Is
man Of about 81, Of medium height and
stout, with frank and CHEEKY manner.
His pleasant blue eses light up with
smile when he meets you, and tho chang
ing expressions Of his face, which arc
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 he has been one Of tho night
desk editors on Tho Boston Herald, from
which he resigned when his book be-
came success.
During our talk, he became rather
moro communicative on personal mat
ters than Is his wont, and for the first
timo openly acknowledged that he was
the author Of "Thou Shalt Not" He
also gave several incidents relating to
the early history Of that book which
have never been told. Aspirants for
literary fame and resulting fortune W ill
be interested In this story Of phenom-
enally successful novel. It Is now near
ing its one hundredth thousand, and its
sale il made more remarkable from it's
being ths first work Of an unknown
writer. tell the story just as he told
IL me.
II wrote the story" hc said "nearly
three years before 1t was published. In
order to secure perfectly legibls manu-
script dictated it to typewriter. after
which laid it carefully away In a bu-
reau drawer. ] often took it out and
read It over, and l never doubted that 1t
would DO O success II It once got on the
market; but could not muster sufficient
courage to offer it to any publisher. At
last, when going on pleasure trip to
New York, took the manuscripts with
me, determining to mako ono 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;. I never felt more re-
lieved In my lifo than when gentle-
manly clerk informed me that the pub
Usher was not in.
"'Hero Is some manuscript that !
would lika to have. him read'" said.
laying down my little package. The
clerk took 1t, informing me that 1t would
probably be returned ut my expense,
which did not doubt in the least. II
such had been the story's fate. 1t would,
very likely, have been relegated to the
bureau drawer for another three years
but within fortnight ! received letter
from Mr.. Dillingham;, accepting tho move
and proposing royalty, which was al
generous, believe, as IL paid by any
American house to It's authors"
1t is not likely that any anonymous
novel has ever had such rapid rise to Q
great circulation in this country, for the
first editions appeared, as stated above
without any signature whatever, ant
with no especial advertising or othel
means of attracting attention. Wher
the second novel was issued last Angus
there were advance orders for %, 900 cop
les. More than $4,000 more have beer
sold since that time, and the demand To-
both "Thou Shalt Not" and ellis Privat,
Character" compels> >At the present tim
the printing Of 1000 copies week. The.
arc sold from Bangor to San Francisc,
and from Galveston to Montreal, and tn
demand bids fair to continue.
While thus talking over his success
Mr.. "Ross," as he still prefers to b.
called, let out the fact that he Is en-
gagged on and has nearly finished stor,
which will bear the peculiar it'll
speaking Of Ellen" It treats OF tn
labor question, and in 1t is interviewer
love story Of the kind which has mad
his pen famous. Ellen Is the chief O
the spinners end weavers Of Rivcrfield
and the ''contest of intellect" between
her and Philip Westland, agent Of tn
corporation, in which, Of course, tn
which, as rapidly outlined by Mr.. "Ross'
In his impctuous conversation, must b
Of absorbing interest.
The writer asked him the question nov
% frequently raised:
docs 1t pay to write novelist"
In reply, he said that his income, tn
first year Of his attempt in that direction
exceeded the salary Of a United State
cabinet officer and equaled the combines
amounts paid by the state Of Massachu
setts to its governor and council. i
other words, il amounts to about 50. 90