New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-23
THE Jlfp0LIrE IIr1LE-WEITEr.


Among the manuals in current Use is one
known rs 1.-The Polite Lcttcr-Writcr' il is
designed 10 teach tn young and inexperienced.
and more particularly the ignorant and stupid
the whole ant Of correspondence Possessed of
thi, valuable little work one J., equal 10 nearly
all the varied demands which business and so
ccty can make upon him Not only politely but
elegantly. he can offer himself m marriage, dun
for a bad debt. accept an invitation 10 dinner
decline "a call 20 an undc-labl" pulpit, cJudolc
with the afflicted and upbraid sharper who
has got the better OF him in "a horse trade. OBJ
yiousy such a book is Il boon 10 many per
son, who. lut for it, teachings would make a
mess Of it, especially when they particularly
desired 10 be- lluon; and Gtacclul Therefore
We have only commentator for j., accom-
pli>hed author trusting tlat he make, a salts
factory incomc-not to speak of iamc-irom It's
sale. But still, if hc Will allow Us. he could
render his guide great deal more useful if he
would devote a few Of its pages TO a remon-
STRANGE directed against the nuisance whose
name is lcgion-thc impoitc lcttcr-writcr the
writer vino takes the liberty" of writing to
popular authors and other distinguished per
sons with whom he i; uuacquantcd.
Said a leading American poet the other day
&" am simply overwhelmed with letters from
all sorts Of persons whom do not know. They
write 10 me for suggestions for the development
of their careers, they write for my candid crit
icisms, upon their manuscripts which they
inclose, they write for the name Of the pub
fishing firm TO which they had best offer their
prose or verse they write for autographs add
ing that if above my autograph would dash off
q stanza they would be additionally obliged.
they write to ask if | will mention author,
which in my opinion did the most TO form my
own style" Nor is this an exceptional expert
cnce There is scarcely 4 man OF any note in
any direction who ha, not Il drol story to re-
late Of the imposition which the impolitc letter
writer has practiscd or has sought to practise
upon him. The truth would seem to be that i
large number of young men and women in tho
United States are labOTng under the impression
that great name in any department Of human
effort is public property. Holding this view
they fail to understand that in putting all sorts
of requests by letter 10 perfect strangers they
are guilty of gross impertnence. Ii is high
time that this impression was eradicated, and
hence respectfully but firmly we call upon the
author of "The Polite Letter-Wnter' to give
his work the annex which we have suggested
Let our author endcayor to impress, upon the
plastic minds of those to whom he caters that
q, rule. distinguished persons are unusually
busy persons. and hence have little time
TO spare even for answering the letters Of
those who have claims upon them. Putting a
pin there, let him bcsccch them not % make the
burden Of these distinguished iciiow-crcaturcs
of theirs additionally heavy by coming down
upon them with unlimited and therefore rude
letters inclosing everything but stamps. Let