Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-04
THE ROAD TO FAME.
Bill Nye's Advice to a Young Man
With Big Buds of Genius.
HOW ONE YOUTH SUCCEEDED.
The Editor Assigned Him to Trinity's Spire
and He Went Up.
POINTERS FOR LITERARY PEOPLE

CORRESPONDENTS OF THE DIsPATcH.l
CRA1G-Y-Nos, BUNcoMBE Co., N. c.,
Oct. 1.-The following letter has been wait
ing for some time, but other matters have
interfered with prompt reply:
GURDoN, ARK, Aug. Is, 1891.
Edgar W. Nye, Asheville, n. c.:
DEAR SIR-For several years 1 have been a
reader of your excellent "Bill Nye" articles,
and, being somewhat young and literaryly
from your pen. Probably "while the dele
CATION are waiting" just outside your door
you could drop few "Nye' nuggets into
my receptacle and they would never be
missed.
have never heard that you encouraged
young scriDblers to indulge In writing to
you by answering their tiresome sheets by
return mail, as, undoubtedly, you were ere
experiment.
How would you advise n young man of a
literary bent, and possessing a keen sense
for that which is unusual or humorous!
How shall he find the market without the
money or influence? Is humorous writing
renunerative? Can you cite an instance in
regard to your gaining literary notoriety?
Please don't dispair at this. 1t is NEARLY
the introduction of what a bore can do.
Possibly l, too shall be eminent some day,
and in lieu of this great imposslbil1ty Will
close as the opportunity presents. Please
comply. Very sincerely,
A CHANCE FOR MISSIONARY WORK.
The above letter is written by young
man who needs information about as Sc
verely as any one with whom have ever
met up. 1 put three asterisks in place of
his name in order to shield his family. This
is only a specimen of one kind of cor
respondent out of list of a great many
hundreds. pause to wonder where they
all come from.
Passing over the first paragraph, which is
kind, fattering and fulsome, let us come at
once to what Mr.. Asterisk-Mr. Jack As
terisk, if you please-really wants to know.
In the first place, do, as often and as
1ucidly and pellucidly as can with what
few talents I may embrace, answer the in
quirers who have something to inquire for,
if am able to supply the information.
First then, Jack, you should know what
you want to inquire for, and, secondly, you
should know how to spell it. Then any one
would be glad to drop the information into
your receptacle.
Undoubtedly
Now comes the query, "How would you
advise young man Of literary bent and
possessing keen sense tor that which is
unusual or humorous?"
would advise such an one to avail him.
sCh VI ~ nnu ChJOy 1U' IC" PoOPA0 or
blest with keen sense of the unusual It
should be fostered.
A MISTAKE ABOUT MARKETING.
You ask next, 'How shall he find the
market without money or infuence?" He
will naturally have great difficulty. The
market for keen sense of the unusual was
never more panicky than it is now. With
out money or influence you will have quite
a long search before you will get your price.
To tell you the honest and never dying
truth, Asterisk, there is no market for a
keen sense for the unusual or humorous
1t is good thing to have, for your life will
be longer and sweeter for having it. Don't
market it at all any more than you would
market your keen relish for what is good or
beautiful You doubtless want to find a
market, not for your keen sense of the un-
usual, but for your ability to describe such
not deliver the goods at present, 1 fear.
Learn first to write good English. Write
at a mark for eight or nine years and let up
on busy people, if you please. I once knew
a young man who decided to go to New
York and to try to get a job on the metro
politan press. He had practiced on coun-
try paper for several years, and had received
a cyclopedia and reversible wall map as
reward for his genius and toll. So he said
to himself: 81 will go to New York. This
life is killing me. 1t is time to call halt"
He did not take trunk, because he said it
would only be burden to him, and one hot
day when the sun was bringing out all the
hidden fragrance that a century has con-
ceaied between the heated paving stones o