Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-09-15
MAGAZINE NOTES.

The Century Magazine for this month
is largely given over to exploring expedi-
tions. Henry G. Bryant writes of ""The
Grand Falls Of Labador )" the English ex-
plorer, E. ]. Glave, contributes an arti-
Gle, which is to be continued, on Pioneer
Packhorses OF Alaska" in which he gives
an account OF native life and customs as
we'll as his explorations. The life Of the
greatest of explorers, Christopher Column
bus, reaches the point, in this Install
ment, when Columbus sights the island
of San Salvador. Theodore Roosevelt's
article, can Elk-Hunt at Two Ocean
Pass" is also of a somewhat kindred
nature.
One of the dearest decisions of unsuc-
cessful writer's is that the "big maya
zines do not care for contributions,
however well written, from unknown
writers. 1t is soothing thought to the
recipient Of a printed notice of rejection
that his MS. has failed for the lack of the
prestige OF a name and it is perhaps wan
ton cruelty to strip away this last rag of
comfort. Beside, the strange failure of
his own effort, another fact which feeds
this delusion in the mind of the rejected
author, is that from time to time he sees
very poor stories and articles appearing
in the magazines, signed by distinguished
names. Thereupon, he says to himself
resentfully:
IF had sent that story it would have
been rejected" and full of bitterness he
writes an article upon the injustice of a
partial world. These articles, written as
they are with the air of one who knows,
are not rejected by the local paper whose
columns are ever gaping for more copy
and disseminate very generally the i'm
preston of the difficulty OF the young
writer in getting a hearing.
There is no doubt that f. II. Stockton
can get much worse story printed ky a
good magazine than can John jerks,
but it was not by Jenksonian style Of
fiction that F. r. Stockton made his rep
utation and interested tens of thou .ands
OF readers in seeing everything that
comes from his pen. 1t would be hard
indeed if literature were the only field in
which past achievements counted for
nothing. The surgeon who has success
fully operated for cancer, wins new
patients by his skill. the lawyer who has
won Difficult. cases, finds new ones
ready to his hand, and SO in every de-
partment Of intellectual work, hard.
earned reputation counts for something.
1t is as foolish for Mr. jerks to want his
poor stories to take precedence of Mr..
Stockton's poor stories, as for young
Sawbones, who always bungles his oper.
atoms, to want to rank with the surgeon
whose knife in years Of practice has
once or twice been known to slip.
Poor stories are drug upon the mar.
ket and as long as it is possible to gel
more than enough of them from the most
distinguished writer's, Mr.. jerks will
find his wares returned upon his hands
But just let him write one good vigorous
story, and there will be more rejoicing in
the editorial sanctum over the one new
writer than over the ninety-and-n o.
fixed reputation.
The advance sheets of the Century
proudly announced two new writer's fol
the September number. To be candid
neither of the two appear to be very
large-sized finds, but that only further
illustrates the enthusiasm OF the watch
full editor who is always hoping for the
moment "When new planet swIms into
his ken.''
Let US be thankful that the standard O
the magazine is as high as it is, even i
our own pitiful efforts are thereby cx
: cluded, the change that is TO be desired
is that the standard may be yet further