Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-01-06
HOW HE BECAME a STORY WRITER.


Career and Early Enorts.
Richard Malcolm Johnston's sketches OF
rural life To Georgia have been among the
most delightful contributions to current
magazine literature. Col. Johnston for
he bears that title--is tall and elderly, his
hair and mustache being white, but his
eye IL clear, his manner gracious, and he Is
the most entertaining talker, his speech
having rich southern flavor He was
with James Whitcomb Riley when the re-
porter came Upon him 1T the Denison
House, and that gentleman kindly gave his
assistance to draw the colonel out.
STORY writing" said the colonel, "is the
last thing for me in literature, and came
70 It 10 way altogether accidental. had
published two or three volumes on English
literature, and ia conjunction with a
friend had written the life Of Alexander
stephens and also book on American and
European literature, but had no idea Of
story writing for money. Two or three
stories OF mine found their way into papers
before l left Georgia. .
When was Abraham BiIlingslea' writ
tenp inquired Mr.. Riley.
Oh. that ID recent--only three years ago.
went to Baltimore In 1851 l had been a
professor OF English literature In Georgia,
but during the war took school OF forty
boys to Baltimore. There was at Baltt-
more In 1870 a periodical called The South
ern Magazine. The first nine Of my Duke
borough Tales were contributed TO that
magazine. These fell into the hands Of
the editor Of Hsrper,s, who asked me what
got for them. ] said, Not a cent and
he wanted to know why / had not sent
them to him. .Neelus Peeler's Conditions
was the first story for which got pay. 1t
was published in The Century over the
signature Of Philemon Perch
"Dr. Holland told Mr. Glider to tell that
man to write under his own name, adding
that he himself had made a mistake ia
writing under a pseudonym. Sidney Lanier
urged me to write, and said that II would
do so he would get the matter Ia print for
me. So he took 'Neelus PeeIer's Condi-
tions,' and it brought me $50 | think he
was more greatly rejoiced over the money
than was, aud I'm not man to turn my
back on $50. was at first really surprised
that my stories were considered of any
value, either in a literary or pecuniary
way. I am a little surprised yet with
drew from teaching about six years ago,
and since that time have devoted myself to
authorship.
II have never put word in my books, /"
continued Col. Johnston, 'that have not
heard the people use, and very few that |
have not used myself Powelton, Ca, is
my Dukeborough. / was born fourteen
miles from there, and the road leading
down to that place was rough one. The
first of the peterborough Tales was the
'Goosetown School OF the female char
acters that have created, Miss Doolana
Lines is my favorite, while Mr. Bill Will
Jams is my favorite among the male char
acters. l started Doolana to make her
mean and stingy like her father, but
hadn't written a page before she wrenched
herself out of my hands. She said to me,
L am a woman. and you shall not make
ME mean and then she just made herself,
and she was like her mother
81 hese stories are all of Georgia as it
was before the war. In the hill country
the institution of slavery was very differ
ent from what it was in the rice region or
near the coast. Do you know the Georgia
negro has five times the sense of the South
Carolina negroa Why? Because he has
always been near his master: their rela-
tions are closer. My fathers negroes loved
him and he loved them, and il negro
child died upon the place my mother wept
for it.
Some time ago went to the old place,
and an old negro came eight miles-walked
all the way-to see me. He got to the
house before o'clock in the morning, and
opened the shutters while I was asleep.
With cry he rushed into the room, oh,
Massa Dickp We cried i'll each others
arms. We had been boys together One
of my slaves is now bishop-Bishop Lu-
cius Holsey. He is one OF the most eloquent
men in Georgia and lives in Augusta >
Indianapolis News.