Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-10-14
DIME NOVELS.
Some of Them " ritten by Men After
wards Famous as Men of Letters.

wards Famous as Men OF Letters'
Edward S. Ellis, who now has 2
solid reputation as an author OF Juye-
nile literature which no parent need
hesitate to place in the hands OF his
child, began his career by publishing
a dime novel," for which he received
$75.
William O. Stoddard, who now con-
tributes to st. Nicholas as well as some
of the high grade magazines for ma
turer minds, wrote many of the old De
Witt novels, which sold for dime.
1t was only about two or three years
ago that New York SiX-cent weekly
story paper published a serial with the
name of Maurice Thompson attached
as author The story's locale was
Texas, and it was Of a highly sensa-
tional and thrilling order, pistols and
bowie-knives playing important roles
in every instalment, while the daring
and astounding deeds of the noble hero
We're only equalled by the bloodthirsty
depravity of the sinister villain. Mr..
Thompson did not see the story until
his attention was called to it by an as
founded friend, who could not believe
it possible the author of "Byways and
Bird Nests" and "A Banker of Bank
ersville" could be the progenitor OF
ANYTHING so s"vicious' as the story
paper serial
At first Mr. Thompson himself de-
MED all knowledge of the story, out
he finally confessed it was written
many years before and sold to the
proprietors of the paper, who had
kept it until the unfortunate writer of
the wild and woolly romance bad
made Il reputation in a higher tieldl
Most surprising of all was that the
author had quite forgotten the story
and did not even recognize it at first
when he saw it in print-so he says.
"Oliver Optic" and Horatio Alger,
jr, have both written for cheap pub
LEGATIONS, the former producing at least
one serial for a well-known dime
novel; publishing house of New York.
the story being entitled 1.-The Pink of
the Pacific" good, old-faShioncd pi-
rate yarn.
The late BARLEY Campbell was for
many years previous to the success of
his play My Partner" writer Tor
the publishers of cheap literature,
some of his stories having a slightly
erotic tinge.
Edgar Fawcett, it is authOritatiycly
stated, wrote under a nom de plume
many serials for a Philadelphia six
cent weekly, and it is even gossiped
llldl he HIS SOlu even ucleCllNp SloIltS
of the "Old Sleuth" order which after
wards appeared in cheap library form.
Mrs. Ann s. Stephens wrote the first
dime novel" ever published, which
vas issued by Beadle & Adams, the
William street, New York, firm, who
also numbered among their woman
writer's of that kind of fiction Mrs. NJ.
v Victor and Mrs. Mary A. DenisOn.
No greater mistake can be made than
to believe the authors of So-called blood
and thunder literature are wild-eyed
little men who jump and turn pale at
sight of their omn shadow, and who
never get further West than Hoboken.
One writer of dime novels began his
career by fighting a duel at college, in
which he believed he had killed his OPP
ponent by running him through the
body-whch was happily wrong-and
who has since led a most adventurous
life, winning by sheer valor the rank
of Colonel in the Confederate army.
He has just returned from an adven-
turuus and hazardous trip into New
Mexico and Arizona with Buffalo Bill
as a companion and comrade. His
name is Prentiss Ingraham, and he has
Il beautiful home in the suburbs of
Washington, the place being paid for
from the revenue obtained by dime
novel; writing.
Still another writer of "dme novels"
was Major Sam S. Hall, better known
as "Buckskin SAM" one of the old
original Texas Rangers. and a compan
ion of Fighting Ben Thompson, than
whom no man except Sam Houston
ever obtained wider reputation in the
Lone Star State. Hall ran away from
an Eastern home as q lad, and had
many wild adventures in the West,
finally returning to Delaware, where
he spent the last years of his life He
died four or five years ago. His MSS.
required great deal of editing, but
they had the genuine flavor of the
West about them, and We're therefore
quickly sold.
In some of the cheapest houses of
New York city these stories are
ground off by the yard. The rapidity
with which some writer's can turn Off
short paragraph detective stories is
little short of marvellous. The day
after Jay Gould's death the editors of
tive-cent library sent for a young
man, who is also newspaper report
er, to come in and get the outline and
title of a story about the great tinan-
cier. which they wished issued imme-
diately. The young man came. Five
days later the story went to press, and
on the sixth day it was on the news
stands.
How in the world could this fellow
turn off 10000 words in that space Of
time?" was asked.
The editor smiled, as he replied: He
did that, together with an instalment
for our paper, besides keeping up his
newspaper work."
This writing by the yard is one OF
the things which gals conscientious
author, and he sometimes rebels
against his work. The rebellion uSu-
ally lasts about fifteen minutes, and
then he rips off four yards more be-
fore sunset. He makes from $1,000 to
$4,000 Il year, and that is more than
he can get saving wood.
Power in a Pound OF Coal.
A curious and interesting calculation
has been made by Prof. Rogers, of
Washington, D. c., on the dynamic"
power of coal. According to his dcduc-