The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-07-25

duction, but she agreed with the proof
reader that it was too daring in it's concep-
ton and too frank in its details even for
the not over particular society which nhab-
tied San Francisco at that time. Harte
heard her judgment with amazement. He
proper In the story. Finally the owner of
the paper so far went over to the side of
the storys critics as to say that he thought
the story would have to be left out.
Harte took a day and a night to think
the matter over and then announced his
own decision He said that if the story was
left out of that months issue of the Over
land Monthly he would himself insist on be-
ing left out of all connection with the pa
per in the future. There was no quarrel.
He simply was certain that his judgment
was good and felt that If it was considered
bad on this occasion by the owner, he would
never be able to suit him in the future.
Finally, after the matter had been placed
on this definite basis, the owner made up
his mind to let the story run Harte was
not man of any particular reputation
then, and so the owner did not have any,
thing definite on which to base his faith in
the young Fasteners judgment, but Harte
was so clean cut in manner, speech and
man on the coast in those days-that it did
not seem likely that he would make a mis-
take on the side Of propriety. So the story
was printed.
THE EAST SAVED HIM.
1t created a sensation in California and
not the kind of sensation that seemed
likely to benefit the Overland Monthly.
Criticism of it was free and rabid. 1t was
damned by every paper in San Francisco
and along the coast. Harte was discour-
aged. He began to think that his Judgment
had been bad after all and wondered il he
had not mistaken his vocation 1t took a.
long time then for paper to be printed in
San Francisco. get East, attract attention
and, finally, for the printed evidences of
that attention to get back to San Francisco
But after sufficient period had elapsed
Tor all this to occur, Harte got his reward
Tor his firmness in sticking up for the merit
of his story. The Luck of Roaring Canp"
had carried the East by storm. Newspaper
after newspaper came in, praising it in the
warmest terms, and the climax was finally
reached when the mail brought a letter
from the very biggest publishing firm in
Boston, addressed to the editor Of the
Overland Monthly, and asking him to tell
the author Of The Luck of Roaring Camp"
that the Eastern publishing house would he
glad to accept anything he might choose
to send, and at his own terms. After the
coast saw how the story was received in
the East 1t revised it's own Judgment of II
and before long Horte was hailed. in the
very town which had just condemned him.
as the Literary Moses of the Golden Cate
HIS FIRST WRITING.
Bret Harte was born in Albany. New
York state can also claim the honor of hav
Ing been first to recognize his talent. al
though he was not at that time living with
In it's confines. He was II years old when
he wrote his first poem, in the most pro-
found secrecy, and mailed it to the New
York Atlas. 1t was named "Autumnal
Musings" and he watched for it's appear
Rnce with he most feverish anxiety. He