The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-24
a POINTER FOR POETS.
How They May Dispose of Their
Verses Probably.

Observers who endeavor TO keep up
with the reach of contemporary literature
must often pause in amazement at the
great quantity of work turned out by
American writers. Take verses, for
instance. The stream Of poetry which
flows continually from the printing presses
leads one to think that every man, woman
and child in the country has been seized
with mania for meter. And this is the
smallest part of it. For every printed
production there are hundred which
never see the light of type How many
people, think you, are ready to turn out
verses on any subject at moments no.
tice} Statistics on this point are want
ing; but not long ago when a western
firm of soap dealers offered prizes for
verses in praise of their wares, nearly
10000 persons took part in the competi-
ton. Magazines and newspapers are
overwhelmed with rhyming contributions
Many daily papers employ a metrical
miller, who grinds out his four or five eff
fusions every day as easily and as regu-
larly as nail machine drops nails. Even
in the remotest country districts corpses
are made TO turn in their graves by the
Lines to --, From a Friend" which
appear in the weekly paper as regularly
as its black-letter title. This kissing and
suffering of poetical force from every
the enormous pressure beneath-a press
ure which only the callousness of editors
and the indifference of6he reading pub
lie can subdue and keep within reasona-
BILE bounds. But the strain is growing
greater year by year. If it is unrelieved
an explosion must follow.
What is 10 be done? A few months ago
at literary trade dinner a brilliant
young editor who has devoted much
thought to the subject proposed a remedy.
His plan was modelled closely on that of
the subtreasuries so strenuously adyo-
Gated by some of the rising young states
men of the west and south. Briefly stated,
it contemplated the establishment under
government auspices of repositories
where verse might be warehoused until a
proper equilibrium between supply and
demand should be restored. Thus the
pressure might be relieved and posterity
benefited. Sculpture, he argued,
approached perfection in Greece
more than 1000 years ago, and
painting burst into full flower
in Italy some centuries later With what
gratitude should we now regard the peo-
pie of those days if they had stored up
pictures and statuary for our use and en-
1oyment. No one will claim that we
should fail TO do our duty because the
Greeks and Romans failed to do theirs
We live in poetic age. The tide of verse
Tin quality at least), is at its food A
thousand years hence such poetry as is
now produced may be rare, and there
fore valuable, Then why not bottle up
the greater part of it and store it away
among cobwebs and dust for use in the
thirtieth century!
This was the young editors plan for re-
| lief. Fortunately, however, such course
is now unnecessary. The problem has
been solved, and the solution comes from
a negro preacher in South Carolina
Whether he is familiar with rejected
manuscripts no one knows. Whether he
knows that great majority of editors
do not pay for poetry none can tell
At any rate he has found an outlet for
poetry which editors refuse to print and
he has discovered a secret which
thousands are anxious to learn--the Sc
cret of giving value to verse, of turning
rhyme into riches.
How does he do it, He has resurrected
the long-dead art of minstrelsy. He has
gone back into the twelfth century and
clothed himself in the garb of medieval
ioculator. For n subject he needs no
classic tale, no deed of knightly daring
He takes the prosaic "stories" of the
daily newspaper. clothes them in a scant
and ragged garment of rhyme, sets them
to music and sings them to any audience
that will listen. A great storm devas-
tates the coast region of Georgia and the
Carolinas, Is the preacher poet-Singer
equal to the occasionl Let him speak for
himself