The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-01-30

from the railroad where a first-class
lecture course was maintained among
the Quakers, and high-grade school.
/ found that the leading lecturers OF
the country had been there This was
seventeen years ago.
1.-THE town. was born in has perhaps
two thousand people; opposite it is
town in Kentucky which has about
one thousand. The town was born
in has two clubs; the town opposite
has one prosperous club. There is
hardly town on the Ohio river which
hasn't literary club of some kind"
''In the light of your experience OF
literary life, doctor, do you consider il
a desirable life for man?"
lin reply to that question I would
say that it depends upon his tastes
and aptitudes. From money point
of view there are few literary men
who could not do better in some other
calling, but if one likes an intellectu-
al life there is a reward to the lit
erary man aside from all matter of
profit.
''The public have very false idea
Of the profits of literature. The
higher sort of literature is not at all
remunerative, as compared with the
pursuits of other professional men"
What do you think of the infiu-
ences of the magazine on lterature?"
Il should say that the magazine is,
pecuniarily, an advantage to writer's
of established reputation as things are
al present. / am not sure, however.
that if the magazine were out of the
way, or less dominant, that even the
author of established reputation might
not be better off: and, as to the rising
author, the magazine is decidedly a
disadvantage. The present facilities
for distribution concentrate the dis
semination Of literature in the hands
of few magazines. Young authors
are, therefore, at a great disadvantage
from lack of room. The magazine
exercises a discouraging effect on the
originality of literature from the fact
that the author writes with reference
to the wants of the editor or publisher
of the magazine. So that there is in
truded another personality between
him and the public. The editor is not
even free but must consider the wei
fare of his magazine. So there are
two modifying forces. the editors own
preferences and the exigencies OF
the business interests of a magazine.
Now it is to the interest of literature
to get as nearly as possible the natural
and spontaneous production of each
personality that has any value in liter
ature. This is in some measure de,
feated by the dominance of the month,
ly magazine"
What influence has the syndicate on
Eterature?"
The syndicate tends to remedy
some of the evils produced by the dom
nance of the magazine in that il
opens a new field to the rising writer.
1t also gives, as the magazine does,
very wide distribution to literature
and literary influences; but the ten
dency of what may be called period.
icalism,' is to give literature a journal
istic caste, and in taking on that form
it must lose something of the leisurely
and artistic quality of the best"
''You spoke of Interruptions in your
literary work. Are you much troubled
by them?''
whenever an author can be inter
rupted he is sure to be interrupted. In
New York, especially, every kind of
demand is made on his time, both for
social and philanthropic purposes;
but he cannot escape interruption
wherever he may go. The greatest
evil to man following a literary life
is free postage. If the postage on, q
letter were twenty-five cents las it was
sixty years ago. there might be some
hope that an author might produce
something. 1t is not fair. however,
for an author to complain; he spends
his life In seeking reputation. and these
are inseparable from rep
utation; so nothing is becoming to him
but good nature-if he is able to mus
ter it. i
1T is not the autograph hunter pure
and simple the literary man has to
complain of-the boy or girl or childish |
adult who sends a stamped envelope,
containing blank card for |
is usually welcome to what |
he gets. But there has lately arisen !
a school of 'bunco' autograph hunt |
ers-no epithets are quite bad enough |
to characterize these frauds-who /
write letters pretending to wish in |
forma ton, while they are only SEEK /
ing TO secure an autograph letter with |
out paying the dollar, perhaps, that a
dealer would charge them for such |
document. They might better pick an |
authors pocket.
1T is difficult TO distinguish these
etters sometimes from the letters of |
hose who sincerely want information.
put it is a safe rule for literary man
% answer all letters of inquiry when
le answers them at ali by some other
hand than his own l have received
-eplies to such letters begging that
give a personal reply, which, of course,
'evealed the fraud.
MY own system-and I believe that
# MIR. Clemens-is to keep q lot of
igned cards in the care Of another |
person who substitutes them for the
ards sent. never paving snv attention
o the people who ask for sentiments
Il have no sentiments"
ARTHUR STEDMAS.