The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-03-05
SHORT STORIES
New Writers Being Trained by Discipline
aud nexcIopmcnt.

IT. nee CORES IlNANNANtsI
NEW YORK. Feb. ga few months ago
period cnl published in one OF the eastern
cities offered as prizes considerable sums OF
money for those persons towhom should he
awarded the merit OF having written the
best short stories submitted in competition
20 the editor Of that magazine. The SUM
fixed upon rs "A prize for that one OF the sto-
ries regarded a. only third best was larger
than even the masters in the art OF short
story writing can command. and the sum 70
be awarded As a first prize was greater with
perhaps two exceptions than had ever been
prouised ns "A reward for chief merit in such
competition Therefore the money tempta-
tions were a sufficient inducement TO lead
even the most distinguished Of those men
and women who have facility inthe writing
of short stories.
Within few weeks after the announce
ment was made the mails that came % the
Office Of this publication were loaded down
with manuscript. A number Of tales were
sent so speedily after the announcement
was made that il WAS evident their authors
had not written any new tale to enter into
this competition. but had taken stories
which they had already written. But the
majority Of the stories bore evidence of re-
cent composition. When the day which
was set as the limit of time for receiving
the stories came it was found that more
than !. 500 manuscripts had been forwarded
70 the editor. They came from all parts Of
the United States, few from Canada.
some Of them were in exquisite writing
as clear as script, plainly the work Of pro
fessional copyists. Some of them were
neatly tied together by ribbons Nearly all
ofthem, however, were in typewriter man
uscript, and all OF them indicated that the
writers had familiarity with the rules
which editors insist upon in the making Of
manuscript. A few Of them were packed
in thin wooden boxes, and one was written
upon scented paper, and, strange as It may
appear, this is one Of the best Of those Of
fered in competition.
Thework Of examining these manuscripts
entailed a labor upon a few men perhaps
quite as great as the aggregate labor be-
slowed in the writing Of them. There were
few whose imperfections were revealed at
a single glance aud were plainly the work
Of persons who had no conception Of literary
form or capacity for telling story, and
vet in almost every case these worthless
specimens were accompanied by pleading
and explanatory letters, as though good
story did not sufficiently explain itself
After several weeks Of diligence, entail
ing labor that extended far into the night,
there were sifted out Of this great number
Of stories II which were regarded as worthy
Of publication, and then perhaps the hard
est work Of all began, the selection from
these u Of the three entitled 10 the money
prizes.
II might be supposed, the pecuniary re-
wards being so great IN the case Of the
first prize, $1,000, that some Of the famous
authors would have been induced 10 send
in their stories, but in the list there was
not the name OF a single person who had
won any recognition for such literary work
This is probably due TO two reasons. One,
the famous writers Of short stories are able
TO command a market for anything they
write. some OF them at their own figures.
Mr. kipling Mr. Howells, Miss Wilkins,
Mr Harry Edwards, MIR. Hubbard and Mr.
Gilbert Parker find no difficulty in selling
their short tales. in fact, the difficulty
with them il 20 meet the applications made
BY publishers for such products Of their
pen.
Then another reason Is the repugnance
which persons who have commanded "a rep
utation have TO entering into competition,
az least using their own names. Some
times this has been done by The use OF a
nom dc plume, and there is one interesting
anecdote that is told in literary circles OF
the modification which one distinguished
writer experienced in contest Of this kind.
a periodical had offered prize Of $500
for q short continued story. The sum was
60 great that q very large number of tales
wa Submitted. Tie prize went TO "A com
parativcly unknown writer. while a distin-
guishcd writer u short stories who had
submitted one anonymously was hum!li-
nted when he discovered that his tale
d
awards
10 Is a curious fact, however, that with
two or three exceptions those who have
competed ia prize story contests with
success seem to have been unable TO main
tain the victories thus Won The writer
Of short stories whose nom dc plume is
so did, as an unknown. win a prize ia
one Of these contests, and from that success
be has gone on until now be Is recognized
a. one OF the most brilliant Of short story
writers Of Great Britain. But IN the score
or more Of contests under the direction a.
the editors Of some Of the responsible peril
odicsls Of America there has been no case
IN which the winner of prize maintained
alterward the repute thus gained. Miss
Ella Farman, as she then was Row Mrs.
Pratt, won prize in a contest Of that sort
aud she afterward became the editor o. a
children periodical, but there has been no
story from her pen which compares with
the one which gained her that victory.
In the contest described above, which Is
now about 10 be decided. one thing WIS
made evident and that was that vefs
considerable number OF persons now uu-
known are able 70 write fairly interesting
short stories, showing that discipline and
development are unquestionably training a
good many American writer's. 30 that We
may expect hereafter 20 produce az bril-
liant teilora OF short tales as doses France
itself h. j. EDWARDS.
I've ri "a all sorts OF blood pur.aers. 90
said On old lady TO a cutter and VOC
cans ersUhde me that anv other sarsapu-
rilla il ne good % Aye =" Ihsrs's where
sic had bin. she knew that Aye = was TIC
bset-snd 20 did he. but - paid him better
10 sell q cheaper brand.
Courting at Woodsiiio.
Oid Deacon Amos Twitterworth, who keeps