The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-11
a LITERARY FEATURE.

This issue OF The CALL gives a fair idea
of its policy on the score of its literary
features. tits a radical departure from the
methods of daily journalism in San Fran
cisco, in that it gives preference to the
writers of California over those living in
the Eastern States and England. This is
not only carrying out THE CALLS general
plan of giving more attention to the de-
velopment of California than has been the
custom hitherto in this City, but lying
behind that are important reasons to
justify it. 1t is evident that the plan of
using original contributions from leading
California writers is much more expensive
than that of buying cheap syndicate"
matter, over which the editor has practi-
cally no control, but the advantages Offset
ting the increased expense are numerous.
In the first place, California is immeasur-
ably the richest field for literary explora-
ton in all the New World, Louisiana not
excepted. History and romance of the
most fascinating kinds and in marvellous
variety abound from the very first settle
ment of the region by the Franciscan
monks. The beautiful idyls of the mis-
sions, the austere lives and strange adven-
lures of the franciscan pioneers, the
thrilling stories of buccaneer days in the
time of Sir Francis Drake, the struggles of
the Russians in securing foothold on the
northern coast. the discovery of gold and
the strange and incredible events which
succeeded it, the stirring days of the
vigilantes and of stock speculations in San
Francisco, the dazzling fortunes which
were made and lost in an hour, the ruin
and suicides and all manner of other
wonderful tragedies which have stained
the pages of the States history with crime
and blood, the fierce wars waged against
Mexico and the Indians, the birth of the
constitution and the organization of law
and order out of whirling and bewilder-
ing chaos, the terrible fires and savage up
risings of the poor against the rich, the
delirium of political entanglements and
alliances, the duels and lynchings, the
daring highway robberies that Swallowed
with terror all the famous highways lead
ing to the goldfields, the outlandish and
altogether unique criminal mysteries
which crowd every one of the forty-seven
years since the American occupation, the
development Of the vine, fig tree and olive,
the evolution of civilization which finds
no parallel in history, the springing forth
and present existence of a race of men and
women born ofimpressive conditions never
encountered before, peeuliarities of climate
and topography wholly unmatched for
beauty, splendor and overwhelming mag
Intermediates constitute but part OF
the material upon which the Californian
may train his pen, and which it is possible
for none other than Californian to under
stand and utilize.
Not only have we this dazzling material,
almost untouched through lack of en-
couragement, but experience long ago es-
tablished the fact that as a rule the Cali
fornia writer discovers peculiar and pic
turesque virility, a boldness of conception
and independence of individuality, a
unique and daring ambition, splendid
disdain for the hampering conventions
and traditions, and an responsiveness
wholly in keeping with his environment
and lacking with writers produced under
commonplace conditions. Most of these
whom local opportunities for expression
made famous have been l1red away: but
still it must be that others will appear,
and we know that still others of brilliant
power yet remain with US.
1t is an understanding of all these mat
tiers that leads THE CALL to prefer Cali
fornia writers to the hackneyed "syndl-
cate" contributors, who generally are
working solely on a fame acquired in lines
of production UNNECESSARILY superior to
those which they are now presenting. THE
CALL will be helpful as well as original,
and in the pursuit of its policy will pro-
duce paper with literary features utterly
distinctive and incomparably attractive,
strong and racy of the soil. It will de-
velop not only the wonderful things that
have produced so strange and beautiful a
to portray them.