The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-05

Notes Made by IN Writer Who Visited
London Factory.

St. JdlIieS ddZelte
The writer of this article had an opportu-
nifty OF inspecting one of the factories where
literature of the dreadful order is
turned out wholesale. The factory in ques-,
ton consisted Of small, low-roofed room
ing Fleet street, London. Five flights of
rickety stairs had to be climbed before the
workshop was reached. The room was
badly ventilated and reeked of the odOr OF
stale tobacco. A long deal table, covered
with the picturesque Communications of va
rious ink stains, and four more or less di-
lapidatec chairs, comprised all the furni-
ture.
Three of the chairs were in use, and
their occupants, seated at table, were
writing at full speed. In front OF each
writer were paper, pens and ink, while at
his elbow stood pewter pot at Wnlcn ne
took a pull as each page was completed
and thrown quickly aside. The owner OF
the article was indebted for the introduce
ton, took upon himself the duties of host
and explained everything:
You See, he said, there are TOUR OF
us; we rent the room among us and di-
vide the proceeds of our work each week
How much do we make? Well, not very
much because this is about the worst paid
of any kind of journalistic work: The
usual rate of pay for our stuff is from IS
Cd to Is per 1000 words, and story may
be anything. from Son to I'D 1900 % words NO Is
would be easy for us to turn out 10000
words in a week. OF course, penny-a-
lining is more remnueratiye; but not line neaF r.
ly so certain; besides which, that line Is
more than overcrowded.
1--WE divide the work up here. 1 myself
do all the plots, such as they are; another the
does the school stories; third, the Wlid
West and Indian yarns; and the fourth,
those dealing with naval or military life.
AS far as the stuff goes itself. the pay Is
is required The publishers do not want
high-class literature: they must have a
thrilling blood-and-thunder story for boys.
10 is- rrvrift
Plenty of strong incident, startling situa-
lions, hair-breadth escapes. following quick
iy one after the other. put into language
full of strong adjectiveS.
Scarcely any plot is required, merely a
thread running through the story, on which
we string adventures like beads. The
abroad in search of immense treasure. or
else devotes his life to discovering the muir
derer of his father; and, chapter after
chapter, he performs marvellous feats of
which the villain is killed and all ends hap
PLY. My part of the work is arranging the
thread and incidents. There is nothing orig
inal about either. L get my plots from
where can, and the publishers know that
they cannot expect originality for the price
II have heard it said that a man writes
best about that of which he knows nothing.
and my experience proves it. For instance,
the man who does our sea stories-and
pretty good stories, too, of their klnd-was
never out of London in his life and has,
therefore, never seen the sea. He pos
sesses dictionary of nautical phrases, and
slips them in haphazard. / don't suppose
the majority of his readers know any more
about ship than he does. The same re-
mark would apply almost equally well to
the writer of our Indian stories, who has
certainly never been out of this country
When the Wild West show was over here
he went TO see 1t, and was greatly sur
prised. Though he had been writing stories
of redskins for over three years, yet he had
not the faintest idea of their real appear
ance. The third man, however, is different
he is public man, and a cut above this
kind OF work, though he is past doing any
thing better now. Once he was rising an-
thor, but his first success ruined him. dare
toned 1t. His stories are not SO good as the
others. because his education prevents him
from getting down to the level of his read
ers.
His history? l can give 1t to you in one
wori-drink Who buys all these books
Boys, Of all sorts and conditions. There is
an enormous demand for this class of pub
lication. Personally think they are exceed
ingly injurious, for they fill boys mind
with utterly wrong and pernicous views OF
life. Almost every day one sees in the pa
perS cases where boys whose imagination
have been fired and aroused by these books
have been led TO commit crime They run
away from home with the notion of becOm-
Ing a prairie scout or a pirate captain, and
generally steal the money to start them in
their new career. Perhaps you may say that
my practice does not agree with my opn-
ions. That is true: but II do not write
them some one else WILL and 1 must live