The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-03-27
SOME GOOD STORIES.
They Were Designed to Fiji a Want, but
Were Unavailable.

W ere
"The editor, prcsumt said the sallow
man with the real hair watch chain as he
stepped over bundle of exchanges and
approached the careworn person at the
desk
"I'm the editor. What do you want'"
81 come, !" said the sallow man, to offer
you some original matter for publication.
Poetry, l SUPPOSE"
Poetry Not at all. Verse has no COM
mercial value, and routine news no longer
rouses the tired reader. The matter that
offer you is of the kind that will call atten
ton TO your sheet 1t is matter that will
be read aloud at the fireside and given a
place in the scrapbook."
"Original matter, you sayP"
Entirely so. Now, If you have mo-
ment of leisure will read you the first
thing that my eye falls upon in this manu-
script. For instances
Francis Talbatson, u farmer residing
three miles southeast of Collodion, o., has
chicken that successfully initiates a
mocking bird. The chicken has rich
golden plufnage, and subsists entirely on
begonia seed, refusing all other kinds of
food. "
"Who told you thatp" demanded the
editor.
Sir" said the stranger, with wave
of the hand, II have already informed you
that this is original matter"
"Well, you don't expect any one to be.
lieve that?''
81 expect the publication to excite doubt
and wonder, possibly scientific discussion
but, sir, there can be no successful contra
diction of the story.
"Why not? Don't you know that half of
ba Cf hnf fox 70
contradict that story?"
Impossible, sir. There is no such town
in Ohio"
"Then people will know the story is a
fake"
my dear sir, do you suppose that
among all your readers there is one man,
woman or child who knows the names of
all the postofliccs in the state of Ohiof If
u man residing in the eastern part of Ohio
reads that item he will suppose, of course,
I that Collodion is some town over in the
western side of the state, and vice versa
1t is, of course, advisable to print only that
which is true, but ask you candidly ism e
story which cannot and will not be con-
tradicted and which will interest your
readers without in any degree corrupting
them or debauching their literary tastes
| just as valuable as if it were trueP"
"Well, herel How do you know there
isn't town of that name in Ohiop" de-
manded the editor, who was becoming in
| terested.
Because l always work with a postal
guide at my elbow. Suppose, now, that l
decided to tell story of u man in Alexan-
dria, Ia, trapping rabbit that weighed
SO pounds, and commonly mistaken for a
sheep when dressed and hung up in front
| of ;,'a Oh hi.<i
street, opposite the Baptist church. Turn
to the postal guide and learn that there is
an Alexandria in Iowa. Very well. How
about Missouri 1 learn that there is no
Alexandria in Missouri, and SO l locate
the story in Alexandria, Mo-, without in
any way detracting from the artistic effect.
Now, when you read something about
Owen Brcese of Alexandria, Mo-, don't
you feel convinced by the very sound OF
the thing that there is a man named Breese
and that he lives at Alexandria, MOI"
"Ill admit that 1 wouldn't have my
suspicious aroused"
Certainly not and neither would any
one else. Suppose you print a special tele
gram from Catherwood, Ind, telling how
Oscar Brennan, well to do farmer resid
ing about two miles from that place, has
applied for u divorce from his wife Julia
on the ground that she has treated him
cruelty in compelling him to have a cal
cium light apparatus rugged up in the
kitchen, and to throw the calcium on hel
while she is fitting about at her household
duties. You never heard that story before
did your"
81 never did, " said the editor decisively
"Do you think you can use some of this
mattert"
I',,, fppiI Il,,tV Toll ,l,,,t
l can dol can recommend you to flient
of mine who wants to be United State.
senator. He is now looking for the town.
in which there have been popular upris
ings in his favor. l think you have som,
of the towns in your manuscript there.
81 can give him any town that amt il
the postal guide.
"Well, those are the towns that are fc,
him. &C hicapo Irihune