The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-21
THE DANGER OF USING NAMES.
Sometimes Their Real Proprietor Turns Up and Does Not Fit the

Sometimes Their Real Proprietor
 Turns Up and Does Not Fit the
 Story.
 Half the struggle in writing story" a rather eminent author has said, consists in the name, When you get good name you get mine" Which is true not only of the title of the narrative itself, but also of the characters which figure in it. Once writer of fiction confessed that he searched the signboards for names, and on the day when he saw Milling ton Rickaby" painted on a lawyers door he produced the best story of his life on the inspiration of that cogno- men. But it is not always safe to do this. The proof is right here.
 The writer of this department, journeying in the Teton country just south of the Yellowstone Park some years ago, heard among other names mentioned that of Brig Adams. That Brig Adams really existed was never stated; the name was simply carried into a oonversation-when and under what circumstances is matter of AAe"NS ttA'NAHSAJ AoolJ altilOuSll lilC OC- tails of the first hearing Of that appel lation have long since faded, the name lived in recollection-lived on, waiting for story to be written about it. A few months ago the story was writ ten. That was the last of the name, and, having been used, it passed along the way of all used-up literary mate rial.
 That Is to say, it was believed to be the last of it. But 1t was not, in fact. A few days ago Robert Anderson of Idaho Falls, Idaho, wrote to say with great courtesy that mistake had been made. There was a Brig Adams and he wasn't the kind of man the yarn pictured him at all. He did | not fit any part of the storied descrip- tion-not physically, morally, intel lectually or otherwise. Besides which | he had been dead for a long time | sacrificed his life in a heroic manner | to save and help another. (Parenthe- tically it may be said that they do that kind of thing in Jackson's Hole.)
 'I have this to say of Adams" the Idaho man writes, mot because de mortuis nil nisi bonum,' but because he was no such man as the story pie | lures him. MT. Adams was a ranch man in Jacksons Hole: stalwart, firm-looking man of above thirty. He was not college bred, but had a good common school education. He was dis :, tinguished for his courteous bearing to all, and was as straight morally as well physically as the pine trees on the | adjacent mountains. The actress Maude Adams was, by the way his niece. Neither was he the unsophisti- cated man the picture makes him. He did lucrative business in supplying some of the parks as far east as New England with deer and elk, and on his trips became fairly well acquainted with several of the eastern cities. In short, he stood we'll But the manner of his death shows him more than a straightforward business man. A new settler came into Jackson's Hole late in the fall of 1896. The newcomer was | ill provided for the winter-not even cabin to take his family into. Mir
 Adams was never behindhand in such cases. He started at once through the snow to the new mans camp
 brought new life to the. Respondent family and got to work with a will
 though no reward was promised or de- sired. While engaged in this Good
 Samaritan work a decayed limb fel
 from tree he was chopping for house
 logs. The limb struck him squarely or
 the head, and his skull was crushed in
 The man, after a time, got help to take
 him home. There is no doctor in Jack
 sons Hole. But his resolute young
 wife nursed him night and day for z
 week, when death came to her relief
 Thus, according to MT. Anderson's
 description, the real Brig Adams, tho
 man who supplied the name, but nt
 other essential part of the light little
 anecdote, was a man worth knowing The writer is sorry that he did no know him.
 AS before remarked, while a name i a splendid thing for fictionmaker tt have in stock, it is likely to prove em barrassing unless 1t is absolutely, cer tainly and unequivocally fictitious Even then 1t is best to choose another From the Chicago Record.
 HOW HUNGER FEELS.