The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-07

In 1884, with 5000 in his pocket, he
went to New York. He was without
influence, because he sought no infiu-
ence, being determined that whatever
happened, he, and he alone, should be
responsible.
Fierce Fight For Recognition.
Allen lived first in wretched room
at 140 East Thirty-first street. It was
top floor room, miSerably furnished,
and there was seldom a fire in the win
ter. Up to the time of his arrival in
New York he had not written a line of
fiction.
His calm resolve to make a way to
literature startled and even amused
the New York magazine editors. But
he was sincere in his determination,
and confident of eventual success. One
of his first articles was Types of
American Women in Henry James
1t was taken by the Continent, which
was then in the height of it's popular
ity. With infinite toll and after ex-
haustive research, Allen compiled an
article on the Early American Maya
zines, but there was no purchaser. 1t
went from magazine to magazine, but
always came back. In later years it
was published serially in the New
York Evening Post. An essay on
Poe attracted attention, as well as
scholarly paper ON Literary Circles
in Balzac's Time" The latter elected
favorable criticism from the cele-
brated English reviewer, Edmund
Yates.
Naturally Kentucky was the home of
his first creations. Kentucky was al
ways the land of promise. Disappointed
over the failure of his classical and
critical work to take, he applied him
self to fiction. Amid the scenes of his
earlier childhood, and with characters
whose traits and temperaments he
knew so well, he made his debut as a
story writer, with a sketch called TOO
Much Momentum which was accepted
by the HarDers in 1887. His only other
story, written during the first years in
New York. was an Italian sketch Part
of An Old Story"
These years that saw the first fruits
of Aliens fancy were bitter years. He
knew what it was to be hungry and
cold yet Aliens spirit was never
crushed.
Writing About Kentucky
Allen realized that the only place
where he could live and continue his
work was Kentucky. Just at this
time Charles Egbert Craddock had
made her first success, and Il new
literary star had risen over the Cum
berland mountains. There was a ire
lHltTcSl III Ine scene Oh ntr
work. Before leaving for Kentucky
Allen secured from the editors of Har:
pers magazine the promise of their
consideration of a contemplated article
on the Cumberland mountains. He ar
ranged with the Evening Post to write
a series of letters from Kentucky.
His letters were not only accepted, but
his remuneratio was doubled with
each succeeding communication
1t was the first time that the low
lands of Kentucky had been invaded
1t was q new field and a new writer
had explored it. 1t was while travelling
through the pleasant fields that mis-
famous short stories suggested them
selves. The visit to the Trappist monks
had led to the conception of Gather
paved the way for the succeeding
stories that formed the contents of his
first book, Flute and Violin,'' which
was published in 1890 1t was followed
a year later by THE Bluegrass region
of Kentucky" Then there was prompt
recognition Of the Kentucky author
In the early COS Allen lived for the
most part in Kentucky, residing for
two years at Cynthiana. In 1891 he
moved to Cincinnati. where he wrote
John GRAY" and the following year
he went to Europe in search of health.
His next work was "A Kentucky Car
dinal." in 1891, followed in 1894 by a
Summer In Already AFTERMATH
was written in 1895. and THE Choir In
visible" between the autumn of 1896