The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-04
TALES OF KIPLING.
lie Declined Knghthood He Did Not See What Benefit
1t Would Be to Him.

He loved to ramble in the woods and |
fishing was his favorite sport As the re-
suit his wooden clothing was usually hlled
with burrs and nettles, while hsh scales
stuck to his trousers like postage stamps |
As a student Kiplng was not success,
He ranked low in scientific studies lnd
he had no liking for mathematics but
what he lacked in the more pracueal
branches of learning he made up by MS
high rank in the study OF history ana
literature To the boys at college MS
stories and poems were marvellous compo-
sitions, and they soon gained for MIN the
position as editor of the college pubhed-
ton, an honor that he priced more hlsnly
than he would the highest reward oil the
class room.
For this paper Kipling wrote ballads
about college life and songs OF the dorml-
tories, and while they are crude as com
pared to the work Of his later years they
had the genuine Kipling ring Inc only
prize that Kiplng ever won at school was
the gold medal for an essay on bnsldnu
and Her African Colonies
To his friends Kipling tells many stories
about his experiences, and ne enjoys lneui
hugely. even when the laugh mas oeen on
himself For instance, he often speaAss
Of the American editor who once releuteo
his "Courting of Dinah Shadd' on inc
ground that IL was not up to the hteldIg
standard of his paper, and he mas L.
many a laugh over the fact that one VI Ms
stories laid for many years IN p'seor
hole at the office of St. Nicholas. eale
ago Mary Mapes Dodge accepIeu sne ne
hut il was never published. Recently inc
author recalled the fact 10 her nina anu
although she could not remember the IN.
cident. the office was ransackeu anu NV
manuscript was found
Like Robert Louis Stevenson hlpltns
was not cut out for a newspaper ma
When he first went to san Franclsco nv
obtained a position as reporter on ~ =.
ing paper. His first assignment was 10
write up a mercantile failure, when u,
did in his own peculiar style, re uiaue ~,
rnention of either assets or llabllues, pu
simnlv contented himself with giving :
striking pen portrait OF the oahhlup,
whom he pictured as an oleaginouS rasea
ripe for a cell
When the copy was turned over to IN
city editor 1t almost threw him mo y.
Here, you man with spectdcle
shouted "whoever told you that you wei
. newspaper man must na $500 UpeH lar tb
10 and try shoemsking hlpHnS le't y.
oface and never applied for another posi-
/ ton on daily paper 1,;riin
/, n &c not generally known that klpnn
, has declined a title at the aanos Oh "a
queen About three years ago ne was -.
5 fered knighthood ana ne retuseu W IA -,
: the honor on the ground that he ala no
. soc M what benefit such a position Noul
be 10 him. Al other fact that is not know
+ ~ everyone is that the author IS sre =.
4 admirer of that thoroughly American ~
4 st:tutiun--a cocktail. -, l
. The last time he was IN New 1oVk =
: a. tt,a guest Of the Lockwood De Forest
and early in the morning after his arriv,
he announced that he was going rolhI
4 the Brevoort house 10 get shaved Jul
: before luncheon he made similar a.
e nouncement and at o'clock ne onse Nj N
\ q pressed a desire to visit the barber ~
K De Forest. Who does not drink liguor, w
4 much surprised why, Rudyara' ne s
h claimed, "this win be the thlra 'iaie A.
a day You have gone 10 get shaved. "a a.
Is then he wondered why hipiing tausHthS s,
IS Among all the stories that nave os'
b told Of Kipling few. II any. have furnlsn'
is any information In regard TO mis- Iens s,
d. belief; and although thlC is suo'e0'