The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-07-26
HOW HEG0T KTp11NG
A REPORTERS TussLe TO INTERVIEW
THE GREAT AUTHOR.


"When Rudyard Kipling first visited
this country, he had short, sharp and
decisive pose to which he clung tenacious
ly, said n Chicago newspaper man, "and
l was sent down to Kiplings hotel to pick
bit of talk out of him when he struck
Chicago on his way from San Francisco to
New York. He wasn't quite such big gun
then as he is now, but he was big enough
All the way from the coast TO Chicago the
reporters he had met had been hammering
him as case of a remarkably bright
young man afflicted with elephantiasis of
the skull l concluded that all of this
anvil chorus music made by the reporters
Kipling had met was unjust l had such
an opinion of my own interviewing skill
that would have been willing to lay bet
ter than even money that I'd succeed IN
getting corking, redhot talk out of the
young East Indian.
He got into Chicago at O'Clock in the
afternoon, too late for the hotel reporters
for the afternoon papers to get in talk
with him Kipling put up at the Richie
lieu, and l sent my card up to him about
O'Clock in the evening. After about five
minutes young man wearing very
buggy suit of clothes and the bummest
black derby hat l ever saw got off the
elevator and shambled into the hotel lob
by. l knew the young man was Kipling.
He looked about the same then as he does
now-same bulldog rock Of Gibraltar
jaw, stubby mustache, searching eyes and
general look of slouchiness.
90 He had my card in his hand as he en-
tered the hotel lobby. He seemed to re-
gard the card as a great curiosity. He ex-
amined it from all points of view, walked
over to the window front of the hotel and
scrutinized it from top to bottom; held it
out at arms length, and seemed to have
all kinds of difficulty in arriving at de-
termination what the deuce the card
meant l walked over to where he was
fumbling with the card at the window
front.
Mr.. KiplingP l said.
He turned upon me sharply. He looked
me in the eyes Then he lowered his eyes
to my feet and began slow study of me
from my shoes up. When his eyes finally
reached the point of my chin, he looked at
my twisted card in his hand and said in
short, choppy voice;
'Um-what if ann l don't know
you. Did you send me this cardS'
II admitted the soft impeachment.
/ am just after being hurtled down
here by my city editor to find out what
you think about the world, the flesh and
the devil, said. Go ahead. Let's have
it. Cough up. Any old thing you say will
do.
"Kipling's rugged countenance was
momentarily crossed by very boyish,
fetching grin.
You're a pretty cheeky sort, aren't
your he inquired, not quite so choppily as
he had spoken before What does you
blasted city editor or anybody else suppose
that L know about the devil, the flesh or
the worldY I'm only six and twenty-a
kid, a kid in England at any rate where
precocity, instead of being at premium,
as it seems to be over here, is social
vice "The world, the flesh and the devilP"
Haven't you got any hoary patriarchs here
to whom you can put that question:
'Slews of EN-, 1 replied. But they
haven't written books about the doings of
Mulvaney, Ortheris and Learoyd. That
stuff Of yours is pretty good-that is, it
isn't half bad You're of the improving
sort, think, and you'n probably do some
I very decent work later on, when you get
next to yourself.
"Kipling took off his spectacles, wiped
them with his pocket handkerchief, read.
/
fully minute before he spoke
"'I say, he said then, you're a con
founded impertinent sort Of a cove, aren't
your What the deuce do you mean2 IT.
solacing to run across a man who's devised
of pure gall-it's novel, mean. What d'
you want me to sayH'
How do you like what you We seen o
this country, anyhow L asked him, t.
make a switch in the line of talk.
81 like it in spots, he replied. 'Wha
difference does it make whether like /
or notp
"'Lots, 1 said 'we want to be approx
ed. We strive to please. We desire to b
patted ON the back. Go on and pat us o.
the back some more. III take it down il
shorthand.
al wish you'd go away and let m
alone, said Kipling.
"'If was working for a salary instea
of writing OH space, I'd oblige you, fo
this isn't any fun for me, said l. tie
me some things about American soldiers
what you've seen Of them.
They're blooming fine lot, your so
diers are, said Kipling, looking interest
, ed. They are crack men-way up men
the horse outfits especially. I've visite
about a dozen posts, and I'd like to hay
spent month at each of 'em. imagir
it must be fine work soldering down thel
in Arizona.
"'Nice work, said 1. L often long /
be back at old San Carlos. put in thr,
years as a buck private in one of the trooI
down there.
"Well, that's how 1 got Kipling-b
cause had soldiered, and If there's OF
! thing that interests Kipling more tha
u | ,,h
. lit up when l mentioned that soldieriI
% incident in my tumultuous career and f
- three-quarters of an hour he sat there
the window front of the Hotel Richeli'
n and talked over the military end of it in
u clever, luminous, sketohy way that W
full Of meat. He told me all about t
American military posts he had visite
A. comparing our soldiers with the men WI
n compose the British outfits, and--well,
No. made over two columns Of tiptop stu
" When 1 rose to take my leave of Kiplin
a. said:
Now, don't forget. Whenever y,
write something that you think is real
lt good just send me along a batch Of a
st vance proofs, and I'll give you stick
two Of a notice in my paper If appro
- Of the stuff and consider 1t up to t
mark.
e "Kipling simply glared at me amused
3 out Of his shrewd eyes, said somethi
q that sounded like 'Impudent whelpP a
. / went away to write my interview u
& Washington Star.
Temper.
< Temper, says an authority, has immel
y influence on the tone of the singing vol
& An i'll natured or querulous person v