The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-09
BRET HA RTE'S WASTE-BASKET.
A Fastidious Writer Who Uses Lots
of Copy"

Writing of Bret Harte in California
the story writer's fastidiousness:
Harte's first literary work was done
in San Francisco, after he had tried mis-
hand at school teaching in the interior
of the state, and had ventured tenta-
lively in other casual pursuits, as was
the manner of all the Argonauts in
those days. In 1868, while he vas set
ting type in the flee of the Co'dea Era,
! a literary weekly paper Of some local
renown. he offered 10 the editors. With
much diffidence, occasional contribu-
lions, which he had already set up in
his composing stick. They were short
and unambitious, but they were SO
highly approved by the managers Of
the paper that the young author was
encouraged to offer more of the same
sort. A year later Harte accepted a
writing engagement on the staff of the
Californian, another literary weekly
then edited by Charles Henry Webb,
better known to old Californians by his
pen-Eame of John Paul" Harte be-
came editor of this newspaper in 1865.
when MIR. Webb relinquished its man
agement. Another contributor to the
columns of the Californian was Samuel
L. Clemens, who was then making his
first essay in composition under the
Twain" Like Goldsmith's parson, who
was counted passing rich with forty
pounds year" these two young writ
erS were well content with d ccmpen-
sation that would now be regarded by
either of them with amused contempt.
In the Californian, Harte printed moth
ing more ambitious than bits of verse
and slight local sketches in prose. The
titles of some of these were "Side-
Walkings." "On a Balcony and "A
Boys Dog" Nearly all of them, l
think, were hunted up and reprinted
in more enduring form when Harte had
become celebrated author. His celeb
rity gave these trifies an Importance
which he never dreamed they would
acquire.
Harte always manifested in his work
that fastidiousness in choice of words
which has characterized him ever since.
ii was humorously complained of him
that he filed the newspaper office waste
waste basket with his rejected manu-
scripts and produced next to nothing
for the printer. Once, assigned to the
task of writing an obituary article that
was not TO exceed two stickfuls'' in
length. he actually filed a waste bas-
ket with fragments of copy which
he tore up before he produced the requi-
site amount of matter. Going into my
own editorial room early one forenoon,
I found Harte at my desk. writing a
little note to make an appointment with
me TO dine together later in the day
Seeing me, Me started up with the re-
mark that my early arrival at the office
would obviate the necessity of finishing
the note which he was writing and
which he tore up as he spoke. When.
this little matter settled. Harte had
gone out, crumbling in his hand the
fragments of his unfinished note. /
CHANGED to look into my waste basket,
and saw a litter of copy carrying
Harte's familiar handwriting; and
turning over the basket with quiet
amusement. 1 discovered that he had
left there the rejected manuscript of
TO less than three summons which any
other man would have disposed of in
something like this order: Dear
Brooks: We will dine together at Louis
Dungeons at $50 p. m. tonight