New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-26
STORIES ABOUT KIPLING.
SOME BIOGRAPHICAL FRAGMENTS OF
INTEREST

INTEREST.
The private life OF Rudyard Kpling has always
been screened from the public gaze but q Few bio
graphical odds and ends have at one time or an
other seen the light For example We know
something Of what his duties were on the "Clyn
and Military Gazette" he had to prepare for
tho press all the kilograms Of the day. he had TO
proTide extracts and paragraphs. he made articles
out OF official reports; he wrote brief editorial
notes he kept eye on sports and looked after
local news generally. finally. ne read all proofs
ccpt those Of editorials and top OF all this work
ne composed innumerablc verses and stories. I'm
his remarkable story of The Man Who Would
BE King ne has given MS "a sketch Of himself sit
ting his desk Saturday night waiting TO
put the paper TO press. a king cOurtier was
dying AT the other Of the world" he says. and
the paper TO be held until the las, possible
moment"
1t was a ptchy. black hot night and raining
now and again a spot Of almost boiling water
II was was Keeping us back 1t would nor come
the telegraph was blessing and whether this dy-
ing man was aware OF the inconyenience and d..
up 10 o'clock and the machines spun their ny
wheels two or three times. to see that all was I'm
or. ! could have shrieked aloud Then the roar
and rattle OF the wheels shvered the quiet into
little bits.
It in this trying environment that KipinT
nevertheless composed Of his best things In
a couple Of pages My First Book" which he
contributed to McClures four or FIVE years ago.
he told something about the way in which his
verses written saying:
Bad as they, were. ! burned iwice as many .u as
thirds Were cut down AZ the last moment. Moth
ing can be wholly beautiful. that Is not useful ana
therefore my verses made to ease on the per
peiual strife between the manager extending ms
advertisements ana my chifi nshtihg ior nsisd
them immensely for he was n Muslin Of culture
soon. One-third column Just proper Always can
take on third page"
~ T h set h new q9 r had Fl tx a e6
one more thing-which ! never liked. IN" lon
raid into their ivpe for private proofs with old
English and Gothic headlines. Even Hindoo
does not like to find the serifs Of his rs cut away
And in this manner week by week my verses
came to be printed in the paper
VERSES ATTRACTED ATTENTION.
OF course these verses Immediately attracted the
attention Of the English cxles in India. and scores
OF people soon began to demand the publication o.
the rhymes in book form. This little more
than KiDiug had barganed for when he dashed off
his lines the exgencies OF tho paper or IN"
inspiration OF the moment suggested. Here again
may quote his own words
\ real book out OF thu question. hut ] knew
that Rukn-Din and the Office plant were al my
disposal at price. II did not use the ofce time.
Also ] had handled IN the previous year COUPE
o. small books OF which was part owner. ana had
lost nothing. So there was buit a SORT o. a. boon.
a lean ObOng docket, Wire-sulcIleu' TO IHiit"t'
y O Government envelope. printed on one side only.
bound in brown paper and secured with req tape,
II WAS addressed TO an heads %. uepai "u
all Government officials, and among pile o. papers
vice OF these books we made some hunir'as.
and as there no necessity for adNertl@lns my
printed the news OF the birth OF the book on one
side the blank order-form Oh the other ana p9s,eu
them III and down the empire from Alden 20 Singa-
pore and from Quetta to colombo There was no
trade discount no reckoning tweNes az I'll, nhrreSns'
ever Inc moity nsferreS rom the publisher the
ett-hand pocket. direct to The author. the rlsh'-
hand pocket Every copy sold in a few weeks and
bas snce prevented my iriuring my health by sym
pa thizing with publishers who talk o. ther rlsKs
and advertisements
Once Kipling leaped into fame he was OF course
free 20 leave behind him utterly his old Journalistic
grind hut # is raid that he parted with the rag
IN India with deep regret. in the London Acad-
envy" W read that when America ana hhe!ahu
were competing for his copy he sent many SA''''.
I'm his best vein the old paper at the old rate OF
nav Early on the first morning OF his hylng fe-
turn visit 10 Lahore his City OF TWO Crecds saw
him for sheer love Of the old work sitting ln the
familiar ONCE chair correcting the same OLD proofs
on the same old yellow paper. with Naim fsANH-
| ud-din the Mahometan foreman printer. living
around with his green turban awry. informing all
hands that 'Kuppueen sahb' had returned. And
there his old editor found him when h. came 10 the
Office" "
EDITORIAL. CHARACTERISTICS.
rhe editor aforesaid was +. Kay Robinson. who
has written some delightful "reminiscences o. the
famous author When ihey first became acquainted
the editor was disappointed in his assistant Du'
they soon became fast friends, as We have seen.
Mr. Robinson gives some amusing notes on 'he per-
sonality o. his colleague lie says
There was one popularity o. Kipling Work wnch
really must mention nameiz Iht ai"o1h. 81 mr.
he used to throw about 10 me ned, ol sunni
white cotton trousers and INN vest ,4"s , ,
his Office attire, ana Py i ne r"' doe lie had
habit OF dipping MS pen frequently ana neep mo
The inkDot and all his movements WeIt dofuP.
oI,,cst ierky the ink used 10 hy When he darted
into my room, as ne USED 10 40 dpout or s'.i NJ
or another IN connection with the contents o. me
paper dozen lhes 81, III tHS ,io tn.v h, cX
10 him stand OF othtI WIS, ',S 1ll'" 'i -,
ho1rs n Wv Void send the penfu OF nEhe always
s2 fuI pen in his hand-ying all over me Dry
/ ing or sometimes walking nome 10 DrrdhldSt IA ~
iisn, attire. plentifuly oesprnkled win INK ms
mushroom-shaped pin nal H new kin1inr N indis
ne was buhh' .1g over with poetry which MS nara
da vs. office work gave him no time 10 write Inc
enoI's OF bore 70 discourse English music
sparse gathering OF native nurses ana inlan'S "uni
awaken. We passed some Inytnil miIH '' i,
panying words liz his mind and NJ would be Q1v
ously III at ease because ne cou ,, mo- T T's, EVEN
have been much Of musician cannot say, but
know that all me poems ~ ~ ,E 'l1efortnenfai
Dittics . FOR instance-wcre written not OIL, 10 mu
sic as music ndNf lfl'i' III, ~" ''i'
Ittnlines noems OF the Departmental Ditty order
which was never published one "I I'i'a -
vars Wa IT, progress and our special correspond
cnt had autographed thlt on account OF ".i hr"S-
p9ner's comments OF the composition OF the gen
eral's stan ne mad been bofcottcd by inc genera
orders nHere" said ] handing me telegram IT,
gf,linc .ie a efhiecf for a nice ftle set of verses
Kiping read the telegram though, "a mom nIod
.f'er' said. Il have % How would ms DO KUN
,iady nm # rum n tum Ira lei la q tum O. tuH
,or words 10 that effect hummed u notes thar SNe-
,s.steI a sole on the bug.eI quite arcusioin.d
- having verses IN their uc"pional stage sun
uttcd IN this shape for editoilaI hppI0Fdi. ="
Ia that ~. pOern sounded excellent. ana returned
49, nv work H. twenty minutes hipihs came ''
mo with the verses which began.
General Sir Arthur Victorious Jones.
Great - vcrniiliOn spiashed with god
Eininp.s aversion 20 being interviewed is Vel