Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-06-27
NO USE FOR OTHERS IDEAS.
Author Once Got Himself Into Scrape
By Using Them.


While chatting with some of his
friends at his hotel, we'll known maya
zine writer who was in the city recently,
en- route for California, gave curious
account of his experience with other
peoples ideas. Under no circumstan-
ces,' he said, would I accept sug-
gestion from an amateur writer as to
either the plot or incidents of a story.
| have been fool enough to do so few
times in the past, and on each occasion
there was a most exasperating alter
nlath.
Some years ago, to give an illustra-
tion," he went on, Il was at a little social
gathering and met young woman of
the pronounced ue-stocking type In
the course of conversation she related a
curious and pathetic incident aL0u a
crippled veteran, who lived, she said,
next door to her home / remarked cas-
ually that it would make good material
for magazine story, and she immediate
ly begged me to use it, but | suggested
that she see what she could do with it
herself OF I've tried she said, laugh
ing, but somehow or other | couldn't
get 1t down on paper, and | gave 1t up.
Well, the incident stuck in my memory.
and few months afterward l used ii as
the basis of a sketch a couple of thou
sand words in length, which | sold to
one of the weeklies. Not long after
its appearance | was astonished to re-
ceive a letter from the blue-stock1ng
lady, saying she was unaware what finan-
c1al arrangements were customary among
authors collaborating and would leave
the matter entirely to me. Whatever |
thought right would be satisfactory. |
wrote brief reply, distinctly disavoWing
the collaboration theory and asking her
to put (, price on the little story she had
related to me, at Our mutual friends.
By return mail I received polite note,
saying she considered the material
worth at least $50 In view of the fact
that | had been paid SIS for my manu-
script, which is the regular market rate
for tales of about that length, you may
imagine my feelings as | sent her check
for the amount, which, by the way, was
the exact size of my balance in bank
and every cent | had on earth at that
particular time. incidentally the episode
gives one very fair idea of the pre-
posterous valuation that amateurs usual
ly place on their literary wares. Oman
other occasion a young man who was
trying to break into magazines called my
attention to an actual historical happen
ing, which was little known, howevc-,
and suggested that might find a good
basis for a short serial. | thanked him
kindly, looked up the data and wrote the
serial Soon after its publication the
young man wrote me an indignant letter,
expressing surprise that had failed to
give him credit for the assistance he had
rendered me and demanding that print
an explanatory card in the journal that
had used the story. | told him, of
course, 10 go to the deuce, and in reply
he threatened to expose me through
some literary bureau that undertakes to
protect callow authors at so much per
annum. As | didn't answer, | think |
was duly exposed, but am not quite GER
tain about it. At present an amateur
couldn't hand me tip on silver
salver." -Nez0 Orleans Times-Democrat.