West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-05-08
WINNING OR LOSING +,
An Explanation by the Author on the
Character aud Story or the .Book.

| N""s"VsVU uuu StOry VI tue c'BOOks
| The work mentioned above has been in
circulation several months. and statement
of what II claims to he and what Il does no,
claim TO be, may cause the story TO he
better understood.
Those readers who have looked for q
record Of fact have missed the purpose of
the book entirely. Il is not designed as a
county history in any sense of the word, aud
l always sought to remove any such im-
preston from the minds OF the people l
showed 1t to.
The book is fiction aud does not pretend
TO he fact. The reader who tries to take
the story literally makes fundamental
mistake. II the book were fact. Il would
he simply biography of "Thornwood, I"
aud no person well acquainted in this county
can make what is told Of "rhornwood''
closely correspond with any one Of our
people. The author took novelist IS
privilege in changing now aud then the
actual relationship between certain of his
characters. For instance. In representing a
brother as cousin, OF even In placing a
house where II does no, really stand, no
violence is necessarily done IN the develop.
mcnt Of story.
There is no sharp line between fact aud
fiction. In writing fiction, he deals with
things as they easily could happen, and he
develops the characters and situations in his
story in such way as to make his effort
seem perfectly consistent with the realities
In the case. When the reader calls a story
"uue To life," II Is because he sees little or
nothing which looks unreasonable. lly
dealing with real life in the style of fiction.
the result is likly to be more readable. The
author can use more freedom. When he
sticks rigidly to the fact he can scarcely
use any dialogues ut ALL II is dialogues
which gives n story its freshness aud
v'vidness. Those well meaning people
who condemn all fiction simply do not know
what they are about 1t is the spirit of a
book and not It's dress which commends or
condemns IL. Some works of fac, can do ns
The purpose of "Winning or Losing 2"
Is to give n realistic picture Of everyday
life in Northern West Virginia. No other
book of quite the same character has ever
been written. The spread Of msning and
manufacturing is working change In the
habits of our people, and II will become in
creasingly difficult To picture the conditions
which are already slipping away. The
author has therefore sought to give his book
some degree OF permanent value and for
this reason he did no, make il wholly n
novel. Some may think the book strikes a
note which Is q little below the average of
present-day conditions in this region. But
the authors intention was To lay emphasis
on those conditions, which have been
handed down 10 us. II he had gone TO the
other extreme and looked toward the future,
his result would have lacked some wha, in the
quality of local colors.
Ever character which figures IN the story
Is drawn from specific person and every
bit OF description, whether Of farmhouse or
landscape, is the result of notes, generally
taken on the spot The thread of The
narrative is imaginary, although several of
the 'pranks' and few other occurrences
are real. But for reasons which will occur
to any thinking reader some disguise Is
thrown around several of the characters and
also several Of the homes described. The
author has never disclosed 10 any person
the original from where the characters
"Fhornwood," emma" and "Lucy" arc
drawn. The attempt 10 identify "Tborn-
wood" with the author himself is a mistake
seldom made by readers familiar with the
nature of fiction. The account of 'rrhorn-
woods leaving his early home is sub
s,antislly accurate, but it does not reflect
any experience of the writer. The author
had never thought Of writing such book
un'il the matter was suggested by one friead
dnd urged upon him by others. lic ukes
this occasion TO thank his patrons for their
numerous expressions of warm approval.
In most cases these expressions were given
voluntarily. There has been no intention
10 crowd the book upon our people. IL
was lef, with them to say whether, in this
period of good business, they cared enough
for their hills to appreciate and paironize
low priced book which has more special
interest 10 them than is the case with any
other such work in existence.
Parties still wishing the story should not
depend on personal call by me or on see.
ing me in Kingwood. can scarcely spare
any time for further canvassing within the
county, but the book can be had at any
time, 30 long as the supply lasts, by nd.
dressing me at kingwood OF by applying at
The Offices of Tng ARGOs or Journal.
O. +. MoRroN.