Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-26
BEST TO BE POLITE

IAN unusual incident occurred in the
inner office of big publishing firm in New
1orA ABOUT tive syesrs ago. said travel
ing salesman for an Manhattan publishing
house.
certain New York novelist. whose
DOCKS nave beer, known as big sellers for
q good many years, had quarrel with the
iifm mat mad been publishing his novels
from the time he first began writing them
lie hoVeiist wasl apd is a testy. hot-tem-
pered man. hard, to get on with, and he
broke on relationship with the firm in a
moment Of passieu.s1
A couple of weeks after doing this he
sent the manuscript fof his latest novel to
another publishing house, together with a
letter submitting his terms.
Ihree or four days after doing this he
cropped down to the office of this firm to
nave talk with the head thereof. He
ducked the arraytof office boys and such
VINO tried to impede his progress to the
inner sanctum of the head Of the firm II
nappened that the latter's desk was SO
hrm sat with his back to the door.
me novelist strolled to the door OF the
sanctuary and gave cough announcing
his presence. The head of the firm. one of
tnose pompous individuals, never looked up
nor turned his head around. The novelist
coughed again. Same result.
nave called said the novelist, in a
subservient sort of tone, ito see about a
manuscript that sent in here short time
ago.
''rhe great man who headed the firm
never looked up or around.
You have. hey?' said he. going on with
MS writing. and of course having no idea
who the man behind him was. Well, what
dye want to see about it?'
The general tone and manner Of the
boss OF the firm had by this time decidedly
got on the nerves of the novelist, VINO
hasn't been accustomed to being handled
In that cavalierly fashion for good many
years. If ever. He cleared his throat as he
stood there by the door. and in clear, icy
tone he thus addressed the head of the
firm:
Do YOU customarily address gentlemen
who come here to talk business with you
In this manner-with your back turned to
them?
What's that! fiercely demanded the
boss publisher. wheeling about in the chair.
Even when he saw the novelist he didn
recognize him, for the writer Of stories has
never permitted himself to be pictured very
much.
"T inquired went on the novelist. still
In that frfg1d, clear tone, if 1t is your
habit to address yourself to gentlemen who
drop In upon you for business conferences
with your back turned to them? If such Is
your habit, you will permit me to add that
your manners are about on an even plane
with those Of the common or garden va
riety of hog-h-o-g. hog and he hissingly
spelt the word out.
''The head of the publishing firm hoped
from his chair, white with passion.
Who the ID are you, sir?' he thun-
dered.
The novelist, just as mad as the pub
Usher, but able to contain himself, calmly
tossed his card on the publishers desk,
saying:
You have the manuscript Of my last
novel somewhere around this swinish es-
tablishment. Let me have it at once
The publisher picked up the card. read it
and then 1t was all a different story with
him.. The novelist was, he knew, distinct
catch and money maker for any publish
er. His manner changed instantly
Why, Mr.. B. he put in, rubbing his
hands and endeayoring to smile. why in
the world didn't you let me know who you
were. and ~
Because broke in the novelist. I
didn't know the kind of cattle was dealing
with. That manuscript, and right away.
'The head of the firm tried to argue the
testy novelist into good humor by telling
him of the fine terms he would extend to
him If he would leave his novel to be pub
lIshed by that hoouse,t but it was no use.
sanity demanded his manuscript, and at
length the publisher had to send for the
novel and hand IT over to it's writer.
The novelist took his book to a rival
publishing house. it Was brought out in less
than month and proved to be one of the
biggest sellers in the fiction line in recent
years. The novelist himself made $4,000
out of the book, so; that you can about
figure out how much sthe publishers made
out of it. d. ait
@ II am told by those who know that the
publisher who lost the book through his
poor manners hasn't addressed even one of
his Office boys with his back to him since
that incident occurred"