Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-07-17
PASS-IT-ON- SOCIETY.
j. D. BARLEY Writes Enterteiningly Of
It's History.
Q'rom the Book Buyer for July)


An incident which pleased and amused
Mr.. Stockton was recalled recently in look
ing over a file of papers.
In 1M the editor of Scribncr's Magazine
received from Mr.. Stockton letter enclos-
ing business circular of Mr. J. ID. Bart
ley of Bradford. Mass
II is not often that a man advertising
his own business. is generous enough, at
the same time. TO advertise another man
with whom he Is not connected and with
whom he has no acquaintance. AS IN
this case, both the magazine and myself
arc advertised send this circular to you.
asking that you will return it to me. as I
wish to keep it as a specimen of disintcr-
ested kindness The red marks are mine.
Very truly yours,
FRANK f. STOCKTON.
Later Mr. Stockton again referred to the
matter in the following:
You may remember j. y. BARLEY OF
Bradford, Mass. who was SO much pleased
with ''rhe Butler Podington Compact"
that he made a very complimentary re-
mark regarding It on his business card. I
have just received two other notes from
him regarding the same story, In which he
appears to be so deeply interested that l
think you may like to hear of it.
He writes that he has spoken to 200
people about the story, and out of these
he found that only 16 had ever heard of
it, and ont of these 16 only four had
thought IL worth while to say anything to
others about 1t. This seems to astonish
him very much. and he wants to organize
u 'pass-it- on society,"" so that people may
be induced to tell others about the good
things in literature they have enjoyed. He
also states that he is going to write to the
Scribne RS and try to induce them to pub
fish the story as a separate tract, but |
have written that the firm. as well as my
self would object to this, and SO | sup
pose he will not write.
! will also mention that day or two af
ter | received Mr.. Bartley's last letter
clergyman in Mount Vernon. New York,
wrote inpuiiing about the story. and ask
ms where he could get 1T. Perhaps he is
one of Bartley's three hundred.
Yours sincerely,
FRANK X. STOCKTON.
The two letters, when reread since Mr..
Etockton's death. aroused n curiosity to
know Mr. Rartleys side of the episode.
The Book Buyer addressed an inquiry to
him. and received the pleasant reply here
printed. The whole incident is not unlike
a possible passage in one of Mr.. stock
tons stories. and has something of the
pleasant. optimistic note of his own humor.
Editor of The Book Buyer:
My Dear Sir:--in response to your re-
quest | am happy to tell what | know of
the unorglnlHcd but really existing PASS
1t-On Society,"
well remember when a cultivated and
apprcciative ministerial friend, many years
ago called my attentions to "Ruddcr
Grange" one of Mr.. Stockton's earliest
stories and how, with many others. | fol-
lowed Pomona, with her amusing ecccn-
tricities. till 1t seemed that Mr.. Stockton
had exhausted all the amusing situations
in which such a character could be mag
incd, unless, indeed, his humor was mex
hausthlc. lie by his own confession be-
longed to the school of Oliver Wendell
Holmes. who spoke of himself as ono who
never thought it sin to gladden. this vale
of sorrows with a wholesome laugh" Mr..
Stockton thought 1t his mission to make
people laugh and he succeeded, and who
shah say how many doil hours have been
frightened and choered by his fanciful
tales? 1t is not necessary that II novel be
true 10 life The artist shows himself
much more In purely fanciful situation,
within certain limits, and Mr.. Stockton
kept pretty well within the limits of pos
sihility, ii not always of probability.
Early In September, 1897. the clerical
friend mentioned above. gifted with a fine
sense of humor, called my attention to
Mr. Stocktons latest story in the August
SCrbncr The Butler Podington Com
pact He told me enough to lead me
at the first opportunity to secure a copy.
| read it aloud to a few friends We en-
joYcd it, Just starting on a somewhat
extended tour South and West. it DC, urrcd
to me to pass on such n bright story to
the many friends I should meet. There
soon came a surprise. ! found compare
lively few had noticed it, some had glanced
at the pictures, but had not had the curl
ostY to learn what they Illustrated
Stranger than this was the fact that fcw
of those who had read and enjoyed 1t had
thought IL worth while to mention it to
others. In the ST. Louis Public Library
| found that four of the lady attendants
had not read the story; a fifth. who had
overheard our conversation, stepped from
behind a screen and said: Il have read tho
story, and do not know when | have read
one enjoyed 50 much" Upon being asked
why she had not mentioned II to her asSO-
Ciatcs, her reply was Il supposed they all
knew about it, out of the hundreds of
whom | inquired, l found less than forty
had read it, and only six or seven of this
number thought it worth while to pass
it on.
Late in 1897 7 further spread the knowl-
edge of this story of Mr.. Stockton's by re-
ferrins to it on n little circular ! was
sending out to make known the open
Pook Holder, "A little invention of my own
| sent to Mr.. Stockton a copy of the cir
cular, and received the following reply:
Convent Station, Morris CO., y. j.
December 10th, 1891
Mr., ]. D. BARLEY, Bradford, Mass.
Dear S!r;-When received your circular
containing an alluson to my story in the
August Scribncr's, l thought the statement
such AN exceptional one that | forwarded
the circular to the editor of SCribner's.
| enclose his reply.
Yours very truly, and with thanks for
the appreciation,
(SignoO FRANK r. STOCKTON
I here insert the letter to which he al
ludnS:
! have looked at this from every point
of view and in all the lights of experience
to find a selfish motive, ana without success
So that | think that you have probably
discovered the only truly altrustic man.
! return you the circ uiar as the important
memorial Of the discovery.
Frank X. Stockton, Esq.
About two years later | visited Mr.
Stockton's home, Charlestown, W. Va,
and of the dozen or more in the town to
whom | spoke of the matter not one had
| ever heard this fine piece of work of their
own townsman. Upon this | wrote let
| ter to Mr.. Stockton, reminding him of his
somewhat uncommon fault, excessive mod
| esty, and said If | had been bright enough
| to write THE Butler Podington Compact -
! ! should be likely TO drop a remark about