The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-09-16
by HERBERT BREWSTER

La TOuchc Hancock has. in The last
Bookman, collected together a number of
Naluaple records as to the methods and
inspirations OF a number of writer's who
are classcd generally as humorists. Gu
rlously enough, the average humorist is
a very serious animal and he rarely
takes himself humorousIy. 1t is good
enough to wear the clowns cap and to
Jingle the bells until public attention is
attracted, then somehow, the clown
wants to be known as some other sort
OF being. Charles BattelI Loomis has
long been known for the delicious quality
o. his humor. but he is a most serious
faced MIR. Sobersides in appearance. John
kendrick Bangs has much the same
c~ountenance, but, Of the two mentioned,
Mr.. Bangs aspires more to be really Sc
rious. Nine-tenths of his work, he says,
is serious work, from which it would ap-
pear that this author is striving hard
to establish q reputation as something
else than a humorist. If you ask the
publishers or the editors of the maya
zines and Sunday newspapers, however,
YOU will discover that there is a greater
need Of writer's of humor than for the
writer's of any other kind of matter. We
airs, as a people, too serious.
To get back 10 the methods of the hui
mOrists and the sort of inspirations
which they have, Mr.. Hancock quotes Mr..
Bangs to the effect that he never has in
SEPARATIONS. The genial author of the
idiot sketches plOl Is six mornings a week
at writing and makes it a rule not to
try to write anything in the afternoons
or evenings. Just how Mr.. Bangs con-
trivcs TO turn out all the matter which
appears over his name during morning
l.o,-- i- 1ifforJt 10 uD1prSt and unless
be has indeed several enchanted type
writer's after the fashion of one of his
stories. The writer recalls an ocean
voyage during which Mr.. Bangs locked
himself in his Stateroom, not because ne
was at all i'll, for he came regularly to
his meals. but, at the end OF the trlp,
some so. 900 words OF manuscript bore evil
ccnce 20 the labor which he had done
within the compass of eight days time.
George AIDE, according to the account
referred to above, does not like TO as
cuss his methods or Inspiration. Nearly
all the stuff l have turned out ne
writes, has been written unoer great
nressnre. had not time to stop to
take mental photographs OF my own
moods: and. as for waiting for an IN
eriration. if had waited there wouldn't
have been any copy to turn IN. J nave
tr;ad several times to discover my own
~ atbods. for | find that every genuine ut
ararv rerson has a method. lnasmuch as
have failed to discover any method IL
nv work. / sometimes suspect that L III
not q literary person. This Suspicion h"2
neen corroborated BY about Q thouoano
book reviewers in various parts ="
c9unfrv. l cannot wear a coat WHEN i
am writing, even though the empela'"
Of the room be freezing cola. l use -
low paper and a leaky fountain pen IL
tvnewriting machine alarms me a.
| drives every thought out OF my heau' -
larger part Of my work IS dohe III one
forenoon, but my best Work IS oono iot'
! Of niobt when [ am in q high-strung con-
aition This has ONLY happened once or
twice but | am hopeful; if | could pc
come y victim of insomnia | might write
something good enough for the maya
zines"
CAROLYN Wells, who has just published
anotbar nonsense book under the title or
"Eo1lv in the Forest" can work only III
mo o,liet of her study and on u mahogany
doek She finds it necessary to consume
large quantities of candy. ESSAY u
course" she says, "call for caranlels'
> p1ay, chocolates; jingies, peppermint
sticks: and nonsense rhymes, mdfahihai-
lows" ~
Charles Battcll Loomis, whose long
serious face can break into most chalin-
ing smiles, must have enjoyed "rllihs
the following:
Like all great writer's ! have certain
method Of work. never rise later imam
breakfast time. This consists OF Whatever
the maid brings on the table, as | COZ
slider that good for the BRAIN. Altei
breakfast always go for a SNORT "aih
TO the nOStoffcc. This consumes nearly
three minutes, after which ! fead my
mail. if the writing is lcgiblc, and the
daily paper. After reading the paper, |
go into my thinking room ana thlnk LOT
three, sometimes even four minutes. Ihch
proceed to spread out my thoughtS on
my typewriter until lunch time. II my
typewriter breaks ! find it hard TO spread
out my thoughts with a pen, thus giving