The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1902-06-20
The Story i'm The Ink Bottle
Copyright 1902, by Daily Story Publishing Company

am not a writer. If were would
write story that would create a SEN
sation. l have that much confidence in
myself. Speaking of confidence 1 re-
member when l was a struggling stu
dent in Chicago / was living on go
small margin that frequently 1 was
unable to get anything to eat, but 1
was so full of confidence that 1 never
really felt hungry. My confidence once
| persuaded me that l could write, but
after taking course in journalism l
crowded waste-baskets with manu-
scripts without getting out of them
(the manuscripts) enough money to
pay back the sum 1 had borrowed from
a friend for tuition while learning to
write.
l have diploma real sheepskin
affas- with the golden seal of a college
OF Journalism thereon, certifying that
am a bachelor of journalism, B. ].
Yes, a Big Jay. Later became a chem
lst and hieroglyphist. A chemist Is
one VINO can analyZe chemicals or COM
pounds and hieroglyphist is one who
can analyze hieroglyphics and con-
rounds. I am both and flatter myself
rather my confidence fiatters me into
believing myself a good embodiment of
the principles of both.
Well, my inkling of journalism was
sufficient to suggest to me the idea that
although 1 could not pick up my pen |
and dip story out of my ink bottle, |
there was one in there and a good one. |
too, that suggestive head could take
out and spread all over sheets and
sheets of paper. I wanted that story
Tor prize story contest, but my head
would not draw it out through the me-
dunn of pen. Accordingly I brought
my knowledge of chemistry into play.
l reduced that bottle of ink to sulphate
OF copper, gum acacia, copperas, ex-
tract OF logwood and HaO, every in
gredient of which bore traces of a for
eign substance that concluded was
the story 1 was after. Proceeding /
eliminated the HsO by evaporation.
hoping that the story would not also
svaporate, reduced the remaining in
sredients to fine powder, spread the =
powder on plate of glass, suspended q
he glass in glass conical retort by
means of piece of mandolin string
Exhausted the air, set the thing in
ront OF me on my desk and while I
it, allowed my thoughts to
well on a little love affair of former
avs I
l do not believe in spirits, but the
owder on that plate actually got up
nd danced all over the plate for about
IN minutes, finally settling down in
rsups SO arranged as to present many
leroglyph1c shapes. / exhausted my Il
nowledge of hieroglyphics in trying v
read them without being able to a
ec1pher story. After bordering a "
lille a happy thought struck me. 1 t.
ade wax impression OF the forms p
lie h1eroglyph1cs-and constructed a II
1onograph-like register and sound Is
'oduc1ng machine Placing the regis D.
r In position and receivers in both
RS turned on the current and lis ~
ned. was surprised at what heard.
fact, at hearing anything at all.
This is the story that heard and it
unded as though the heroine was
INSPIRING it to herself: ca
Yes, I remember our first meeting w
was on the front steps on July even m
g. Mr.. Hogan introduced us. Then pc
ok asked me to go to church with ma
m. had just recovered from Sc Pc
re illness and could walk only a few tn
ocks He called a carriage, and. oh Sh
W tenderly he assisted me in and out Oh
d babe me lean on him in church I re!
red him from that hour, This is his thu
otograph. an
Dear old Jack, 1 wonder If he is still ia
Chicago and does he ever walk by the
1t boarding house and think of Au- of
sta? Can 1 ever forget how kind he AM
S to me the year following. How hol
bought me books, candy, fruit, took Nit
to the theater, banquets, and away sch
into the country on pleasant GOV
yes. Dear old fellow. The park tina
v it used to delight him to take Just ing
board an electric car and spend an c
per
| die