The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-12-13
Tie va me
Old Grooves
[Original.1

0S - ASA\AH VA &H IA
whole income arising from the bust
ness. His son Montgomery was a dis.
appointment to him. Montgomery took
prizes while in college in literary con
tests, and 1t was predicted that he
would be a second Hawthorne, for he
had a delicate, dreamy, weird touch.
When Montgomery came back home
after graduating and his father told
MIN to go down into the packing room
and begin a thorough learning Of the
business, the young man WINGED. He
wanted to write, not publish. His IA
Their told him he was a fool. Mont
gomery decided to follow the business
for gain and literature for pleasure.
The young literary-publisher had
scarcely been through the various de-
partments when his father died, and
the son found himself sole owner of
the business. He called one Of the
Oldest and most trusted employees, Mr..
Watson, into his Office and turned over
to him the management. The owner
ship he kept for himself. Then lie
went to work on a novel he had long
had in mind.
1t soon got out that Montgomery
Langdon, eschewing business for the
love of art, had turned author, and he
was besieged with applications from
publishers for the right to bring out
his book. Montgomery preferred that
another house than his own should
publish his work. He made a contract
with n of them, the publisher agree
ing to spend a large amount in adver-
Using. The book was a great success.
Several hundred thousand copies were
sold, and Montgomery Langdon was
regarded a unique literary success, a
publisher who published through a RI
val house. Stories about the forecast
Of his success while in college, his re-
ported contempt for the business of
Which he was owner, were %profusely
mingled in all the literary chitchat.
The new star was run dow with or
ders for anything he would write from
a thousand to three hundred thousand
words. OF course he was pleased, but
was somewhat staggered by an editor
of a magazine who sent him a check
for $4,000 and a short story. He was
y " PoS hAo LIZ w liz SIO1y LII hC0D
the check. He returned both.
Since Langdon wrote for pleasure
only he decided to take a rest abroad
before doing other work, or, rather. to
gather material among new scenes.
He ventured on deck one stormy day
just in time to meet a "sea" that had
been shipped and was washed over
board. All sorts of floats were thrown
to him, but to stop an ocean liner and
turn it about or back is a time tax
ing job. Langdon was not discovered
on the surface of the deep, and after
some time spent in the futile search
the steamer went on.
One morning a mar with an Italian
accent appeared at the Langdons' pub
fishing house and left the manuscript
OF a novel for inspection. In two
weeks to a day it was returned to him.
He went to the PUBLISHING .lo1se and
asked to see the readers g ort on
his work. He was Informed t.l4t this
was contrary to custom, but he begged
so hard that his request was complied
with. The report was as follows:
This is devoid Of any literary merit |
whatever. 1t would make a splendid
play. but as a nov it would be a COM
plete failure.
The Italian gentleman submitted his
novel to other firms and secured a look
at several readers reports. They read
as follows:
The demand just now being for dramat-
lc novels, and this being without any
dramatic features whatever, 1 would de-
cline 1t.
The scene is laid in Florence, but the
author has probably never been there
himself. I nave read enough Of that
famous city to feel that I was born there
and don't hesitate to say that the author
has got places very much mixed. His
pictures of high life in Italy are absurd.
No literary merit. Decline.
The Italian author ceased to worry
publishers with his worthless produc-
ton, but the day after his withdrawal |
Montgomery Langdon walked into the
Langdons' publishing house, went into
his private Office, opened his desk and
rang for his manager, who. entering.
started back as If he had seen a ghost. |
"Mr. Watson" said the publisher, II
have come to life. you see; picked up !
by a sailing vessel: went to Italy.
where l married the Princess de Ma
rini; spent my time dawdling at court
and writing a novel of Italian high
life"
The employee congratulated his en-
ployer, was delighted at his return and
ended his flattering address by asking
II the firm would not this time reap
the benefit Of his literary success.
A bright fire was burning in the cozy
private office. The publisher took n
package done up in wrapping paper
from his desk and committed it to the
flames.
there's my publisher" he said.
'I've made up my mind that there's no
union between art and business. They
stand distinctly separate In rare in
stances thew NAV Ian hut fhts ia from