The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1904-07-01
now JACK LONDON aARRIvrDs

ago ne was unhoard OF by the reading
world. To-day he Is read everywhere.
Is sought by publishers. and the pages
OF tho magazines. from The Century
down. are open to him.
The story Of how he arrived"
how he hrst set foot upon the
stopping-stono TO success, he
tells In The Editor. the New
York magazine for literary workers,
Incidentally giving the latter class
some excellent advice. Here arc a
few OF his terse pregnant sentences
Work. Don't walt for some good
Samaritan 10 tell you. but dig Il out
yourself
Fiction pays best OF all.
Don't write too much. Don't dash
on GOOOword story before breakfast
Avoid the unhappy ending. tho
harsh. the brutal. the tragic. the horri.
blo-if you care 10 see In print the
things you write.
Koop q notebook Travel with II.
eat with H. sleep with II. Slap into
II every stray thought that nuttors
up into your brain.
As soon as q fellow sells two or
three things 10 tho magazines" says
Jack London. his friends all ask him
how no managed to do IT," and then
he goes on. In his own racy way. To
tell how II happened 20 him.
He had many liabilities and no as
sets. no income and several mouths
10 feed He lived In California, far
from the great publishing contora,
and did rot know what an editor
looked Ike. but ho sat down and
wrote. Day by day his pile OF manu-.
scripts mounted up. lie had vague
ideas. obtained from a Sunday supple.
mcnt. that a minimum rate OF SO
thouaand words was paid, and figured
ON earning 5000 month. without
oyorstocklnF tho market
ono morning tho postman brought
him, Instead Of the usual long. thick
manuscript envelope. a short. thin
ono. Ho couldn't open II right away.
Il seemed a sacred thing. II con.
tained tho written words of an editor
OF n big magazine when. modest as
ever, no had figured In his mind what
tho offor for this 400O.word story
would be at tho minimum rato-SA0.
Of courso-ho opened the letter. Five
dollarai
Not having died right then and
there, Mr. London Il convinced that
no may yet qualify az an Oldest In.
hAbltant Five dollarst WhenY Tho
~. - w ''"'n- '"e '"'"'' !
% sdit ss did not state.
But, by and by. IN the course Of It's
wanderings. one OF his stories reached
an editor who could see tho genius OF
lack London. and had the patience 10
penetrate beneath the husk OF wordy
introduction and discover tho golden
grain.
Here Ia tho Incident that proved
eho turning point In Jack Iondon's
literary career, M he so graphically
tells Il:
Nothing remained but TO get out
and shovel coal. had done II be.
fore, and earned more money at It.
! resolved 10 do II again. and | Ger.
tninly should have done II. had Il not
been for Tho Black Cat
Eyes. The black Cat. Tho post
man brought me an oner from Il for
a i0O0.word story which was moro
lengthy than strongthy. n | would
grant permission TO cut II down half.
Grant pcrmlssion2 | told them they
could cut Il down two halves u they'd
only send the money along which
thoy did. by return mail. A for tho
81 previously mentioned. finally TO
colvod II. after publication and great
deal OF embarrassment and trouble
And tho rate no received for his nrsl
Black Cat story was nearly 20 umo'
what tho fiN edollar editor paidi
Nor Is Jack London tho only wrltsI
who has been lifted from obscurlty e
prominence by the lucky Black Cat
which, as the New York Press hal
truly said. has done more for short
story writer's and short.story readeri
than any other publication.
Each Of It's famous prize eompeti
lions has brought new writer's 10 thu
front In its most recent. tho t2,i0I
prize was won by young Texan whit
had never before written a story. anl
the second, $500. went TO a lawyer
wife Ia an obscure Missouri town.
Il has Just lnaugurated another con
teat In which $4,000 will be paid 4
writer's In sums Of from 500 TO $780,
This will. no doubt add many no'
names TO the list OF those who hav
ARRIVED" through It's recognition.
The conditions are announced In IN
current issue Of Tho Black Cat. an
viii also be mailed free TO any ON
by tho shortstory Publishing Con
pany. Boston, Mass, Even those VIII
cannot write a winning story then
selves may earn $40 by giving a tint
" tip to some friend who can.
But all should bear in mind that
viii be entirely useless for any on
10 send story 20 The Black ca
without FIRST reading and eomplyln
with all the published condition
Here IS a chance for the reader 20 al
dollars out OF his brain. for what M
does not at least contain one tai
worth telllng3
Seek to Improve Hay Crop.
About onefourth OF tho hay Gro
or the United States IA producod froI