The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1904-01-15
NOVELS WRITTEN TO ORDER.
Publishing Houses Now Employ
Writers Who Turn Them
Out ON Short Notice.

The task of putting into readable
shape stirring tales about Jesse James,
Alkali Pete, Gentleman Jim. Wild Bill,
the Gold King, the Boy Detective, and
other heroes whose exploits thrill small
boys is not done by writer's of the same
heroic and fire-eating type as the char
acters portrayed. Men who write such
stories, says the Chicago Inter Ocean,
need principally fertile Imagination,
capacity for hard work, and the abil-
ity to turn out thousands of words of
readable stuff day to make them sue
cessful.
They have never rescued imperiled
maidens, tracked Indians and muir
derers over deserts and mountain
trails, or recovered lost fortunes. Many
of them have never seen a live Indian
or cowboy, have bare speaking ac-
quaintance with the detectives at head
quarters. and carry no six-shooters in
their back pockets.
More than one dime-novel publishing
firm has made fortune at the business
of providing literature for Young
America, and that in the days when
they paid writer from S75 to $3.50 for
a story. Things are done differently
now.
Each dime-novel publishing house
employs staff of writer's. who receive
a regular salary. Besides the staff of
regular contributors, persons who can
be depended upon to turn in fixed
amount of copy every week, each pub
fishing house has list of workers who
can write story to order and at short
notice.
When regular writer falls Ill or
takes vacation, or when some special
event happens which makes a founda-
ton for plot for a popular novel. one
of these special writers is communi-
Gated with and is ordered to dash off a
story on three or four days notice.
Inspiration forms small part of the
dime-nove1 writer's stock in trade, for
nearly all his stories are written to
order. In these cases the writer fol-
lows plot suggested by the publisher,
and does not even select the title
1t is said that regular writer's of
dime novels. men who do no other
kinds of work, are able to produce a
story of from 10000 to $4,000 words a
week, and to keep 1t up for six months
in the year. The writer cannot at
tempt to think out his. plot and ar
range the events in the hero's life be-
fore sitting down to write. as that
would take too long.
The Roman She.woIf
An extraordinary scene was witness
ed in the Roman capital few days ago.
It is the within of the municipal council
to keep there she-wolf as memorial
of the tradition of Romulus and Remus,
and the other day cat, noticing that
some scraps of meat had been lsft un-
eaten in the VOLTS cage, made a dash
for them, only to be pourced upon her
self. A fearful struggle ensued, pussy,
though badly hurt, making game fight
for life. The keeper. seeking to make
diversion in her favor, attacked the
wolf, which only growled savagely and
neld fast on to the cat. Then the keeper
remembering the tendency Of wolves to
ievour each other, at favorable mo-
nents, let loose the VOLTS sdolescent
cubs They. however, instead of attack
.ng the mother, Joined against the COM
mon enemy, and each one Selling diff
:erent limbs. simply wrenched the cats
body to pieces in a few seconds. About
100 spectators witnessed the scene
London Globe.