The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-27

READERS on this side Of the water
are curious to know how much
there really is behind all the sugges-
lions that have been made recently as
to the existence of literary ghosts
that is. unknown scribes who are said
to write novels, short stories or what
not, to be signed by authors OF reputa-
ton and published as their work
That the public should be getting in
terested in this question is only natu-
raj, considering the defniteness of
some of the statements that have been
made Of late.
1t was the remarkable letter signed
Proxy and published in the Author,
the official organ of the Society of Au-
thors, that started the discussion. It's
writer, who described himself as ''the
real author of two stories that have
! appeared serially and in book form as
the original work of a well known lit
erary man." declared that the occupa-
| ton of literary ghosts was quite COM
mon one. Moreover, this particular
spirit defended his calling sturdily.
II may be allowed, perhaps" he
wrote, "to draw attention to the adj
vantages which the system of farming
| fiction may be said to possess where
| the interests of the unknown writer
the ghost, the hack, the proxy, call him
what you will--are at stake Personal
| ly, look upon the we'll known writer
who farms out his work as a sort of
| heaven sent being, and not, as many
| appear to consider him, a species Of
| impostor. Ask any writer Of popular
| fiction, and he will tell you that every
va fIn ~
| long stories as we'll as for short stories
| Increase until 1t has come to this: ID
He must decline to undertake to get
| through more than a comparatively
! small amount Of work; (2) he must
| scamp a portion Of the work he has
| agreed to do, and thus, in the long run,
ruin his well earned reputation for
! producing interesting stories; (3) he
must call In the aid of a proxy, or, in
other words, farm out the surplus"
Since the appearance Of this letter
| there have been attempts-notably on
| the part of the Society Of Authors-to
explain it away as a jeu d'esprit, but
| there is a general belief notwithstand-
| ing that the document was genuine. AS
| the result of inquiries in the New Grub
| street Of today the writer found no one
prepared to deny the existence Of lit
| erary ghosts" 1t was declared, in
| fact, and the names of both parties to
| the transaction given, that one Of the
| most famous writer's in this country,
| who has been represented by rather a
| considerable amount Of work in the
| past year, has been dependent for much
| of 1t upon the efforts of a paid hack
| the undistlnguished husband of a we'll
known woman writer. The thing seems
| incredible. but my informants declared
| that there was no doubt about it what
ever.
The editor Of a popular magazine de-
| clared when interviewed on the subject
| that the ghost stories" were absurd.
IF bad work appears under a popular
| writer's name" said the editor. che will
| soon decline in public favor; whereas,
| on the other hand, If ghost can turn
| out consistent good work there is every
| reason for him to write under his. own
| name and get paid more"
| Notwiths standing there appeared in a
London newspaper recently a state
ment by one who described himself as
| ghost" that, IL he had something to
sell and needed the money Immediate
| ly, instead of hawking his work around
| or dragging out impecunious days
awaiting check. he took it to a popu-
| lar writer whose work is In constant
demand and obtained cash down for IL.
Il sell 1t to him." he said, land he
can do what he likes with It, There Is
| no fraud or the public, for the popular
writer refer to knows what his edi-
tors want; he edits for editors The ed
itors know, or are presumed to know
what the public wants, and they edit
for the public. There is satisfaction all
round"
1t is likely however, that there won't
be satisfaction all round If the public
gets to know definitely that this sort of
thing is common.
Readers of Rider Haggard's novels
and of THE Yellow Van" would have
enjoyed being present at the meeting
of the trustees of the so-called Garden
City, in london the other day, for both
the author of "She" and Mr.. Whiteing
were present and spoke. This scheme
of founding a model village for work.
ing people near London on the lines of
those started in the country by the
philanthropists. Cadbury & Lever, Is
one that chimes in exactly with the
views which Mr. Hazard has express
ed so often Of late. and which inspired
Wkiteing's most recent book, and the