The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-11-05
With the Long Bow
Eye NATURES walks. shoot folly IT mes.''

Eddie Brooks Plea for Vicious Attack on All Local
Literary Talent Is Turned Down-Iocal Authors
Losing Money Because of Too Much Sticky Mo-
lassesy Praise When vindictive and Hostile Crit
cism Is What Is Needed to Tone Us Up and Sell
the Goods.
We have been long burdened with the serious and
solemn duty, yet unperformed of making vindictive
attacks on local literary lights, who publishing
books and getting eight columns of fattering notice
in the local newspapers. Of course these attacks
would not be made from meanness, but from desire
to benefit the local terati and help them sell books.
"A few sad years ago the writer had published
book that everybody said just splendid. The
criticisms all very, very favorable and tho the
book sold for soc, the fact borne in on us that
the people, the great people, sturdily pre-
ferred their eighty centsa of wrong headedness
unparalleled in the annals of literature. T.
Meditating much this subject, the conclusion
finally reached that the trouble that nobody
attacked the book. Everybody too favorable.-.A
hostile attack might have been worth the sale of
hundreds of copies. -. -
Now here Dr. Burton, Arthur Upson Mrs.
Potter and many others, all with books the market
just moassesy sticky with favorable criticism. Only
Sunday or two ago Arthur Upson given whole
page in local paper showing that he had Shelley,
Keats Tennyson and Of the other minor poets
pounded to pulp. Speaking Of this case with Eddie
Brooks, the Minneapolis and London publisher Mr..
Brooks confessed that the great wash of absolutely
favorable criticism fearful drawback to local
literary endeavor. He urged solemn duty
that they be fercey attacked and called 'peewees.'
Suppose dared to attack Richard Burton's poetry
fercely and call him a Peewee Keatsl. Eddie does
not appreciate how delegation after delegation from
the Woman's Federation of Clubs would be in here
frowning at and pleading with the management
to have thrown into the streets neck and crop.
On do for
An attack Arthur Upson's poetry would be
deeply resented. Arthur said in his poem wheat
elevators that they filled with "pactoean
gear.' If should ask whether this machin-
cry wheat, Arthur's friends would be awfully mad
We looked it up in the Century and know that it
means wheat. Gear is shakspearian, meaning
s'goods,' and the Scotch still it. So Arthur
right and he ddn It fool But If you should call up
your broker at the chamber of commerce and order
him to buy you TO- 900 bushels Of "Pacolean gear, -
the chances you would have him down and out.
But would not dare to say anything like this be-
delegations from the university faculty would
be out after us with clubs
And then Mrs. Potter's 'Ballingtons" of which
the public library is said to have purchased forty
copies. Are we to attack that's Well, guess not.
Not your half morocco bindingl It would mean
hornets nest in fifteen minutes.
The only way to get your local talent attacked
and their literary output held up to ferce vindictve
is to 60 to other city and hire it done.
1t would be money local authors pockets to
band together and hire somebody to attack US
vciously to attack another, after agree
ment all around not to get mad, feel hurt pine
away like Keats after the Quarterly affair. On the
whole the subject is dangerous and propose to let
it alone. o., -
But we still believe that are in dangerous
literary way, when all speak well of us-that
is, in print. -. .t-.
Ida Burddoff, 15year-old girl, caused excitement
in Ypsilant Mich, by mysterously disappearing with
$1O Foul play Of all kinds feared but it found
happily, that Ida just fed and had good time in a
13-year-old way She living at the Dawsons' and
took with her Mrs Dawsons dark brown bril-
liantine peated skirt two white underskirts and a
brown wool waist. These garments fitted her
quite well, she is very large for her age. Feeling
herself quite a lady Ida boarded electric for
Ann Arbor and bought a hat, how girlish, and
then went to Detroit, where she spent the night
Gin nice hotel the Cadillac Sunday she
spent in seeing the city, but on Monday she began
to feel lonely and bought big doll for company
Dressed in Mrs Dawson's clothes she carried the
doll about all day. Finally she realized that hel
money was about all gone. So she went back tc
Ypsianti about 10 O'Clock, and the Dawsons and
others felt some relief-but they fmad too.
On the whole it wasn't the thing for Ida to do
and we are ashamed Of her. But think of that doll!
"A. J. R.
-..~. LONESOME - 30