The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-07-21
THE TICKIEIORE BOOM
.eopyrIght. y shorla.ory Pab. 90
BY #. E. CHASE

ent generation OF readers OF ncllOn,
though his vogue some ten years ago
was as great as 1t proved ephemeral.
He had served the usual weary aD-
premiership to letters, during which
his only extravaganza was postage
stamps and his superlatiye luxury
three meals a day, when the publlca-
ton Of his striking tale, King Sub
terfuge, the Subtle" first brought him
into prominence. At the very thresh-
old OF fame he encountered the auto
graph collector. His greatly augment
ed mail now brought him fresh com
missions, fat checks and hattering
words Of praise and encouragement,
but also, in the proportion Of twenty
to one, requests for his autograph
from that incomprehenslble class that
attaches value to this simple product
Of the writer's art
Had his success been less sudden,
and the resulting demand for the more
legitimate product Of his pen been less
overwhelming, pardonable vanity
might nave induced him to yield to
these requests; but aa 1t was, he took
the advice OF his friend Coolpitcher,
the comedian.
Never dear boy" said that vet
eran in popularity, "on your blessed
life. Ignore 'em. Don't make your
self too cheap"
In this counsel Coolpitcher was en-
tireIy consistent with his own prac-
tice; for though he had never been
niggardly Of his autograph. and had,
indeed, given It freely during long
and checkeFed public career, chiefly
in the form Of LO.U,s, be had never
made It at all cheap to It's re-
cipients.
It was not long before il got abroad
that the distinguished Mr.. Tickle
more had never given his autograph
to any one. even going TO the length
Of signing private notes with a rub
Der stamp, and Of making verbal con
tracts only, TO the jeopardy Of his pc
cuniary interests. This singular fact,
circulated widely in the newspapers
BY his astute publishers as a literary
note. stimulated his admirers to re-
doubled energy In the pursuit OF 20
unique a possession. More than one
hotel man privately wrote the distin-
guished name in an old register, and
then employed some disInterested per-
son TO discover It.
That Coolpitcher's advice was likely
TO be a source Of direct profit to the
author himself never occurred to
either Of them; nor was it SO at FIRST,
save In the small economy IN postage
stamps that 1t occasloned, until the
growth OF Ticklemore's income ne
cessltated the op@nang of bank &C.
count This expedient was agreeably
forced upon him IN a very few months
after the publication Of King Subter-
fuge. the Subtle" which ran nimbly
into edition after edition.
Upon the evening OF the day on
which Mr. Ticklemore made his nrsi
deposit, there appeared In a leading
daily paper that had published 0
standing otfer Of $500 for a genuine
authenticated autograph, a photo.en
graved fac-simile OF his signature, and
an announcement that the original
could be seen at the Paragon office
There, behind a strong plate glass, and
jealously guarded by a husky police
man. Tinkiemore beheld the signature
he had furnished the bank for com
parison. Later he received a note Of
apology from the president saying
that. while be was the last man L
accuse a brother oflcial OF underhand
ed conduct, simple justice to himself
demanded the statement that for hil
part, he was incapable OF converting
public trust 10 private ends, Will,
the cashier, whom he met that even
ing in society, said with some bitter
ness that It was hard position for al
upright man TO be mixed up with peo
pie whose moral sense was a minul
quantity. From which Ticklemore in
ferred thar they had divided the spoila
At the months end. when he calle,
for his book. which had been sent fl
to be balanced. the young man VIII,
banded It to him said:
You need not have troubled Il
bring u your book. Mr.. Ticklemore
since see you have no checks out"
"Ah. but have he replied, lots o
them" And indeed. charmed by thi
novelty OF the thing. he had writer
an unnecessarily large number II
payment Of divers small bills. Nom
Of these lad been presented for pay
ment
he could not account for this. an,
when at the end Of the second mont
he again received back his book with
out single debit item. he was no
only puzzled but vaguely alarmed
He did not seek Coolpitcher's ad
vice, however, In this matter. Cool
pitchers pronounced talent for supply
Ing debit items seemed to him peri
ous At such crisis. SO he kept tn
matter quite to himself.
IN a few days the explanation al
rived in an accidental way. 4 strul
Cling literary friend said to him:
q see you have SET up q bank q
count, old man"
Why, yes" replied Tioklemorl