The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-01-22
BY BOHEMIAN BULGER.
literary offce of BATTLING NEIL


New York City, Jan. 21AThat is as
near an exact reproduction of the sign
on the door as can be made. But there
it was it all its awe-inspiring impor
tancel My feeling of timidity as I
raped on the frosted glass panel in
answer to summons from the author
can readily be imagined.
In response to a grunt which indi-
Gated that I was to enter I showed the /
door open, and there sat the author |
porting over bundle of manuscript that |
looked like one of the early editions of
our leading dailies. One one side of
the desk rested typewriting machine. |
a bottle of mucilage, the World alma |
nae and a sporting annual. On the
other lay a bundle of freshly sharpened
pencils stacked up like cord wood.
The author was in his shirt sleeves.
The only thing that betrayed his main
calling was the movement Of muscles
so we'll formed as to be only half hid
den by the pink-striped covering There
was also a "cauliflower' ear, but it
rested on the leeward side of his head
and could not be observed from the
door. I afterward learned that the
room was arranged with that particu-
lar thing in mind
Took Swat at Joe Cans.
With the slash of his pencil Battling
Nelson blotted out a line which was
somewhat of a credit to Joe Cans and
turned around in his swivel chair.
sit down, kid" he began by way of
making me feel easy. I want to ask
you some questions. You've been to
! college, haven't your"
| The visitor nodded his head We'll"
went on the author. I want you to tell
me the exact meaning of the word mo-
torious.'"
A weak attempt was made to ex
plain that it meant a person whose bad
deeds were well known This didn't
quite hit the mark so far as the Bat
tier was concerned. He looked up in
4 qulringly
In other words" I said. ito say
that a man is notorious is more of a
reflection rather than compliment"
II get YOU" replied the author. You
mean to say that if I call a man no.
torious I'm handing him little knock. &"
Down went the word into the NJ S.
Zine work." the author gleefully COM
mented as he closely scrutinized Il
wanted to call Jack London 'notori-
GUS for writing a story in which he
said 1 was an 'abysmal brute, and !
! didn't want to slip him a boost
Flop yourself down there, kid" he
} went on. II want to read you few
chapters of my book and see what you
: think of it," His request, or rather
: his order, was obeyed.
Chapter Hard Knocks.
5 Here's one that I think will be g
knockout" and he pulled closely writ
ten strip of manuscript from beneath
the mucilage bottle. LAS you'll see thi:
] chapter dealing with the hard knock.
had and how I finally triumphed II
the end-that 'triumphed' is a prett,
: good one itself ,eh, KIDD" 1 reall,
thought it a bird, but that was just
feeler.
: Here is the way I slapped the ide;
: down on paper, and want you to tel
= me how you like it, on the level, now
not the bull" and he read thus i'm
: pressively: The biting snow may fal
u and the wintry winds may blow, but
nevertheless, the Battler kept plugging
e on and laid them all low" He locke
u up expectantly. Il put that one over
/ eh?" and to show his good nature h
jabbed his stiffened thumb between m
third and fourth ribs with jolly EN-
2. phasis-that is, jolly to him.
DO you mean that to rhyme?"
r. asked. fencing.
- Sure, it's poetry" he replied. "Bu
~ it's not the kind that you've been use
% to reading, is it," I assured him tina
it was not.
That's it. that's it," and he chuckle
reassuringly. I'm putting over some
thing new here, and that's where 1 al
Z. going to make a hit!"
Having gone this far Nelson handle
IN me a whole armful of manuscript an
cd babe me read. For the work of a ma
g who has never had any experience /
O. writing his ability to describe what /
es has experienced is really wonderful
w became so interested in the first char
he tiers that I had to read on. In simp
st manner he has told some incidents tn;
n are graphic in detail
to His Work Was Done Well.
n The work was done so well that b.
came puzzled to know why he he
asked those questions 1t develope
however. that he had eliminated ever,
thing that he was not sure about-tl
cd meaning of words. for instance. T
he was simply seeking information.
n Nelson is always trying to LEAF
ed something new. During the two weel
Nv that he was at work revising his man
lis script he had me visit him every NOR
ng ing and bring along a dictionary. Sor
,e- paragraphs he ould rewrite as many
ful five times Nothing ever got throui
as until he had thoroughly dissected it.
ts He had just finished special cha
n, ter on Billy Nolan, the manager wi
nv whom he is at outs. He handed it ov
m to me to read
That's good stuff Bat" was r
comment only 1 think you ought
nm have a little more dialogue about it. .
l. ''Why?" and he looked ouerous
There wasn't any dialogue about it.
an Say. Kid" and he swung arou
quickly. What the ell is that di
ker logue thing anyhow? That word al
uo. in my book. But it sounds to me Ii
Al a good one"
nd I explained as best I could that d
pts logue meant a conversation betwe
le two persons. I'm other words Bat
ept said. write down just what you a
veil Nolan said TO each other
ign oh. chop It. chop it," emphatica