Imperial Valley press., 1909-09-04
ART vs. LITERATURE
Story of strivings Between These Two in Life of Harold Bell Wright, Imperial Valley Author and
 Painter.

Torn by conflicting demands on his aesthetic nature by two separate artis- tic callings. Harold Bell Wright, nov elist and painter, chose between the two, last week in his home in the Inn perial valley, and the art of writing won.
 Hoping to put forever behind him the other part of his artistic nature, Mir Wright went to his studio, and ruthlessly tore down and carried out ever picture he had painted, every canvas he had sketched, his easels, frames. studies, lay figures, all his oils and colors, his palette and knife his turpentine, mahlstick, sketch books and water colors and threw them all on one big heap. Then without hesi- tating-lest he should relent--he touched match to the heap and $500 worth of materials went up in smoke. It was truly a burnt offering to the art of writing.
 Mir. Wright was painter first. He once DlduS IuOlC thoh o 63OON h'AAS with his brush and some of his studies and landscapes made in the Ozark mountains in Missouri have places of high honor in the country today, After he turned his attention to writing, and having become convinced he could reach a larger number by that means and do more good for the world, he began seriously his life as novelist
 Call of the Palette
 The oid art called always and many times he left his writing to don an apron and pick up palette for an hour. His lapses recently became more frequent and of longer duration and at last MT. Wright felt that he had couc to the parting of the ways and that he must. choose between the two. The re- suit was last weeks fire.
 "The Calling of Dan Matthews" a novel by Mir Wright. was issued yes terday by the Book Supply company of Chicago, and will be placed on sale at local book stores probably next week MT. Wright is the author of That Printer of Udelrs" and "The Shepherd of the Hills" the latter one of the best sellers of last year. His home,is on his ranch, 'Tecolote" near Meloland, in the Imperial Valley, where he has lived and worked for the past two years.
 Aside from the fact that he has been a successful writer and that the new book promises to surpass the second in popularity, MT. Wright is an interest ing man. For several years while painting, he was minister of the Christian church, but he found him. self so circumscribed by tradition and creed that he resigned his pastorate and took up in earnest the vocation of writing "The Shepherd of the Hills" was finished in Redlands almost three years ago. His publisher, President E. w. Reynolds of the Book Supply company, reports a phenominal ad- vance sale for the third book and he is extravagant in his promises of what the book will do for Wright.
 Theory vs. Practice
 The Calling of Dan Matthews is a timely novel, being concerned with the present orthodox church and some of its problems. The scene is laid in a small town in the middle west where a young preacher, all unacquainted with the wiles of the wicked and with the practical workings of the church, be- gins a pastorate, fresh from school. The inevitable conflict between the theory and practice in religion en- meshes the hero, whose love for a nurse-a real worker in the world, and a real minister to the needy and suf- fering-is the basis for the novel.
 On the completion of this novel MT. Wright began work on his fourth which is to be a story of a Southern California desert. The novelist has a contract with the Book Supply com pany whereby he is to write and de- liver for publication five novels within the next nine years The Calling of Dan Matthews" was printed in all