The San Francisco call., 1910-07-10


one of independence.
The reply he promptly received ele-
waited his spirits to the highest pitch of
enthusiasm. The letter ran somewhat
as follows:
You are quite correct in assuming
that have influence enough to get you
a place on a San Francisco paper. 1
know nearly all the editors, and most
of them know me. But why choose the
poorest paper? Why not attach your
self to the best? 1 assure it is much
more satisfactory to belong to good
paper than to a bad one, and IT IS as
easy for me to get you place on the
best as on the worst when l am at II,
anyhow. So just choose your paper;
have no hesitation about the matter;
select the most desirable daily In san
Francisco and will write you letter
that will secure you situation on it.
The young man to whom this letter
was written felt, as 1 have said, h1ghiy
elated, but I knew something about the
newspaper business and failed to see
how any man could guarantee to an en-
tire stranger a situation on any given
sheet. A letter from Mark Twain
would undoubtedly exert great weight
with any editor in the United States
Still, a position on daily never
remained vacant for more than
about 10 minutes at a time. The place
had to be filled, for the paper must
come out next day. 1t struck me that
this letter might be a joke on the
part of the great humorist, but that
implied a cruelty which 1 knew was
entirely absent from Mark Twain's
character. So the confident tone or the
letter puzzled me, and | advised the
young man not to build too strongly
on it, not to buy his ticket for Cali
fornia just yet a while and to await
with patience the coming of the prom
ised letter of introduction
He brought the second letter to me
with an air of deep detection. 1t was
a long one, and I read 1T through twice
carefully.
you seem disappointed" I said.
'Oh, IT'S a sell; suppose deserve
1t. writing to a stranger" he replied
1T isn't sell. It's the most sensible
letter 1 ever read on the subject. and
is worth tons of introductions. IT you
are wise you will act on it..
THE FAMOUS LETTER
He did, and Is today in charge of
one of the leading papers in the east.
1 give here a synopsis of the letter as
l remember It:
You have selected a good paper,
and 1t is the one I would have recon-
mended had the choice rested on me.
In your dealings with the editor rigor-
ously conceal from him the fact that
you have been in correspondence with
me. Nothing handicaps a young man
on newspaper so much as to have 1t
known that he is there, not on his own
merits, but through the influence or
some one else. Go to the editor ana
say to him that you want a job on his
paper. Say you are willing to work
hard and that you don't want any
salary. Say that you'll fill the ink bot
q
changes in neat piles, or do anything
else required of YOU Don't say that
you want no salary at first. thus imply
ing that salary is really what you are
ultimately after; just disclaim all de-
sire for money and let it go at that.
Now, most people are generous
when 1t doesn't cost them anything.
The editor is a busy man, and he
will grant you what you want to get
rid of you. expecting you to come
around next week and ask for raise.
But don't you do it. You've got the
thin edge of the wedge in, and that's
what you need.
when you're outside the office keep
your eyes and ears open. By and by
you'll see something happen. or you'll
hear of an important matter. Write
1t up carefully once, twice or dozen
times if necessary, to get 1T just right.
Don't use big words or highfalutfn
language, but set down the exact facts
as tersely as you can, and when you've
told what you know quit. Take this
to the city editor, modestly, and say
that you don't know that 1t is worth
printing, but, anyhow, there 1T is, and
he's welcome to 1t, and add that per-
haps one of the reporters can knock
1T into shape.
when you see the item in next
mornings paper, read 1T carefully. II
,--~k- n a
very likely you're on the right track;
IL 1t has been changed much. study the
changes and learn something. Do. this
right along, bringing in all you can to
the city editor. just as If you loved him,
and by and by-somebody Will be drunk
or will have failed him-he'H think or
you and send you off on an assignment.
Just throw all your powers into that;
do the task cheerfully, promptly and as
well as you know how. Then you'll get
more assignments and you'll meet the
reporters of the other papers and some
time you'll scoop the daylight out or
them. But even before that the city ed
itor will probably find place for you
on his staff, not because a friend has
recommended you, but because you have
recommended yourself-and that's the
best recommendation In the world. Then
you'll get your salary. Or some OF the
other papers will hear of you and will
make you an offer, but don't take tat
least not right away. Always stick TO
your paper and give it the first chance
Go to your editor and tell him frankly
about your offer, then you will ind ne
does one of two things. He may say,
well. we don't want to stand in the
way of your bettering yourself, and
that will mean that you haven't made
such an impression upon him as you
hoped to make, but if you have strictly
followed my advice the chances are that
he will say:
why, we can pay as much as any
other paper.
.'Then you stay where you are. You're
a made man and everything else de-
pends entirely on your own exer-
tions.
Mark Twain all his life followed the
advice he gave and worked with ex-
treme care, putting forth nothing that
was not as perfect as he could make
II: telling his stories as tersely as pos
sible and getting his eirects with the