Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1910-11-18
THEVALUEOF
EXPERIENCE
By JOHN K. WETHERElL
Copyright, lai0 by American Press
Association.

To-, 4 Nhluh eSS ~ sVu WY uohs
gerous tendency"
In what respect. fatherT
II fear yoa have literary tastes"
"But father. l thought you were
very proud Of my literary success at
college"
Proud OF it--yes. but since you are
to take my place In this business l
consider II a dangerous gift"
II don't believe It."
Unfortunately old people cannot
transmit their experiences to the
young. You will have to pay to learn
what tell you. just as you viii have
TO pay for books containing In them.
selves large advertisement"
The next day Mr. Falrchlld died Of
apopleSy. aud his son. who had had
six months experience In the business,
took his place, The young publisher
determined to test his readers" While
In college he had written novel Of
university life. Calling his manager OF
the department for examining manu-.
scripts into his private Office. he hand.
ed him a package and said:
mfr. Barton, there Is a manuscript
written by myself. Give II TO the
readers, keeping the authorship a Sc.
cret, and when the reports are all In
let me have them"
Mr. Burton took the manuscript and
retired, In week he laid the reports
before the head Of the 1rm. Falrchlld
read them. threw them In the waste.
basket, tapped bell and recalled Bur.
ton.
"Mr Burton" he said. 1--WE must re-
organize our corps of readers. tlnd
Il impossible TO get an honest opinion
On my own manuscript. II | as head
OF the llrm can't do this. how can OK.
pect to get at the merit Of the manu-.
scripts OF others? That novel OF mine
is a Juvenile production OF no value
whatever, and yet not n single reader
has condemned IT,"
There was trouble among the read.
ers, most Of them receiving their dis.
charge. A year passed, and the cir
cumstance, though not forgotten,
ceased TO be terrible remembrance,
All was running smoothly In the pub.
fishing house OF Fairchild & Co. when
one day a manuscript novel was sent
In by express. 1t was started through
the readers mill. but got no further
than the "weeder," whose duty II was
to eliminate nil manuscripts that were
not worth serious consideration II was
returned to the author, who again ex.
pressed 1t to the firm with a note stat
ing that the name attached to II was
fictitious and limiting that It was by an
author Of reputation. This Insured Its
being thoroughly examined, but 1t was
again returned, Notwithstanding the
hint, the readers assuming that the
author had used very commonplace
device to secure attention. A few days
after the second return the chief OF
readers was called into Mr.. Falrchlld's
office. The rejected manuscript lay on
the desk.
"Mr. Burton" said the head Of the
firm, that manuscript was prepared
expressly under my direction. It Is
one OF Edgar Allan Poe's longest stO'
ries, with names and incidents substi
tuted so as TO partly conceal the nu
thorship and not In the least 10 de.
tract from Its literary value. You will
please discharge all your readers, !
have engaged an old woman who
doesn't know the meaning Of the word
literature. She will hereafter read the
manuscripts Of fiction. and we will be
guided by her reports. My father be-
fore he died told me that must learn
by experience. ! am learning, but |
still feel that have great deal to
learn"
The firm Of Fairchild & Co. contln-
ued to publish fiction with varying
success. One day the head Of the firm
called for Mr.. Burton and said to him:
This manuscript novel was left here
by Agnes Darlington. whose Desert
ed Wife we published last season and
which has had, as you know, a very
large sale. 1t was not the best seller
Of the season. but came very near be-
ing such. This manuscript Is by Miss
Darlington's grandmother, who has
been bedridden for twenty years. I
have looked 1t over and found II worth
less. But we cannot afford to offend
Miss Darlington, who Is to give us an.
other novel In few months and
which the Clymers are endeayorlng to
get away from us. This thing. "A Life.
Df Ease must be published to prevent
the Clymers getting ahead Of US. We
will lose something on 1t, bet make a
large sum on Miss Darlington's new
story"
Mr.. Burton retired with the manu-.
script. "A Life of Ease" was issued
in as inexpensive form as the Fair
childs dared publish It without giving
offense to its invalid author and her
granddaughter. The first edition was
exhausted and another put forth. This
failed to satisfy the growing interest
In the book, and one edition after an
A. 4. l. a. n