The San Francisco call., 1910-09-25

H. G. Wells, in a recent letter to
his American publishers, who are to
bring out this fall his latest work. "The
New Machiavelli," denies that he is the
author of any of George Meek: Bath
Chairman" except the preface. II can
not understand" writes Mr.. Wells, 1.-The
mental quality of the people who can
suppose that I should deliberately
write lying preface over my own sig
nature to. a book by myself, stating IN
the clearest manner that did not write
IL" He goes on to say that the whole
idea is absurd because of it's impossi-
bility. Mr.. George Meek is a very real
and inimitabIe human being. and I am
about as capable of fabricating his
work as he is of fabricating mine. Will
you please make this denial public in
whatever manner you think best?"
Now said the doctor, I am going
to show you the effect of alcohol upon
your circulation. think it was cir
culation' he said: it may have been
advertising This is one of the
opening paragraphs in the very last
story that O. Henry wrote. He COM
pleted It only a few days before his
death and he got the material from his
experiences in seeking relief from the
very fitness that was fatal to him.
Like the very last line of one of his
deep, whimsical stories, were the last
conscious words he said. It was dark
on Sunday morning. and he knew that
he was going. Turn on the lights,
doctor" he said, and smiled. I'm
afraid to go home in the dark"
The last volume of stories from his
pen was gone over by him not a month
before his death. IT will be pub
Hshed this fall under the title OF
"whirligigs." In less than 10 years
gov III "A
most popular and. according to known
critics, the best short story writer in
America. He left behind him 10 VOL
umes a permanent contribution to the
native literature of this country.
o. Henry's laconic way of putting
things is well illustrated in the advice
he once gave to young author. 'I
will give you the sole secret of short
story writing" he said, "and here it is !:
Rule I, write stories that please your
self There is no rule 2. The technical
points you can get from Bliss Perry.
If you can't write a story that pleases
yourself. you will never please the pub
lie. But in writing the story forget the
public"
The latest terror to be added to those
which travellers describe as hauntin 6
the African jungle is the dragon. 1t
may come as a shock to find that the
awful appar;tion conjured up in our
childhood by fairy tales and myths is
a living reality of the present day, but
no less an authority than Edgar
Beecher Bronson tells about the crea-
ture in his new book, I'm Closed Ter
ritory." It's appearance on the Mag
gori river was vividly described to him
by John Alfred Jordan. an English
hunter, who has made his home in the
wilderness. The story, however, does
not rest on one narrator's word alone,
as Mr. Bronson gives strong corrobo-
rative testimony as to it's truth.
'If I had known you were going to
ask me for literary plans" writes the
author of pigs is Pigs" to his publish
ers, "I would have sat up nights plan
ming a few plans to give you, but
am not much of a planner. My method
of producing literature is more on the
spur of the moment order, and re-