El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-07-06

while deep-set, beadE ,99
with an incessant twinkle peefeu -.
space over gold4bowed spectables: The
man was Walt Mason. the room his tiny
den in the office of the Emporia, Kan,
Gazette and the day most any one IN the
year. He was grinding out one OF his
prose poems, which a week later would
be read and enjoyed by millions of peo-
pie in all parts of the country.
The most remarkable thing about this
man. who perhaps writes for larger
reading public than any other writer, be-
vond his ability to write as he does, IS
his ability to write as much as he does.
He has an inordinate capacity for work.
He does not have to wait for his divine
affIatus to come to him, for it IS always
with him. An event of the day demands
2. prose-poem, and a few minutes work
at the machine. no longer than it would
take an ordinary mortal to set down his
most ordinary thoughts, produces it,
without need of revision and such accu-
rate and clean copy as TO delight the
editors eye,
His Busy Day.
Nothing will give a better idea OF this
capacity than following the t-phll-
osopher through an ordinary day. At
work before 8 in the morning, he de-
YOURS the exchanges, grinds out smok-
ING editorials by the yard. and before II
o'clock has got up an editorial page that
IS quoted the country over. He returns
shortly after noon and edits the tele-
graph. writing heads that are often clas-
sizes for brevity and condensation. In
the intervals between sheets of the tele
graph, he turns to his typewriter and
makes verses or humorous sketches in
prose that have a ready market among
the magazines. a ride behind his
charcer-for he is passionately fond OF
horses usually follows his work ait the
office, which is over by $3.50, and after
supper he is at work again grinding out
RHYMES and sketches to fill the many
orders always on hand
Beyond being able TO do the things he
does. the fact that people like to have
him do them pleases "The Fat One" as
he calls himself. Since he was q boy IA
years old he has written verse in all
parts of the country with varying sue
cess. Some of his early stuff Is still in
circulation. though long ago it ceased
to be credited to him. And while he
never failed to make a local reputation
that extended through several states
wherever he went, and was widely
known among newspaper men, it was
not till he came to Emporia two wears
gan to number his readers by the mil
lions. Scarcely a day passes but he re
ceives letters from all parts of the con
tinent. The letters are from statesmen
and men famous in other walks of life.
and from men and women of the crowd,
and all bring The same message-hOw
the writer Is pleased with the daily
prose poem and reads it the first thing
upon picking up the paper. Sometimes
the letters come from foreign countries
or foreign papers are received containing
something that has been copied And
being only human, "The. Fat One" Is
pleased by these expressions of appre-
citation and is encouraged to keep up the
gait A peculiar thing about MANY Of
the letters is a touch of intimacy en-
gendered no doubt by the breezy tone Of
the poems, which causes many of the
letters to be addressed simply to "Uncle