The San Francisco call., 1910-03-20

Robert Barr. author of "Cardillac," in
literary career
Barr met a friend one day in Detroit
many years ago and started 70 give
him a vivacious description OF a dog
fight which had just occurred This
friend was so much amused that he
told Barr the story surely ought to be
published Barr, having nothing else
on his hands for the moment. called on
the editor of the Detroit Free Press
and asked him If he wanted a good
story
What is your story about?" said the
editor.
About a dog fight" was the an
swer
Barr did not have much more time in
that editors Office. but he stopped out
side, wrote up his story and sent il in.
The next day the story was printed
and Barr received q letter asking him
to call. The result was that he was en-
gagged TO write regularly a column in
his pungent style on some event which
would appea! to the human nature Of
his readers, under the assumed name
of Luke Sharp
Among the publications in press for
spring issued by Paul Elder & Co. are
the following: ~By the Way" pleas
ant travel letters. with useful notes for
tourists. by Agnes Greene Foster. "Obil.
Keeper of Camels," being the parable
of the man whom the disciples saw
casting out devils. by Lucia Chase Bell.
Friendship" mosaic essay on lofty
theme. new revised edition. compiled
by Paul Elder. To Friendship" a
lyric eXaltatiOn of pure friendship. by
Agnes Greene Foster. The same firm
announces several new groups of cards.
variouSly printed, decorated or hand
eolored, including cards for birthdays.
Easter, for occasion, place cards. IA
vors, talHes and toasts and series OF
sunbeams by Agnes Greene Foster.
In the March Nautilus, that splendid
little magazine of optimism, Elizabeth
TOwne has a short article. "A Boycott
on akfasts." IN the course Of il
she says a number of things which not
only demand quotation but which you
will wish to learn or hang up on the
bureau. perhaps:
My panacea for every i'll 10 which
my flesh is heir is fasting. I prefer
short fasts repeated frequently
''Twenty-four 10 SO hours 1 would
call q short fast.
sixty hours is the longest I have
ever gone without food
IF l had some specific disease 10
overcome 1 should certainly turn 10
long fasts as the cure.
Il would begin by fasting for 36
hours once every week. Later I would
take two or three days fast once in a
couple of weeks. repeating several
times. After had accustomed my sys-
tenn to this so thoroughly that 1 would
feel better when fasting than when
eating regularly. would start out on
a long fast
II would keep up this fast until my
mouth watered for food. When this
symptom came ! would eat again, be-
ginning very moderately and Fletcher
izing to the limit
.01--
again for a long fast. and keep it up
until nature gave the signal for eat
ing This signal is always a real
hunger, accompanied by watering OF
the mouth.
The ordinary run of people never
feel real hunger-they don't know what
It is like. Not until you have tasted
a while does nature have chance to
teach you her really delightful signal
for more grub. Try it!
by the way, 7 just heard of a very
large woman who reduced her flesh 50
pounds in few months by fasting
from breakfasts.
mo breakfast is simply short fast
every day.
"iere is my vote for the boycott on
meat.
And here is my vote for the boycott
on breakfasts"
AS long as General Porfirio Diaz. the
president of Mexico, lives it will be
next to impossible to find a life OF
him not marked by bias. Jose F. Godoy
has written the latest biography and
il is as entertaining as a novel. The
main facts are of course like any other
history of this great man and his time,
but the author sees no faults in his
hero and is eulogistic to a degree-
Diaz has governed Mexico for genera
tion and has made a success OF IL His
country has grown and prospered and
the people are perfectly happy under
his dictatorship. The book gives a fine
view of Mexico as il is today and IS
illustrated with many photographs.
maps, diagrams. etc. 1t is of decided
interest. &C. P. Putnam's Sons, New
York. SD