The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-10-03
THEVALUEOF
EXPERIENCE
By JOHN K. WETEiERELL
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.

my son." said Mr.. Fairchild of the
great publishing house Of Fairchild s.
Co, Il think see in you very dan
gerous tendency"
''In what respect, fatherf"
II fear you 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 1
consider it a dangerous gift
Il 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
70 pay for books containing in them
selves large advertisement"
The next day Mr.. Fairchild died of
apoplexy. and his son, who had had
six months experience in the business,
took his place. The young publisher
determined to test his readers" While
III college he had written novel of
university life. Calling his manager Of
the department for examining manu-
scripts into his private Office. be hand
ed him package and said:
''Mr Burton, there is manuscript
written by myself. Give 1t 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 firm. Fairchild
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. l find
1t impossible to get an honest opinion
on my own manuscript If l as head
Of the firm can't do this, how can / ex-
pect to get at the merit of the manu-
scripts of others? That novel of mine
is juvenile production Of no value
whatever, and yet not a 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 it was
TO eliminate all manuscripts that were
not worth serious consideration. 1t was
returned to the author. who again ex-
pressed IL TO the firm with a note stat
ing that the name attached to 1t was
fictitious and limiting that it was by an
author Of reputation. This insured its
being thoroughly examined, but it was
again returned, Notwithstanding the
hint. the readers assuming that the
author had used a very commonplace
device to secure attention. A few days
after the second return the chief Of
readers was called into Mr.. Falrehild's
Office. The rejected manuscript lay on
the desk.
'dr Burton" said the head Of the
firm, that manuscript was prepared
expressly under my direction. 1t is
one Of Edgar Allan poes longest sto-
ries. with names and incidents substi-
tuted so as TO partly conceal the au-
thorship and not in the least to 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