Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-10-04
THEVALUEOF
EXPERIENCE
By JOHN K. WETHERElL
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

/ My son. said Mr.. talrcnllu or the
, great publishing house Of Fairchild x
Co. Il think see in you very dan
gerous tendency"
"In what respect. father"
Il fear you have literary tastes"
rBut, father, 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 1t u dangerous gift"
Il don't believe it,"
unfortunately old people cannot
transmit their experiences 10 the
young. You will have to pay TO learn
what tell you. just as you will have
TO pay for books containing in them
selves large advertisement"
The next day MIR 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
in college he had written a novel OF
university life. Calling his manager of
the department for examining manu-
scripts into his private office, he hand
ed him IA package and said:
"Mr Burton. there Is manuscript
written by myself. Give it TO the
readers. keeping the authorship Sc
cret, and when the reports are all in
let me have them"
Mr.. Burton took the man q ript and
retired In week he laid tine reports
before the head of the firm. Fairchild
read them. threw them in the waste
basket. tapped bell and recalled Bur
ton.
mfr. Burton" he said. eve must re-
organize our corps of readers. hnd
il impossible To get an honest opinion
on my own manuscript II | asshead
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 a Juvenile production of no value
whatever. and yet not 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 he terrible remembrance
All was running smoothly in the pub
fishing house of Fairchild X Co. when
one day manuscript novel was sent
In BY express II was started through
I,,f furf hRr-
than the "weeder." whose duty IL was
10 eliminate all manuscripts that were
not worth serious consideration. IL was
returned TO the author. who again eX-
pressed 1t TO the firm with note stat
ing that the name attached to IL was
fictitious and limiting that it was by an
author Of reputation. This insured IFS
being thoroughly examined. but ii 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 he chief of
readers was called into Mr.. Falrchiids
office The rejected manuscript lay on
the desk.
Mr.. Burton" said the head OF the
firm. that manuscript was prepared
expressly under my direction. II is
one Of Edgar Allan Poe's longest sto-
ries. with names and incidents suhsti-
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 hereaf ter read the
manuscripts Of fiction. and we will be
guided by her reports My father he
fore he died told me that | must learn
by experience. | am learning. but
still feel that I have a great deal TO
learn"
The firm Of Fairchild * Co. contin-
ued TO publish fiction with varying
Success One day the head Of the firm
called for MIR Burton and said to him:
This manuscript novel was left here
by Agnes Darlington. whose Desert
cd Wife we published last season and
which has had. as you know. very
large sale. IL was not the best seiier
Of the season. hut came very near he
Ing such. This manuscript Is by Miss
Darlington's grandmother. who has
been bedriddcu for twenty years.
have looked Il over and found u worth
less. Rut we cannot afOrd 60 offend
Miss Darlington. who j. To give uS an
other novel In a few months and
which the ClymerS are endelvoring 70
get away from U.S. This thing a Life
Of Ease must be- published 10 prevent
the ClymerS getting ahead 81 Us. We
viii lose something on IL. but make a
large sum on Miss Darliugton's new
story
Mr.. Burton retired With the manu-
script a life % EaSe" WIS issued
IN a. inexpensive form a. the Fair
- ia f..s-