The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-24
FORTUNE BECKONS
FICTION WRITER'S
Publisher Curtis Says Editors
Rack Brains to Find Story
Tellers With Punch.
SEES THE TIMEs-DIspATcH
Head of Nation-Wide Publica
tions Admires Plant Here
on Private Yacht.
SEES The TIMEs-DIsPATcH


Here's a free tip to scrlbes that is
worth n million. Write fiction. 1t is
straight from the lips Of Cyrus II. x.
Curtis. president OF the Curtis Pub
fishing Company. of Philadelphia.
makers Of the Saturday Evening Post,
Ladies' Home Journal. Country Gentle
man. Philadelphia Public Ledger and
three or four other periodicals known
from Maine to Mobile. Mr.. Curtis
steamed into Richmond yesterday on
his private yacht Lyndonia. and will
steam out again this morning.
But to come back to the tip. Mr.
Curtis. seated In cushioned willow
rocker on the aft deck of the vessel
on the back porch. az Secretary Daniels
would call it-modestly assorted his
lack OF familiarity with the editorial
end of his various publications.
II am not an editor" ne said The
production OF our periodicals and news
papers has been worked down to such
fine point that 1t proceeds automati-
cally without my intervention. The
editors Immediately In charge are in
close touch. OF course, with their spe-
clalized needs. and my information
comes secondhand from them. ] be-
l!eve / am correct In saying that what
they want and seek most is good fic-
ton"
Plot. and BE Rich.
Write fction-thats tho idea In nut
she'll. Hatch n plot and tell it like o.
Henry. Guy du Maupassant or Frank
r. Stockton. aud the big weekly which
Mr. Curtis's company circulates by the
100000 will print II at TO 10 cents
m rf,n
with fictional writing. but there is
dcarth Of writer's OF fiction. Editors
arc spending sleepless nights scanning
tho literary horizon for the story-teller
with the CLEAN. O. Henry is dead. and
no one has come to take his place
mantle fashioned Of cloth Of gold hangs
suspended like the harness at the fire
station waiting to drop upon the shout
ders of the man with the right com
bination. Little June graduate. take
courage.
we can find any number OF men TO
write economic. historic political and
educational articles. In fact this kind
OF writing nowadays is ordered and
contracted for one orders a certain
piece OF machinery. IT requires abil-
ity, TO be sure. but 2 kind of ability
that has become standardized. But nc
ton can't be contracted for--that Is,
the good fiction that is so hard TO get
II is the scarcest commodity in the
publishing business and the most
sought after"
Visits The Tin,es-DIspntch.
Mr. Curtis paid visit yesterday
morning TO the new plant OF The Times
Dispatch. lie was particularly inter-
csted in the giant Duplex presses be-
cause OF the intention of his company
TO install several OF tho same presses
in the Philadelphia plant. He pro-
bounced the plant of The Times Dis
patch one OF the best equipped and
most modern he has seen
On board his yacht yesterday after
noon Mr.. Curtis pleaded lack of ex-
pert knowledge of current political
questions. but forgot his plea long
enough TO say few things about the
tariff.
Like most people In this country"
he said. Il want TO see the tariff
duced. The reducing process. however.
is fraught with much danger. and Mr..
Underwood and our other tariff experts
ought to go slow. Philadelphia. per-
haps more than any other American
city. VIII feel the effects OF the reduc-
ton. and there are In my city many
who fear dire results. The city as a
whole. l believe. is strongly protec-
tive 1t is an issue that is far-rcaching,
and the administration will do wisely
to conduct the pruning of the present
tariff with care"
Apropos California.
The Legislature of California thought
Mr.. Curtis. without having been able
to get an accurate account OF the dff-
Guilty on the Pacific Coast. in it's es-
pousal of a law which appears to vlo-
late this country's treaty with Japan.
Ia carrying little too far the doctrine
of State rights.
IT am glad to see that Secretary
Bryan has gone to California to at
tempt an adjustment of the difficulty"
said Mr.. Curtis TT is OF the gravest
Importance. and to my mind raises in
the most serious form the question OF
the right of the State to frame laws
over the disapproval of the national
government I am told that the pro-
posed California antialien law. If
passed. viii violate rights granted to
tho Japanese under treaty between
this county and Japan If the LegIs-
lature Of California can override
treaties ratified by Congress, then it
appears to be high time to curb the
powers OF the individual State"
On board the Lyndonia as guests OF
Mr. and Mrs Curtis are Miss Fl. l.. Cut
ter. OF Milwaukee. and Mr.. and Mrs.
John Gribbell. OF Philadelphia. The
party will leave this morning for Old
Point Comfort and will steam from