The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-03-08


and market basket were tossed over the
barbed wire fence, and then Mr.. Kiplng
astually dived between the strands of the
barbed wire, and landed on all tours in the
the grass weeds and briars that are so
common between the rOad-bed of every
country highway and the fences that en-
close the pastures. No one who had not
seen the act would believe that it was pos
sible for a man of the proportions of Mr..
Kipling at that time to dive between the
barbed strands as he did.
In another second he had got onto his
feet, gathered the market basket and walk
ing stick, and was sprinting down the road
at as lively a pace as ever he struck when
he was a student at Rugby.
The prospect OF newspaper interview
did not seem to be very promising Just
then. There was a word or two in the
short sentence which Mr.. Kipling fired at
us that Is not given above. Quite likely it
would be called profanity. There was
sting to it. anyhow. 1t did not seem to be
a time when fine manners Were above par
on either side.
The writer jumped from the carriage in
which both of the newspaper men were
sitting and sprinted after Mr. Kipling
/ He was able to oveftake the noted author
a few rods down the road Both men were
fairly winded, The pace had been too hot.
/ There was a gasp on two and then the
/ newspaper man said something, no matter
what, that attracted Mr.. Kipling's atten-
ton.
Then he said Il refuse to be interview /
ed. 1t is a crime. | never was. | never
will be. You have no right to hold me up /
like highwayman. 1t is an outrage to as
sault a man on the public way. In fact :
this is worse. If you have anything to
2 ask, submit it in writing to me at my
house, With this he started down the
3 road
Plainly enough this was permission
! to call at his house and submit our ques-
tons in writing. Perhaps it is worth say
- ing THAI If Mr.. kiplng had said to Us
when we first him that he dislked to
d be interviewed and that he had nothing
to say we should have respected his wish
es. As it was the sting of his words re-
manned and the following was drawn up
= and a little later given to the eervcnt ut
= his house:
/, 'AIr. Kipling. you having declined TO
submit to an interview will you kindly
state your objections for the benefit of
l newspapers men? We respectfully sub
- init that your treatment of us was rude
s and boorish when you We're approached as
! one gentleman would approach another.
= WIN you kindly talk with us five minutes?
- What you say in that time we will not
i use unless we have your permission"
~ After a wait Of perhaps ten minutes Mr..
u kipling came out of the dining room
where the maid said he was He inquired
u for his club" He failed to bring it out
~ to the door where we were waiting He
~ was not exactly pleasant when he made
-" his appearance. This is what he said
y well, what do you want? Why do you
frrF-r IL go
H. | say that | wouldn't be interviewedz'
II There was a snap and enthusiasm to his
jerly sentences and then the writer said
III Mr.. kipling l did you asked and sub
w united question in writing at yom
Vi house and | desire an answer"
Z l got it, too.
ne why do I refuse to he interviewed:
"a Because it Is immoral. 1t is crime just
~ as much a crime as an offense against my
III person, as an assault and just a. mucl
y merits punishment. 1t Is cowardly anc
IA vile. No respectable man would ask it
Iu much less give it
'e ''Weu, Mr.. Kipling, Just as respectful,
~, men as you, disagree with what You hav,
~ Just said. You are the first man | eve
(" heard of who took this view of it. I neve
=. heard the words immoral and criminal ap
~ piled to it before
ca Then they were FOOLS was his reply
~ Il am right. All I say is true. No,
won't give you any reason, for you fellows
-; with your American lack of reason, ar
~, probation and understanding of journal
-, ism, couldn't comprehend what l mean
~ We Enghshmen abhor it. What good ar
''S reporters, anyway? What do YOU expec
80 to become or get out of it? | know a
80 about it. [ went once with party c
w Philadelphia newspaper boys out to
I little town where a murder had been con
oio mitted, and they made that town out
Jn perfect little hell. l tell you all they wan
M is sensationalism, and you won't get
90 from me. There ism q single respectful
for paper in this country. The New Yor
~ Tribune is bearable, but that has SON
or, beastly thing in it, every now and the
lar that damns 1t, too. I suppose that yo
- want to write me up and put me in SON
obscure place in your paper"
on. Mr.. kiphng; l said, you are a cit
~ zen of the world, and you owe it som
thing, and it ows you something
;or, Yes" he replied, "and that little del
ms has got to be paid me first, and l sha
ont never pay mine"
liz You are in advanced thinker, a ma
,a4 with wide reputation, and what you s.
lLo on any subject would be valuable and i
,T. teresting'' said one of the reporters.
tho valuable" said Mr.. Kipling, eye
tio that's another reason why | decline to
va, interviewed. | can get more by wrtil
,,;Ia what I decide to say, and sell it to son
',a English magazine. Then l suppose son
n'ai American publishers would steal it as tn
tbo have much of my work already. The An
,-,, rcan copyright law is damnable
ras The note you sent me I shall preser
an as priceless among my literary criositit
| don't care a rap what you think \
, of nave INVADED my rights as private ci
Nr zen, and if I could reach you by law
the would You say that Charles Dickens "
, Of interviewed, Dickens was a great auth'
oil | am not
ntIv English journalism" said Mr.. Kiplir
hill lis dignifed and respectable. There is
nm dirty business in it. What you America