The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-02-06

@IR PALMER-You will start for the
mi south tomorrow and write a Sc
UVI ries of letters on the educational
and social conditions existing In
~ that section. Avoid the cities and
beaten tracks and let your pic
lures be drawn from life. This will be an
order on the business office for what mon
ey you may need.
Such were the orders I found one
morning on my desk In the city edi.
tors room of q well known Boston
newspaper or the labor involved In
such an assignment l was ignorant.
and ] saw only pleasant trip In that
part of my country in which | had
never Travelled I had been employed
on the paper for a comparatively short
time-in fact, had been In journalism
for a period of less than two years
% that such an assignment as the one
now given me was highly flattering to
me. and knew II would be equally
gratifying to my father. who had
watched my career with that interest
which attaches solely to an only son
! had not been out OF Harvard very
long when I had taken the advice OF
an eminent literary man, a friend OF
my faith, and entered journalism as
q first stepping stone to literary dis
t1nction. The few short stories ! had
written. however. had been returned
to me by the magazines to which had
sent them with promptness that was
calculated to dampen my ardor and
otherwise to discourage me. had been
led to believe that my style was excep-
tonally good and that was not with.
out keen sense Of humor. at the same
time possessing a proper appreciation
Of the pathetic.
school for an essay, and later, when
my talents began to develop at the uni
versity. was elected to fill a place on
the editorial star of one Of the month
y periodicals published there. ! was
chagrined. therefore. when my manu-.
scripts, written legibly on One linen
paper. tied with the best silk ribbon
70 be bad. came back to me. began
20 form a very poor opinion Of our
magazines. Possessing an independ
snt fortune. I determined to publish
ny writings In book form at my own
expense. ! took my manuscripts to q
publisher. who. honest man that he
was. was kind enough to tell me that
people did not think much Of books
published at the authors own expense
Determined at length to get q proper
estimate Of my work. ] sought out an
old friend Of the family who had
achieved fame by bis pen. He review
ID my stories and In ruthless sort Of
way. as 1t seemed to me then. told me
expressed ciumsily. He advised me
% cease all attempts at literary com
position and to seek place ON q news
paper. Writing must become a habit
with you" he said. before you can
hope to express your thoughts grace
fully. What you need most IL ease.
and II you can avoid the pitfalls OF
Journalism you may In time succeed IN
your ambition" II took me Just an.
other six months to make up my mind
% follow his advice. and when ! did
% II was with some degree OF humilia.
don that ! discovered that there was
not q reporter on the paper who did
lot write better than I. Constant ap
plication Ia my new undertaking. how.
ever. and the hard work ! had done at
the university soon brought me ny re-
ward. was being singled out con-
stantly for important local assign
ments. ana once ! had been sent to
Washington on a delicate mission
! picked up again the order which
lay on my desk and read II over the
second time. ! thought . saw the ear.
marks OF politics In H. and. while the
racial question was not mentioned. !
believe that II was this problem ! was
10 discuss ! bad made suggestion on
this line some months before. but the
managing editor had not taken kindly
- the idea AT the time The order a.
] read II over seemed Indefinite. .
thought. ana ! started with u TO the
managing editors room A. . present
% myself b.fore that nust~re little
cripple pnvsr'ai. but DOT mental, fos