The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-15
BUY A BALE or MANUSCRIPT
Depression I'm n Great industry and How
To Relieve n.

To THE EDITOR or THE SUN--Sr. The
touching appeal from the South, Buy a
bale of cotton and the echo from the
PACIFIC slope--I suppose that. strictly.
should call It an Irish eoho-"Buy a bunch
of shingles" suggest third appeal that
Is neither Southern nor Western exclu-
/ sivelv, but might come up from all sec
! tons
II the planter cannot sell his cotton
| to-day at least ~ will not deterorate, and
| some day he Will be able TO sell II for
/ shirts and other garments wear out. and
] perhaps the labor unions Will have "A law
enacted requiring all taverns to furnish
their beds with sheets eleven feet long
and eight feet wide. These, you know.
would make better escape ropes In case OF
fire. as well as giving more employment
to the operatives. AS for the lumbermen.
their goods will keep TIL more roofs be
come leaky and more graduates In law
and medicine are ready TO put Out their
shingles.
But tho honest workers who really need
help. and need IL now. are the authors.
II Is next to impossible, we all find, to sell
a manuscript Of any kind. Editors and
publishers will not buy them at any price
There is story current In literary circles
that once on a time an American woman
whose stories had been persistently re
Jected AZ last journeyed 20 the metropolis,
Invaded the sanctum Of popular first
class magazine ara just sol tntrc' WI
her lates, story was accepted.
Perhaps the anecdote IL not literally
true. but trust II is. for 1t would serve
the editor right. | wish I were that kind
of woman, but unfortunately ! am not.
In fact | am not woman at all and
canno, work amy kind OF bland shments
on an editor | have nothing 10 offer
except sheets of paper on which are set
forth rare plots. sparkling conversations.
original characters. novel situations, pro-
found philosophy. ttillatlng humor ana
delicate 'never lndelcate) poetry. on
some OF my sheets these are exhibited in
dependently on others they form what
the grocers call blend. But whether
they show themselves singly or In mass
play. | cannot sell any Of them
] don't believe the editors and pub
fishers have any money, or they would be
glad to exhibit II once In A while just for
their own credit. The books and articles
that they appear 70 he putting into pr!n'
so abundantly must be old stun that ,as
been In their safes FOR years. dating from
the days when there were best sellers and
every publisher was hoping to get two
or three more. My case Is not singular
all the authors tina. | know are IN the
same predicament. II you meet one OBJ
syve now close ne keeps his elbows TO
hi, sides look nj his face, evidently he
shaves himself shadow him. and you will
see that he does not go 20 Dclmonico's or
Sherry's FOR his luncheon. though he may
take his way through the streets that
have the finest kitchen doors best
s'rellers taking the place OF best sellers
And no law can limit the number OF acres
Of paper tina, writer shall SOW with
IDEAS In the next year or the next five
years. Unless RELIEF comes soon there
may not be attlcs enough to go round and
some OF US will be house hunting FOR best
cellars
There is ONLY one remedy. and perhaps
President Wilson will be sympathetic
enough to proclaim 1t for he is himself
an author and he may have eNperienced-
who knows'--these same difficulties he
fore ms political success made an eager
markv, for mis- productions. l. Is not
given 20 all OF US TO secure literary sue
cess by reaching high office or discover
ing an unknown river or pole In cold
storaer, or committing high crimes ~
even by having gone there and sOt. But
certa My there is money In the country,
and let us say TO those who have Il, "Buy
a bale OF manuscript You never can
tell what treasures you may acquire"
Read plckenss "Our Mutual Friend"
and learn now an illterate man amassed
great wealth by purchasing immense
heaps OF dust and rubbish and raking
them over for finds" There should be a
clearing house for us authors, Let 1t re
Give the manuscripts. bale them, and
auction them at "A well advertised sale
some bales might contain work by
single author others might be blends
But caution no bale should he so heavy
that one person cannot carry II; FOR the |
purchaser, bearing In mind Us Pactolian }
possibilities, will wish 10 carry 70 home +,
himself not entrust Il TO any careless
trurkWnn
So please good Mr.. President, do say
BUY a bale OF manuscrip,--and say It
soon. NEEDY AUTHOR /
NEW NoRK. December a.