Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-11-29
HOW 0. HENRY CHOSE
 HIS FAMOUS PEN NAME.


 reporter: Il went to New Orleans and took up literary work in earnest. sent stories to newspapers, weeklies and magazines all over the country Rejections? Lordy, should say l did have rejections. but never took them to heart. just stuck new stamps on the stories and sent them out again. And in their journeying to and fro all the stories finally landed in offices where they found a welcome. I can say that I never wrote anything that. sooner or later, hasn't been accepted. "As for rejections, take The Emafl- cipation of Billy as good story as ever wrote. It was rejected no less :. than thirteen times. But, like all the rest, it finally landed.
 .'It was during these New Orleans days that adopted my pen name of O. Henry. said to friend: I'm going to send out some stuff. l don't know if it amounts to much. so l want to get literary alias Help me pick out a good one.' He suggested that we get newspaper and pick name from the first list of notables that we found in it. In the society columns we found the account of a fashionable ball. Here we have our notables,' said he. We looked down the list, and my eye light ed on the name Henry. That'll do for last na1ne,' said I. Now for first name. want something short None of your three syllable names for me- Why don't you use a plain initial let ter. then?' asked my friend. Good. said I. o is about the easiest letter written. and o it is.'
 "A newspaper once wrote and asked me what the o stands for. I replied. o stands for Olivier, the French for Oliver And several of my stories ac- cordingly appeared in that paper un- der the name Olivier Henry.
 After drifting about the country finally came to New York Gilman Hall, then the editor of Ainslee's Mag azine, wrote me saying that if would come to New York he would agree to take $1,2OO worth of stories annually at the rate of $10O a story. This was at time when my name had no mar ket value.
 ''Yes; since came to New York my prices have gone up. l now get $75O for story that I would have been glad to get $75 for in my Pittsburgh days.
 "Editors are just like other mer- chants-they want to buy at lowest prices. A few years ago was selling stories to a certain magazine at the rate of cents a word. thought there was chance that I might get more. so boldly asked the. editor for 10 cents a word. All right said he; I'll pay it. He was just waiting to be asked"
 T get story thoroughly in mind be- fore I sit down at my writing table Then I write it out quickly and with out revising 1t mail 1t to the editor. In this way am able to judge my stories as the public judges them. I've seen stories in print that wouldn't tecog nize as my own.
 Yes. I get dry spells Sometimes I can't turn out a thing for three months. When one of these spells comes on quit trying to work and go out and see something of life. You can't write a story that's get any life in 1t by sitting at a writing table and thinking. You've got to get out into the streets. into the crowds, talk with people and feel the rush and throb of real life-that's the stimulant for story writer.
 "When first came to New York spent great deal of time knocking around the streets did things then that wouldn't think of doing now. l used to walk at all hours of the day and night along the river fronts. through Hell's Kitchen, down the Bow. cry, dropping into all manner of places and talking with any one who would hold converse with me. l have never met any one yet from whom could not learn something. He's had some experiences that have not had, be sees the world from his own viewpoint But whatever else you do don't Hash pencil and notebook. Either he will shut Up or he will become Hall Cains."