Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-04-03

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man, to the congested labor centres of
the eastern states, where men were
small potatoes and hunted the job for
all they were worth. and l found my
self looking upon life from a new
and totally different angle. 1 saw the
workers in the shambles at the bottom
of the Social Pit. l swore I would
never again do hard days work with
my body except where I was absolute
ly compelled to, and I have been busy
ever since running away from harl
bodily labor.
In my nineteenth year I returned t.
Oakland and started at the High
School, which ran the usual schoo!
magazine. This publication was q
Ueekly-no, l guess a monthly-one
and I wrote stories for it; very little
imaginary just recitals of my sea and
tramping experiences. I remained
there a year, doing iainitor work as a
means Of livelihood. and leaving even
tually because the strain was more
than could bear. At this time my
sceianstic utterances had attracted
considerable attention, and I was known
as the Boy Socialist" a distinction
that brought about my arrest for stree
talking. After leaving the High School,
in three months examining b. myself.
I took the three years work for that
time and entered the University OF
California. I hated to give up the
hope OF University Education. aad
orked in a laundry and with ny pay
- help me keep on. This was the only
time l worked because I loved it, bu;
the task was too much, and when hat
way through my Freshman year I hal
to quit.
worked away Ironing shirts and
other things in the laundry, and wrote
in all my spare time. I tried to keep
on at both. but often fet asie-p with
the pen in my hand Then 1 left the
laundry and wrote all the time, an
lived and dreamed again. After three
months trial I gave up writing, hay
ing decided that l was a failure, and
left for the Klondike to prospect for
sold. At the end of the year. owing to
an outbreak of scurvy, I was COMPEL
cd to come out and on homewarl
Journey of 1900 miles in an open boat,
made the only notes of the trip. It was
in the Klondike I found myself There
nobody talks. Everybody thinks. You
get your true perspective. got mine.
While l was in the Klondike my
father died, and the burden of the fam
lily fell on my shoulders. Times were
bad in California, and I could get NO
work. While trying for it, I wrote
Down the River" which was rejected.
During the wait fer this rejection /
wrote twenty thousand word serial
for a news company, which was also
rejected Pending each rejection I
still kept On writing stuff. l did noy
know what an editor looked like. I die
not know a soul who had ever pub
hshed anything. Finally story was
accepted by a California magazine for
which l received five dollars. Soon
afterwards "The Black Cat" offered
NE forty dollars for a story. Then
things took a turn, and l shall PROB
ably not have to shovel coal for a liz
ing for some time to come, although
have done it and could do it again.
My first book was publishec in 1900
I could have made a good deal at news
paper work; but I had sufficient sense
tc refuse to be a slave to the man
killing machine for such I hold a
newspaper to be to young man it
Lis framing period. Not until I was
we'll on my feet as a magazine writer
did l do much work for a newspaper.
I am believer in regular work, and
never wait for an inspiration. Tenn
Iperamentally am not only careless
ard irregular. but melancholy; still :