The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-08-31
HOW 0. HENRY CHOSE
~. HIS FAMOUS PEN NAME.


o. Henry Sydney Porter said TO a
reporter: II went to New Orleans and
took. up literary work in earnest. /
sent stories to newspapers. weeklles;
and magazines ,nll over, the country.
Reflections? Lordy. l should say | did
have reflections. but ! never took them
to heart Just stuck now stamps oil
tho stories and sent them ont ugaln.
And III their jorlrneying to and fro NIL
tho stories finally landed In offices
where they found welcome. can
say that | never wrote anything that.
sooner or later, hasn't been accepted
"As for reflections. take The Eman.
lcipation of Billy as good story us
] ever wrote. 1t was rejected no less
than thirteen times. But. like all the
rest, 1t finally landed.
at was during these New Orleans
days that l adopted my pen name OF
Q. Henry. said to n friend: I'm going
to send out some stuff. don't know
II It amounts to much. so want to
get a literary alias. Help me pick out
a good one he suggested that We get
a newspaper and pick name from tho
first list Of notables that We found In
It. In the society columns We found
the account Of fashionable ball. Here
We have our notables.' said lie. We
looked down the list. and my eye light.
ed on the name Henry. 'That'll do for
a last name said !. 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 !. . is about the easiest letter
written, and o 1t u.s.
"a newspaper once wrote and asked
me what the o stands for. 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 II ! would
come to New York he would agree to
take $1,000 worth Of stories annually
at the rate Of 500 story. This was
at time when my name had no mar.
ket value.
Yes: since l came to New York my
prices have gone up. I now get $3.50
for story that would have been
glad to get SIS for in my Pittsburgh
days. 4sfa.! WI g44,.s 4
Editors are Just like other mer-
chants-they, want to buy at lowest
prices. a few years ago I was selling
stories to a certain magazine at the
rate Of 8 cents a word. l thought
there was a chance that i might get
more. so I boldly asked the editor for
10 cents word. All right, said he:
I'll pay it. He was Just waiting to
be asked Il sys,A 81
II get a story thoroughly In. mind be.
fore I sit down at my writing table.
Then ! write It out quickly and with
out revising It mali 1t to the editor. In
this way am able to Judge my stories
us tho public Judges them, I've seen
stories in print that 1 wouldn't recog.
nize as my own,
Eyes. l get dry spells. Sometimes
cunt turn out a thing for. three months.
When one OF these! spells comes on l
quit trying to work and go out and see
something Of life. You can't write a
story that's got any life in It by sitting
at a writing table and thinking. You've
got to get out into tho streets, into the
crowds. talk with people and feel the
rush and throb OF real life-that's the
stimulant for story writer.
when I first came to New York l
spent a great deal Of time, knocking
around the streets. I 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 vet from whom I could
not learn something. Hes had some
experiences that I have not had: be
sees the world from his own viewpoint.
But whatever else, you do don't flash