The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-25
STOCK WORKS UNDER TRYING CONDITIONS Detention Cell Is Used as a
 Literary Workshop HEALTH MUCH BETTER Gilbert H. Chesterton Is Much Im- proved-Story of an Interview
 With Sir Hiram Maxim.
 Literary Gossip
HEALTH MUCH BETTER
By HAYDEN CHURCH

By HAYDEN CHURCH
 London, April 9--(Special. )-Ralph Stock, who has made a name for him self in England and America os 6 writer of stories and books of adven- ture in the south seas, is now at work on a series to be called South of the Line" dealing with the adventures oi one John Brend. The author, who lately returned from some experiences in the tropics as exciting as anything in his books. enlisted as a rifleman In a battery now stationed near San- down, in the Isle of Wight and Is in training for a call to the front. The following letter received from him gives an entertaining picture of au- thorship under difficulties:
 The South of the Line series prog resses in the face of fearful odds. With the permission of the colonel. we man. aged to get & detention cell to york in. a square room 1Sx12, with white wash decoration. After importing three kitchen chairs, we got to work. each in a separate corner, but 1t Is difficult 10 write about the tropics with feel and hands slowly turning to ioe, so We shifted our factory, we call 1t, back to our own hut, B II. Here, after q so-mile rout march, and with a mouth organ. tin whistle. an occasional clog dance and the vocal efforts of q our faces to the wall and try to write and illustrate the adventures of ont John Brend.
 "The average Tommy is not the best of artist models. but he has to do. and when womans figure is needed, we put in for leave and raid certain Sandown tea shop. In an upper room, one of the waitresses poses under a gas jet, while her mother pays us peri odical visits from the shop below.
 "On rout marches, we invariably think out plots. Early in the day We start off with the germ of a brilliant idea, and high hopes of working 1t out to a successful conclusion, but as mile succeeds mile and the regulation boot asserts itself, the greatest of ideas IS apt to retreat before the onslaught of aching feet and tired limbs.
 However, we are oheered hutwards by such soul-inspiring ditties as We are the sandown bo-hys,
 We know our manners,
 We spend our tanners,
 We are respected wherever we go.  "As we go marching down the high
 street.
 Every window opens wide; You can hear the colonel shout;
 hi tiddli ii Woodbines out!
 We are the Sandown bo-hys!
 RIFLEMAN RALPH STOCK
 Chesterton Slowly Recovering
 1t is good in deed to be able to an rounce, on the authority of his devoted wife, that big G. K. Chesterton, who has been so dangerously i'll that it was feared for time that he would not pull through is recovering slowly but surely. lroni caIly enough shortly after "G, K. C,' thanks to clever and tireless physician has definitely turned the corner" $ the phrase goes an article from his pen sa- tirizins doctors appeared in a leading periodical. In this article the medica profession had no end of fun poked al it of the kind which Chesterton can hand out more effectively, perhaps, than any other British writer
 Now we have a ''communiQue' from Chesterton additional evidence of his re- covery) to the effect that this article was pcnned long before he took sick Naturallyi We all hope that he will soon be back in the literary arena. for. in wit as well as in bulk he is unique.
 Interviewing Hiram Maxim
 ID to date, l have read nothing more than lengthy reviews of Sir Hiram Maxims recently published volume ol .'reminiscences'' which he calls. My Life but I am eager to read the book itself, being intensely curious to see what If anything, there is in it about Brother Hudson 1t is several years since 1 las called on the famous inventor of thu Maxim gun. but at that time the subjec of King Charles head was to MT. Dicl in David Copperfield."
 The relations between the brothers wer, quite evidently strained (Hiram accused Hudson of trying to bag the credit fol some of his most renowned inventions and 1t was the lot of every newspape man who sought an interview with Si Hiram to have to listen patiently, ere h' could get on to the subject about whici he had called, to the cataiog of the lat ters grievances against Ike as h called Brother Hudson.
 In the course of fairly lengthy exper1 ence, I have interviewed quite a numbe of celebrities, but my first experienc' with Sir Hiram was unique, and makel me smile whenever think of it. It oc cured when Santos-D Dumont, with the ait of a "gas bag" was making his frs flights in France.
 The wrights had not been heard of and many thought that the Brazilian wa. the man who was going to conquer thu air. Sir Hiram Maxim, of course, was { recognized authority on the subject, him self having built a flying machine tha all but flew, and that would have done so no doubt, had the motor been perfected in those days, so to Sir Hiram I went on behalf of an American newspaper. u get hls views on the whole question.
 Never was there a man harder to mak' to stick to the subject in hand-at leas that was my experience. Sir Hiram con sented to be interviewed ready enough but he had his shorthand-typist presen lest, to insure accuracy, he should wisi to dictate any of his replies, and as thu .Interview" proceeded. must say. h' kept her busy!
 To begin with, as I have mentioned was regaled with the complete story O the feud between the brothers. Then managed to veer the talk round to th'