Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-15
THE DIME NOVEL" HABIT.


Not long aeo. this writer listened
10 a lecture IN which the effect 81
the dime novel" on the mind Of the
hoy was denounced ar most injurious
land vicious. From the speakers re-
marks. one wouid get the idea that
the boy with ''Deadwood Dick nov
81 In his hand was on the downward
road to destruction. going to The bow
vows at q hand gallop
The Kansas city star. in "a recent
number. tells Of really sensible
father who found his young son
deeply Interested in wild-and-woolly-
west story having TO do with the
mythical exploits Of Calamity Jane
lie looked the biood-and thunder
story over for few moments and
said
IAN right, son, so nhead Read
/ EN-. The period Of uickel-novcl read
ing comes to every boy some ,ime. He
has 10 have IT, lust ~ be has 90 have
the measles and the humps ] read
EN- when ! WIS boy ana look back
with keen pleasure upon those days
Read your 'iil of them. and when YOU
get tired ~ them, as you surely Will
SOU will tarn ia books Of a higher
class
As matter Of fact the dime
novel" is not a forerunner Of the pen
ltentiary. though once in a while boys
bring grief upon themselves and CON
eern 10 parents who don't under
stand By attempting the role OF the
Indian fighter when there are no
more Indians 10 fight. They try 10
translate their aspirations to be dime
novel heroes into action when the en-
vironmeut doesn't TT, ana an un-
pleasant visit to the waodshed not
results.
But the literature OF quick ac-
ton Is much better than no litera-
lure II stimulates the thought Of the
boy at time when ne would not
understand the sort Of literature his
unwise parents would like him 20
read. Also the quick action novel IS
a rest for the man who puts IN most
Of his time ~ the drudgery OF hard
mental work.
senator Hoar than who there was
not more scholarly man or pro-
founder statesman connected with
the government, was an inyeterate
reader Of dime novels Senator Platt
Of Connecticut was another states
man who delighted in wild west
stories. The story WAS told in Wash
lneton. shortly before the death Of
Senator Plat that he and Senator
fioar met In committee room for
the purpose Of conference on some
phase Of International law. Each Of
them had IN his hand dime novel
which do sou ike better. the FIVE
or the tcn-oent ones7' asked Sena-
Tor Patt 4 Ike the nve-eent ones
better, answered the Massachusetts,
statesman. because they have more
action SO do l." said Senator Plat,
and then the two scholarly old men
sat down to discussion OF the
veighty problems Of government
Senator Catron Of New Mexico,
who Is known throughout the coun-
try as a really profound lawyer and
whose library is the wonder and the
envy Of every other lawyer Of the
southwest. puts In most Of his leisure
hours on trains ana IN hotels reading
stories in which there is at least one
killing on each paEv shd where ;hc
heroine says. finland me. Villain
with the schooihoy. Il is stimulation
with the hard working student u
law and politics Il is relaxation The
student got over the habit. except as
an incident long ago. The schoolboy
viii shift 10 higher and better literu-
ture as his mental grasp develops.
Meanwhile. parents who Do not un-
dcrstand. and strict moralisx. who
never understand should possess
their souls in patience ana u they
don't like the literature the boy IS
reading. they might put something a
little better. bu, equally stimulating
into hls hands. lie is not going 70 be
enamored with naxters saints
Uca or Jonathan Edwards SER
MONS