Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-27

When we raised tho S. o. s. and called
for some one to tell us the color of Frank
r. Stockton's hair we had no keen inter-
est in that precise information, but we
did nourish a slight hope that the mail
might bring something intimate. Here's
the first bit of gossip to arrive. 1t comes
from c. b. ":
FEATURE items of interesting people are
not one OF my strong ponts--too much
given to quoting what they say and think
TO take careful account of looks colors and
dress. But my recollection is that Stock
tons hair was thin, long and sandy, with
some gray i'm it--dfer he had made a repu.
tdtion as a story tUriter. III was we'll over
hfty when first met him lin the declining
ninetys) thin, with n large head on a small
body, sharp features and walked with head
thrust bit forward. l had wanted to meet
him for years to make n confession.
The afternoon of Sunday March I. 1888,
| was visiting a friend in Montclair. 1t
was rainy afternoon and the folks gath
cred in the big room for some reading
The story selected to be read aloud was
about Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine on a
stage journey in California, overtaken by a
snowstorm, which finally showed them in
or under. Some of the situations were so
absurd and improbable that the reader
broke off without finishing the story and /
It, Never again did | treat a story of
Stocluon's In like fashion. why? The next
morning it was showing. The men started
for the train to town and had difficulty In
reaching the station. The train ran into
drift in Arlington, on the Jersey meadows
and remained there for days. My friend
and l tried to walk TO Newark and nearly
froze to death. We got shelter for the
night I'm shanty and next day walked
on the crust to Newark, catching the first
n Vg,N1E l. .uff.r
reached home at s o'clock on Tuesday
evening. 1t was the IS March blizzard
played off on us by Stockton for doubling
his story. The punishment seemed out of
all proportion to the crime-and l wanted
to tell Stockton so.
The time came late one Saturday eve
ming at a club where Stockton was chatting
with group of fellow members Of whom
Captain Mahan was one. Some one had
asked the story writer how it happened
that his accounts Of sea life, ships and boats
were so accurate, when, by his own
confession, he knew nothing about them?
To this he replied that his good friend,
Captain Mahan, the naval expert always
revised his manuscript before publication.
One Of the group asked Stockton: Have
you heard the latest definition Of an ex-
pert?' continuing, "A man who is blufflng
beyond my limit" quoting Peter Macarthur
All laughed, except Stockton. who looked
puzzled The reference TO poker had to be
explained to him.
Then Stockton told OF correction Ma
han had made in one of his stories, de.
scriblng a ship coming to anchor while
all sails were set and drawing before a
good breeze. Mahan remarked that If the
ship was brought to a stop that way she
would put her nose down and her tail up
and dive for the bottom IL the chain held
Stockton's first great story, of course,
was ''rhe Lady or the Tiger" A very
clever answer in verse was published in the
Century later, which carried the story one
step further and still left one unanswerab BILE
human question at its end. Two other
stories by Stockton grew out Of "The Lady
or the Tiger?" One as a kind of sequel
THE Discourager of Hesitancy" I think it
was called. The other q feel quite sure)
was StOCkton's STORY" of the story THE
Lady or the Tiger and was named His
Deceased Wife's Sister" Il Think