The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-24
Rhy,,,i,,g and Money

Some time ago The Kansas City Star had an
interview with Walt Mason and succeeded in prying
out Of him number Of his own ideas in regard to
his work.
Among other things. the interviewer asked Walt
how he thought the poetry business compared with
the grocery business.
Il think it infinitely better" he said Il have
no bad customers. and don't have to stand and
argue for three hours to sell forty cents worth Of
goods. The grocer sells pound Of prunes. and
has to deliver them at house on the outskirts Of
town. and then charge them on the first Of the
month he has to make out bill and walk three miles
to the customers residence only to be stood off for
thirty days. If send poem to Golfers, for in
stance the editor does no hassling. He doesn't
write back that ne can get better poem for less
money from the Sweet Singer Of Michigan, and
he doesn't insnuate that am giving short weight.
or that my poetry contains benzoate Of soda. He
either sends a check or ships the poem back
with an invitation to send another one. All my
relations with my customers are pleasant
How many American poets make living ex-
clusively from poetry9
I'm the only one can positively identify. Most
Of the wellknown poets draw salaries from news
papers or magazines. they do things to the chau
tauqua platform. they in one line Of business
or another. ! never own a dollar that don't get
by writing, and the fact that don't go around the
country reading from my own works is my chief
claim to nations gratitude
Would you advise young man. ambitious for a
career, to take up poetry?
THAT depends upon the young man. If had
a step-son who suffered for a career Id advise him
to secure patent right on some good washing
machine. The road to success as a poet is long
and rocky one wrote poetry for twenty years
before began to make any money out Of it. The
rhymes wrote for love Of the game would girdle
the globe. And when moderate success did come
| was too old and feeble to enjoy blowing in the
money"
Has the present day poet any other mission tl.an
making money?
Such query should be passed over with silent
scorn he modern newspaper poets are doing
more to brighten the world and make it good place
to live than all the extinct poets in the Hall of
Fame or Westminster Abbey ever did, The news
paper poets are forever preaching the sanest op-
tmism designed for the people who really need the
influence Of optimism-the brcad-winners the
weary and heavy laden Browning sat in palace
and wrote optimistic verses for people who lived in
palaces. and such people. as rule. don't need the
assurance that Gods in His heaven, and alrs right
with the world.
Are poets born or madeo
Both. Unless one is born with the poets ear,
he never will produce good rhyme And if he has
that equp ment he has to be whipped into shape be-
fore he can accomplish anything. and the whipping
process means travail of spirit and great bitterness
he poet who is pe,ted all his days may sometime
publish book Of his choicest gems at his own ex-
pense. but he'll never sell much of his product to
hard-hearted editors"
What do the people want.
They want poetry easy to read, poetry with
jingle in it, poetry that treats Of the things and con-
dtions they familiar with, and they want their
poetry clean and wholesome. The best American
newspaper poetry fills all these requirements and
that's why it is doing so much good A man sees
IN the newspaper clever rhyme full of hope and
encouragement, and he cuts it out and shows it to
his friends and carries it in his pocket. and takes
it home and reads it to his family. and his wife
pastes it in the scrapbook for future reference"
DO you expect to make poetry your life work?
BY no means My highest ambition is to own
covered wagon and travel over the country trading
horses. When have earned enough money to
buy string Of ponies expect to send my Tyre to
the junk man and quit poetry forever"