The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-11-21
WHAT PROHIBITION DID FOR
WALT MASON

In the September American Maya
zine William Allen White, editor Of
the Emporia Gazette, tells briefly
the story Of the rhyme writer, and
Mr.. Mason himself tells that story
much more in detail n is an in
teresting story, as told by them both.
Mr.. Whites portion Of IL, in part,
reads thus:
III was Emporia that did the BUSH
ness for Walt Mason-Emporia and
the indomitable soul in him. He
really did IL himself: but he needed
the proper environment. So, per-
haps. they did IL together.
when he wrote for a lob on the
Gazette, no said that he had all the
degrees that could be conferred up
on him by certain institution
which claimed to cure bcoze-nghters,
and that he had tried high resolves
many times, only 10 wake up and
find the brewers daughter feeding
his weeks salary 20 her favorite
cat He said he wanted, before he
quit, to try dry town. II started
dry. In is57-that isn't misprint.
for II was 81 years ago, in an age
when preacher could stew his soul
in teddy without losing caste-Em-
poria in the charter Of the town
company started with a prohibition
clause. II did not always hold the
rum nend away. But il always
bothered him 10 get in. So he never
waxed Fat in Emporia. And for
generation Emporia, while not bone
dry. has not been moist.
when Walt Mason came here the
town was fairly dry. Alcohol formed
no part Of the towns conscious
thought. No one invited him 10
drink. He heard no talk Of drink;
he saw no one drinking: and 10 get
liquor he would have had to associ-
ate with loafers and plug-uelies.
So Walt Mason, in a dry town. hav-
ing plenty ~ work 10 do, did IL well.
And the town stood by and cheered
him. Ten thousand people became
his friends. They are his friends
Walt Mason is the Homer Of mod
ern America, and particularly Of
Middle Western America, the Amer
lea Of the country town. For, after
trying the city, East and West, he
found his feet and restored his soul
here in Emporia. And the town is
vastly proud OF him. And they are
glad TO tell the stranger all about il.
II you really desire TO see a doting
parent. come 10 Emporia and start
the talk on Walt Mason in any store.
in any Office, in any shop. No proud
father has more stories Of his FIRST
baby than Emporia has about Walt
Mason, and they are true. for they
are all good"
n you never read line Of Walt
Mason's prose-rhymes-if you don't
care a pin for rhyme anyhow--you
will read this rhymer's story OF him
self with keen interest, and will find,
before you finish, that the moisture
is gathering under your eye-lids. AT
least that is what we found; and
we are frank 10 say that the prose
form Of poetry has never appealed
10 us much more than the form now
affected by a few good people. which
they call vers libre; neither have the
writers Of that form. In our hum
BILE opinion, poetry should not only
rhyme. but should look rhythmic.
and not pose as prose.
But Mason writes his own STORY
Of a Has-Been Who Came Back" in
simple prose, with not a rhyme in il,
hut with hOmely frankness which
captivates. He was % years old
when his newspaper career began;
he was IS when he admitted himself
Down and Out" Occasionally he
would live like an anchorite" for
a few days; but his 'virtous re-
solves never lasted longer than two
or three weeks" He was the easy
victim Of newspaper conditions
when booze" appeared a necessity
10 newspaper making. Here is one
Of his Illustrations:
I'm November of one immemorial
year | was seated in a beautifully
editorial room, the star
man of a great and growing news
paper. The managing editor thot
so much of work, and was so con-
WINGED that | had reformed for good,