The fool-killer., 1919-08-01

seemed to indicate that the game or
breaking into the big magazines was
going to be dead easy. But it wasn't.
In the twenty-odd years since then l
have sent to that same-New York In
dependent dozens and scores of other
poems-and in my opinion very much
better poems-but | have
landed another one. In the light of
such an experience l am inclined to
believe that the one acceptance was
just a plain accident.
But although / have not progress
ed very far INTO the big magazine
field, l have been a frequent contribu-
tor to many of the smaller and more
modest magazines and papers. | have
hammered along until my name is
tolerably we'll known among readers
of poetry, especially within the bounds
of North Carolina.
From the financial standpoint, how
ever, poetry is seldom a paying pro-
position. 1t is nearly always neces-
sary for the poet to work at some
thing else for a living. So | worked
on the farm until l was twenty-one
years old. About that time | got an
offer of a job in a local newspaper Of
fee. That struck me just about right,
because / had always wanted to be a
printer. 1t seemed to me that the
printers trade would be a long step
IN the direction | wanted to go. |
figured that in case. others refused to
print what l wrote l would then be
able to print it myself.
. So l promptly accepted the job that
was offered me on the little local pa
: per, and that proved to be the turning
, point of my career. | oon learned
10 set type, make up forms, feed the
press, etc, and in less than a month
[ was feeling quite at home in the
printing office. | seemed to have a
sort of aptitude for the work, and
! liked it. | could see that it was going
: % be a great help to me in an educa-
: aional way, making up, to some extent
! ior my lack of regular schooling.
From that day forward | began to re-
gard the newspaper office as my
school, and / W. let a day pass
without learning something that
would add a little to my general edu-
cation.
And so, having learned the printing
and newspaper trade, | soon moved
u from the country weekly to a city
daily, and from "offce devil" to edi-
torial writer and Washington cores
pondent. At one time, for a period of
several months, | made my head
quarters in Washington City and
wrote nearly all the dope" for a
paper having a circulation of 100000.
But all this time l was a "hired
nand' and had to take my orders from
: a "boss," and that didn't suit my no
ZION very we'll. And so | found my
self planning to settle down and start
a business of my own.
There is always a girl somewhere
IN the foreground of a young mans
plans at about that time of life. The
girl in this case was named Cora
Wallace. In an unguarded moment
she said eyes" Like Jacob of old
l had been waiting seven years to heal
that word. We were married on MAY
list, 1907, in the city of Charlotte, n
, c., where I was then, working Will
the Observer Publishing Company.
Years ago l had worked with Corr
Wallace in the printing office. Their
later she had taken a business course
becoming a capable stenographer .ane
typist, and vas making good in the
business world. But her health hae
begun to fail about two years before
| married her. The trouble was AS.
lima and Bronchitis. But | married
her just the same, hoping / coulc
give her a chance to get we'll.
A few months after our marriage i
became evident that the climate ant
water of Charlotte We're not agreein@
! with my wife, and SO | gave up m,
: Job with the Observer Company AM
moved back to M~oravian Falls wher,
we were both born and raised.
:. A year OF two before this | ha,
saved up a little money and bought al
DID ridge farm near the village O
/ Moravian Falls, and had also picke'
up a small job printing press and
lew pounds of secondhand type. Thi
little printing outfit was stored il
, The basement of the old farm-hous
While | was away, and when | brough
; my wife back there was nothing t
L do but to locate on the old farm. |
: was my intention to run my 10
y printing office getting out a book 0
my poems, and farm a little at tn
q same time.
: My wife, being also a printer, trie
!, co help me all she could on the bool
= out her cough and asthma seemed t
;, oe getting worse all the time, and sh
a not able to do much. Her wors
suffering a at night, when she coul
q lot lie down and sleep, but had to S
. propped up in bed and cough an
smother all night. | have seen he
Is struggle for breath for as long q
o. 5hirty-six hours at a time, and a
that time it looked like she couldn
= possibly live another five minute
= But after so long a time the attac
o. would wear off and she would /
!. g easy for awhile and could sleep.
II So we worked on the book as ia.
as we could until finally it was fnisl
&c ed and ready for sale. 1t containe
nearly a hundred of my best poem
and it's title was castle Gates" "
bound the books in red cloth, and Il
,e binding was very neat, considerin
q the fact that it was a home-mae
NJ job. Fifty cents was the price "
set on the book. l printed a circul:
to advertise it, and wrote lots of lie
ters, but the sale was very slow.
order to sell enough books to get Ii
it ing expenses l had to get out and ca
xt vass the neighboring towns. 1t w;
hard work and very d~iscouraging. b.
L hU kooninr of r. 7 Hnol1- o,o.o~aJ