The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-27
to0nunued From Pr.vlous I.sus.l
Copyright by AL Jennings, 1912

CHAPTER Ii.
Egotism is the bridge wherein men
nave crawled upward from the jungle.
There is no limit to lis reaches. 1t
spans even the heavens. paving the way
TO God and angels, whose sole delight
is 10 minister 10 men. II Is not stopped
even at the grave. but filings a tight
rope beyond, and on this hair line man
marches TO Immortality Without ego
tism, the human animal never would
have developed.
Across one chasm 1t does not stretch
the chasm between the world and the
prison. And In this exile the convict
becomes splritless and hopeless, He
expects nothing, for he has lost the
self-esteem that buoys trust.
When Bill Porter went down the WALL
to the ope road in his saueaky shoes
and the arrogant yellow gloves Steve
BusHel had given him, neither Billy
Raider nor ] ever expected to catch
again an echo from those familiar foot
steps. He had sauntered out OF our
lives. We were glad for the sunny
companionship he had given us when
he was one with ourselves.
Becomes Topic for Talk.
We talked about him now n then.
Billy always brought up the converse
ton.
II need some tobacco--a special brand
think III drop a line TO BIZ Porter
and ask him TO send 1t on" Or again
II was his hair that worried him. Fool
that was-I forgot to get that remedy
from Bill. I'm like to be bald before he.
sends his address. Say, Al, didn't he
promise to give you a lift on the story
what about it?'
But the weeks went by and no word
anne, A month and a half to the day
IllIrp cant a VNgnnAH IN thu ne Fdnn'g
office with a letter postmarked pitts
burgh," The runner brought q note
from Raider. al, send me hack that
letter, My locomotor ataxia Is itchin'
to see what Bills got to say. Yours In
great peril, Billy"
he had already taken the name of Q.
Henry-had sent to me at the Ohio
penitentiary. He had not forgotten us
and he had already made good:
Dear Jennings: | have Intended to
write to you and Billy every week since
! left, but kept %postponing II because
! expected to move on to, Washington
sounds like Stonewall Jackson talk,
doesn't ITO almost any time. | am very
comfortably situated here, but expect
to leave In a couple Of weeks, anyhow.
Pittsburgh Inspires Contempt
II have been doing quite a deal Of
business with the editors since ] got
down to work and have ~madeanore than
| could Mt any other business. l want
to say that Pittsburgh is the low
downedest' hole on the surface of the
earth, The people here are the most
ignorant, III bred, contemplate, boorish,
degraded, insulting, sordid, vile, foul
mouthed, indecent, yprofane, drunken,
dirty, mean, depraved ours that ever
imagined could exist, Columbus people
are models Of chivalry compared with
them. ! shall linger here no longer
than necessary.
"Besides, on general principles, | have
a special object in writing to you Just
now, | have struck up quite a corre-
%spondence with the editor Of Every
bpdy's Magazine. ! have, sold him two
articles In August and have orders for
others, In writing to him some time
ago | suggested an article with q title
something like THE Art and Humor
Of Holding Up a Train telling him that
| thought j could get 1t written by an
expert In the business.
"Of course, ] mentioned no names or
localities. He seemed very much struck
with the idea and has written twice
asking about Il. The only fear he had,
he said, was that the expert would not
put 1t In a shape suitable for publica-
ton in Everybody's, as John Wanna
maker was very observant OF the pro-
| prieties.
Now, II you would care to turn your
| self loose on the subject there may
| be something In 1t and a start on fu-
ture work besides. OF course, you
needn't disclose your Identity In the
slightest degree. What he wants tas
! thought he would is a view Of the
subject from the operators standpoint,
MY idea would be a chatty sort OF
article-just about the way you usually
talk, treating I descriptively and try
ing out the little points and details,
| just as a man would talk of his chicken
farm or his hog ranch.
III you want TO tackle Il, let me
know and Ill send you my Idea OF the
article, with all the points that should
be touched upon. I will either 20 over
IL and arrange 1t according to my con
oeptlon OF the magazine requirements,
whichever. you prefer, Let me know
soon, as ] want to answer his letter,
well, how is the p, O., and vice
| versa. It's an awful job for me 70
write a letter. l believe my pencil
handwriting is nearly as bad as yours,
zone letter TO Harris IL the best I've
accomplished in the way OF CORE
spondence since | left. ! haven't writ
ten to Louisa In two months, hope
she don't feel grieved. ] am going tt
write to her pretty soon.
Respect Shown Men in Prison.
III | could get 30 days in the o, P
that much to get q change OF society
from the hounds here, I'd rather 81
In the ~dumphouse there and listen Il
the bucket lids rattle than to heal
these varmints talk. as far as enter
tainment Ia concerned,
N"Pard, they don't get no low -down
eder than the air here. II | could jus
hava that black coon that comes in tn