Newspaper Page Text
EDITORIAL PAGE
THE SUNNY SOUTH
MAY tO, 1902
15he SUNNY SOUTH
Published Weekly by
Sunny South Publifhing Co
Butlne/s Office
THE COHSTITUTIOH BUILDING
ATLANTA. GEORGIA
Subscription Terms:
To those who subscribe
to fShe Sunny South only
Six Months, 25c One Year, 50c
LESS THAN A PENNY A WEEK
EiunS at the smM>m Atluu,Gt.jjiMic«il<lui veil natter
jm
The Wanny death to the eldest meekly payer ef literature,
gomamce, Path and WUtlen la the death * It to near re•
Jtored te the original shape and mitt he pmblUhed ae form
merty every meek ^ Wounded In IS74 It grew until IM99,
when, are monthly. Its form woe changed ae an eaperls
meat y It now returns te Us original formation us a
weekly with renewed vigor and the intention of ectlpm
lag Its most promising period In the past, f
Nature and the Outdoor
Season
UMMER is already simmering down
on us with that suddenness peculiar
to the south. In fact, its onset this
year was so unceremonious as to
deprive us of many of the beauties
of the spring, for which we had
yearned during the winter, and for
whose coming we had planned so
many pleasant diversions and excur
sions. But with the actual approach
of the heated term plans must be
amended, as well as clothing, and
every man, woman and child who
watches the changing of the seasons
and sensibly adjust their lives to ac
cord with those changes will be looking forward
eagerly to the pleasures and occupations which
are incident to the time when scorching sun rays
render breezes a luxury, and when the beginning
of day and the twilight are the dearest experiences
of the twenty-four hours.
There is enough of the animal left in our refined
twentieth century sentiments and sensations to
make this outdoor season a very enjoyable one.
Nature, in her varied moods and phases, seems to
conspire to turn our dwelling places and the seeth
ing marts into places of abomination. She treats
us as we do our children, and would fain shut the
6chool doors tightly, and bid us begone and re
new our energies, and rest our tired brains in the
haunts which she has provided for that express
purpose. Sadly enough, only a small fraction of
humanity can obey these primal urgings, and get
out for a romp with the motherly old beldame.
Those who can lay asiije the trappings of work
for the nonce, and giving the hard-worked facul
ties a deserved rest, will thoroughly appreciate
God’s handiwo r k through His first great assistant
—Nature. On the fields and forests have been
lavished the r ichest colors on her palette—the
odors of Araby are not more balmy or health-in
stilling than those which lull the senses when we
leave behind us the truly “madding crowd” and
invade the domain which the hand of man has
not touched, save to quicken its beauties or drink
in its energizing elixir. Seashore, mountain and
cool forest shade hold out inviting arms and the
man who enters their embrace later on returns to
his work with a new appreciation of the joys of
living, and a greater capacity animating his brain
and hand.
It is this very proneness to cast aside for a
space the habilaments of civilization and throw
ourselves into the great unfathomable, boundless
sea of Nature, which hints how dependent we are
on our earthly faculties for health and mental
strength, and that we should not ignore the long--
ings which the animal man feels at such a time.
Moreover, for those whose lines are irrevocably
cast in such fashion that they may not indulge
these very natural desires to the extent which na
ture dictates, there is yet hope for the passing of a
fairly enjoyable summer and a partial resting of
mind and body which is infinitely superior to no
rest at all. If you must remain in the city, there is
no reason why you should not make preparations
to meet the strain cf hot weather and provide; for
recreation in a sane, helpful manner. There are
few commercial houses which do not curtail the
hours of labor at this season or provide half holi
days at frequent, regular intervals. Breadwinners
in almost every calling find the demands on their
attention and force less exacting, and they should
take advantage o. this fact to recoup the physical
energies. The suburbs, with their cool breezes and
shady nooks, are within easy reach. Recreation
during the summer is at a minimum expense when
you take it near home. The idea is, of course, to
avoid its violent form and take pleasure in an even,
casual manner.
The man who learns to take his summers quietly
and sensibly, and to plan for them with the same
forethought which he gives to his work, will find
himself vastly the gainer in many ways when the
season for hard work makes its reappearance.
Genius and Love Seldom
Bestowed Equally
IEWED casually, love and genius are
W 4 enough alike to be twin brothers in
m J many respects. In almost as many
others they are about as closely as*
sociated as the Deity and Satan.
You can never predict where or in
what manner love is going to strike;
the same holds true of genius.
Either one frequently blossoms
forth luxuriantly in the strangest lo
calities and on the most unpromising
soil. Either one may run a fitful,mor
bid kind of course, give rise to curi
ous, half-insane pranks, and involve
its possessor in many unpleasant or
serious predicaments. A man in love or a man
in the throes of genius is very apt to
be dominated by the one master passion
to the exclusion of all other earthly or
heavenly considerations. There have been
men who loved wisely and well and there
have been geniuses whose actions were liberally
sprinkled with common sense. But such were
savory, refreshing exceptions. As a general rule,
genius and love hold their victims in rigid thrall.
They constitute a subtle, unknowable stimulus
which, if it be tKe genuine strain, brings out the
best there is in a man and so elevates him that
he is, for the time being, “but a little lower than
the angels.”
But the two very soon part company and go
ways widely divergent. And the man who stands
at the parting of the ways has little difficulty in
picking out the causes from which estrangement
has come. To begin with, love knocks at almost
every one’s door. It is beautifully impartial and
visits the hovel of the slave as unhesitatingly as
it invades the palace of the emperor. It meets the
poor man on his cramped pathway, and it makes
the Croesus stand and deliver on the king’s high
way. Genius is coy. More than this—hard
hearted, immutable.. No amount of courting, no
smooth tricks of beauty, or diplomacy, or wrestling
and praying causes her to bend down and touch
lovingly the lips of the wooer. She has a distant
relative, Talent, which frequently comes as a sub
stitute. Often they are very similar in appearance
and may even go along their friendly way hand in
hand. But when they once separate they are not
on speaking terms with each other and no sincere
man will look on their faces and say they are chil
dren of the same parents.
Love strikes strongly and blindingly, and though
it may sear its counterpart, cosy affection, into the
soul, the master itself does not remain. Genius
comes to the f .w, and it comes without the asking
and in a very erratic manner, but where once it
rests it abides until its tenement passes beyond
earthly ken. It seems to have a special fancy for
the crude and the lowly, and it frequently so en
tirely fills its nest that there is no room for the
saner faculties of the commonplace. It cannot be
killed or dwarfed, like love. But like love, it is
overpowering, all-absorbing. It wili have all or
none.
Providence seems to have ordained that those
on whom have been lavished the mysterious fire
from heaven must not expect to meet the strange
twin—love—in equal measure! Rarely do we find
a man of genius happily situated as regards his
affections. This strange disparity began with one
of the brightest, most genial of the species when
old Socrates set up his shingle and began to teach
the world a new philosophy. A man on whom
the gods had lavished their gifts, and yet he pos
sessed Zantippe!—a name that has typified peev
ish, scolding womanhood ever since. Scan the
history of the ages since and you will discover
that much the same fate has befallen other men
of genius. Few brilliant statesmen, or soldiers, or
discoverers, or inventors, or writers—men framed
to sway human cestinies—have been fortunate in
their private and more sacred relations. In the
memory of living men the assertion has been
justified. Napoleon’s exile on St. Helena hid not
only ruptured ambitions, but a broken heart.
Byron, Shelley, George Elliott and others in other
fields ad infinitum have been curiously afflicted in
this lack of harmony in the divinest of earthly
qualities.
From this strange discord and human unhappi
ness, mankind at large seems to have reaped the
benefit. Genius, driven back on itself, thwarted
and balked by cruel circumstance, becomes more
powerful and incisive in developing its force and
working out its destiny. Those who profit by its
presence and its brilliance may be happier in the
possession of its less dazzling twin—but they owe
genius a debt of deference and sympathy which
it would_ be hard to discharge too generously.
Critics Are Not Necessarily
Infallible
UCH importance is attached now-
m JX adays to the gentle art of criticjsm.
V|/7 Never were its ranks more rsplete
JfJL with cultured gentlemen, and never
were their dictums delivered
with such positiveness and ingenuity
as at the present time. Just now
the entire fraternity is bewailing the
invasion of the realms of literature
by a myriad army of callow hands.
These crudelings, so the wiseheads
say, have been led by the marvelous
literary successes of recent years to
create any number of bad stories
and poor poems, to the detriment of
true art, and the nauseating of a long-
suffering reading; public. Now, while this
may be tru^, to a large extent, we do not
think those who are the literary beacons of
the time should discourage the entire mass of new
writers, because some few of the number happen
to be incompetents, or do not measure up to the
rigid standards which these gentlemen have estab
lished.
We do not wish to be accused of reviling critics
as a class. Those sincere, and really able, are in
valuable. They not only act as a stimulant to
writers who might otherwise lapse in to carelessness,
but they form a bulwark between the people who
patronize the arts and those who might impose on
them by inferior work. They are supposed to cull
what is best in art and give the public the benefit
of their observation and experience, thus saving
time and wasted effort for those of the mass who
are laudably trying to improve themselves. These
duties should form the principle feature of their
occupation, and if discharged honestly and with
out prejudice, tend to make the critical gentlemen
indispensable.
But there is another division of critics with
which the wise thinker is familiar. Its type has
been driven to criticism for a living for the reason
that failure has met him in other positive occupa
tions. A fairly good vocabulary, a parlous style
and a penchant for coining catch phrases seem
to be the chief equipment. Most of his work is
done with the aim of drawing attention to himself,
or obscuring the object under review, in a riotous
tangle of rhetoric and outlandish metaphors.
This critic seldom praises, for the simplest of rea
sons—vituperative metaphors are more picturesque
and allow wider i^nge.for his originality. Loosen
his leash and let him out full cry after some vital
subject, and within a short time he has torn it
into shreds bearing not the least semblance to the*
original pattern. This is the critic who gladly mis
construes the motives and the characters of au
thors, and the aims of the painter and sculptor
and actor, and if he does not openly denounce,
damns with faint praise.
Neither the honest nor the grand stand playing
critics, however, are infallible. After all. it is only
an individual opinion, and while the man of expe
rience and culture in a given field may be better
qualified to pronounce impartial judgment, it is
wisest for the man who has the time to decide
these questions according to his personal prefer
ences.
Diamond and the Violin
By FRANK L STANTON
A DIAMOND and h Violin, Imprisoned^
In the gloom and silence of a deserted
attic. •
What dreams they dreamed there—the
one blazing I tie a star In the dust; the
other stringless, mute, with only the
musical memories that came when the
night wind passed like a spirit by' the
desolate, darkened windows.
How shall I read the Diamond's dreams,
or tell the sad, sweet story of the violin?
But the D!an|ond speaks. Listen!
"Poor Violin," said the Diamond, as
Its light illumined the darkness of the
attic. “Poor Violin! But what is thy
fate to mine? Long years ago a beggar
found me by the wayside, and I brought
him great riches. Then, a queen saw
and loved me, and set me like a splendid
star In her coronet; and princes knelt
before me; kingdoms were mine, and na
tions blessed or cursed me. But they led
the queen, my mistress, to the scaffold.
The angry rabble tore the crown from
her brow and trampled me In the dust.
But how was I avenged! There was 3
flashing of swords in ' the . darkness and
the skies rained crimsot)—on my breast.
Men fought for me, men died for me,
and red with blood, they bore me oft in
triumph.
"Once more I was admired; again I
was beloved. A king placed me In h!s
crown and challenged all the world to
match my splendor. The world bowe.l
down to me again. I blazed in beauty on
a throne of gold.
“But one dim night, when the sentinels
were dreaming at the palace gates, the
beggar who had found me by the wayside
crept like an evil" shadow to the king's
couch and slew him for my sake! Then,
chased by the wild, awakened guards.
. -Frsnk-L Stsnton - — • - -
he fled for refuge to this attic and lost
me in the fork. He was' dragged forth
and slain in the street.
"This is my story—and what Is thine,
poor Violin?"
“Alas!".the Violin answered, "I have
not the heart to tell it. It seems like a
sweet dream now—sweet and far away.
But listen: My master was poor, but
music dwelt with him and found its
sweetest voice in me. From hamlet to
hamlet we journeyed together, and the
world thrilled with sweetest melody when
he touched my quivering strings. The
reapers left the golden wheat and lis
tened, leaning on their scythes; the
hearts of old men were melted by my
music; they listened in Life’s misty twi
light, remembering youth’s springtime
and all the beauty of the past; and the
*soft cheeks of beautiful maidens crim
soned as I breathed their secrets to the
laughing winds; but they came and kissed
my master and the children clapped their
hands and gave him flowers for a s<tig.
And once he won a woman’s love through
me, and her lips have kissed me, and I
have felt the soft caresses of her golden
hair, falling over my thrilling strings
No kingdoms of strife and storm were
mine; no swords were drawn In my de
fense, or made their glittering scabbards
red for ms; no kings and queens were
murdered fa* my sake. Mine was the
klngom of Love. Hope came to the de
spairing when my voice was heard and
love blossomed In the homes of the
broken-hearted.
"But one day my master left me. He
fell asleep in the sunshine, and the roses
crept over him and hid his dear face
from my sight. Then, the woman whose
love I had Won for him, kissed me for his
sake. Weeping and broken-hearted, she
laid me away among the treasures of her
love. Every morn and every night she
came and kissed me, and went away
weeping.
"One sweet mom I missed her. -She
was dreaming in the sunshine of. mv
master and his music. The roses kissed
her, and creeping over her beautiful face,
they hid It from the world and from
me!"
"Poor Violin!" said the Diamond, “I
would have given all my glory for one
hour of your life ot love. Will your mas
ter come no more? Will not your mis
tress seek you in the dust and dark and
kiss you back to life?"
But the Violin was mute. It was
dreaming of the two dreamers In the
sunlight far away with the roses creep
ing over them.
Details of Sunny Sooth $250 Shout Story Contest
|ITH this announcement The Snnny South inaugurates a short story contest
which we believe, in all its details, to be not only absolutely original in south
ern literature, but one which is calculated to draw out the best of that literary
talent which we have always insisted is so plentiful in the south. Great care
has been taken in working out the details of this contest, and its conditions
are infinitely broader than and radically different from those in previous
competitions held by The Snnny South. Care has been taken to open the
lists to every class of writers, and the original plans amended to place every
one who enters the contest on an equal footing. The prizes which are here
with offered are so arranged and graded that the humblest may feel an incen
tive to earnest effort, supported by the assurance, which is now given, that
every manuscript will be given conscientious consideration, and ample time allowed every
contestant in which to oomplete and forward to this office his or her entry in the
competition.
Following are the cash prizes which are offered. Those contemplating entrance
into the. contest are requested to note them carefully, then read with an'attentive eye tha
explanation presented in the paragraphs following:
First Prize 8100 00
Second Prize- - 50 00
Third Prize : - 40 00
Faurfti Prize - 80 OO
Fifth Prize • - IB OO
• Five Special Prizes*
/Neatest wianascflpt--------- 8 BOO
Clearest Style- •» BOO
; Most Unique Plot BOO
Best Local Color 8 OO
Strongest Character B OO
CRAND TOTAL OF CASH PRIZES $250.00
CONDITIONS OF THE CONTEST*
The following conditions, which will be rigidly adhered to, will govern the
contest. A close reading by contestants is requested, as details are elaborated here with
a clearness which is intended to obviate the necessity for correspondence on the subject:
1. —The conteat opens from this date.
2. —Manuscript* are not expected before June 1.
' 3-—The conteat closes August 1, and no manuscript will be received after
that date.
4.—Maximum length of stories, 6,000 words; minimum length, 4,000 wordu.
6.—Decisions in contest, with names of prize winners, will be published
in The Sunny South as early as practicable.
6. —Manuscripts must be written on only one side of a sheet not larger than
8 by 11 Inches. If not typewritten, stories must be legibly written.
Typewriting Is preferred where possible.
7. —Manuscript must be sent flat, not rolled or folded.
8. —Stories must be fully postpaid, and sufficient postage inclosed to incurs
return In case the manuscript is not accepted for use, even if It does
not win a prize. If so used it will be paid for by The Sunny 8outh.
9. —The real name and aadress of the writer rhust be plainly written on the
upper left-hand corner of the fist page of the manuscript proper.
10. —No winner of any one of the principal prizes can participate in any of
the five special prizes.
11. —Not more than one of the special prizes can be won by any one person.
12. —While the south and many phases of ante and post bellum southern
life offer splendid opportunities for story telling, contestants are not
, restricted to this field. Plots may be laid in any country, under any
natural conditions; but the stories must be in the English language
and must be original with the contestant, no translations being ad
mitted.
13. —Any one may enter the contest, whether or not a subscriber to The
8unny South.
14—Stories not winning a prize, but otherwise acceptable, will be retained
for publication, unless the author designates to the contrary.. Unsuc
cessful manuscripts will be returned f J stamps are. incloeed.
The progress The Sunny South has made since its first short story contest,
and the confidence its management feels in the results of the one now announced,
is shown by the manner in which the prizes exceed in amount and variety those pre
viously.offered. The first prize is double the amount of that of the first contest; the
second prize equals the first prize in the former contest; the third prize is twice as large
as the third prize of*the first contest; the fourth prize is the same amount as the third in
the opening contest, and the fifth is only $5 less than the former third prize. The special
prizes are in the nature of lagnappe—so much added to increase interest, encourage all
classes, and develop talent of a special nature.
It is needless to dwell on the object of the contest. We have so often reiterated our
confidence in the richness of the south as a literary field, and the ability of its people to
develop these resources, that there is nothing to add to our statements. M e have taken
the course best calculated to establish both these facts. There is every reason to believe
that, as the former limited contest brought out nearly five hundred manuscripts from
every portion of the southern states, and in some instances from the extreme east and
northwest, the one opened today will result in the submitting of four or five times
as many, from fully as extensive a territory.
Contestants are given every opportunity for brilliant and original work. They
are not restricted, save in the length of their stories, and the maximum has been placed at
figures which any careful writer should be able to respect. Just here we cannot refrain
from offering a suggestion. Write about those things with which you are familiar. In
the commonplace lies buried frequently the richest treasures of character, thought and
philosophy. Many of the contestants in our previous contests have gratefully acknowl-
eged the help they derived from active competition with the keen brains of others
in the race, and we believe that this same benefit, in larger measure, is in store for those
entering this contest. We believe the results of former contests will be seen in more con
servative, practical and brilliant work, and that when the publication of the prize win
ning stories is begun, there will be a rare treat in store for the readers of The Snnny South.
RfUiserlptB and oommunloatlons r®ldtlve feo th* oont«st should bi
Boood to “Prlso Oontost Editor,” The y South, Afonto. Oo.
I DBTmCT PRTvv
U/je Week izz a Bust*
World
Pott** Palmer
OTTER PALMER,
a resident of Chi
cago. and one of
the wealthiest men
In the west. la
dead. He was one
o< the pioneers in
that city and be
gan life in a very
humble capacity.
His first venture
was In merchan
dising, and saving
and Investing hie
money In real es-
Msrgharlts
tate, he built up a princely Income. The
historic Chicago Are swept away all his
holdings, but he rebuilt, and at the time
of his' death had not only recouped his
losses, but doubled his original fortune.
His best known property was the Pal
mer house. Mrs, Palmer is one of the
leading club women In the United States
and her sons, Honare and Potter, Jr„
well known and successful business men.
*
OWAGER QUEEN
MAR OHERITA;
ot Italy, who. It Is
said, will soon en
ter a convent and
take the veil, has
been suffering from
unassuageahle grief
since the death of
King Humbert,
nearly two years
ago. The queen In
her youth was con
sidered the most
beautiful princess
in all Europe. She is the daughter of
the late Prince Ferdlnando of Savoy,
duke of Genoa, and she was married to
Humbert, then the prince of Piedmont,
on April 22, 1868. During her reign she
was idolized by the people of Italy. She
has always been of a religious disposi
tion, and her recent decision has created
little surprise.
E N RY LABOU-
CHERE, who has
Just taken occa
sion through the me
dlum of his news
paper,' L o n don
Truth, to tell the
British public that
British supremacy
In trade Is doomed
fo give way before
yankee progress, Is
noted for being in
the advance guard
of the progres-
represented North-
i liberal
H. Lkbouchere
W T Sampson
sists. He has
ampton In parliament
since 1880. He owns and edits The Lon
don Truth, from which he draws a
large income, and which' he uses as a
vehicle for the expression of his opinions
about things in general. His utterances
are characterized by a peculiar pun
gency which make them wonderfully
popular.
*
EAR ADMIRAL
WILLIAM T.
SAMPSON, one ol
the most prominent
officer s of the
American navy, Is
dead. The end
came at his Wash
ington home, and
was immediately
due to cerebral
hemorrhage, a 1 -
though he had been
In poor health, .for
many months. Ad
miral Sampson was conspicuous for his
valor during the civil war and was as
signed do an important command on the
opening of hostilities between this coun
try and Spain. Subsequently he was
given entire command of our fleet in
Cuban waters. The question involving
the priority of command at the naval
battle of Santiago created the famous
and bitter Sampson-Schley controversy,
which, although it has been the subject
for a court of inquiry, has ne-f.-r been
settled to the satisfaction of the friends
of either disputant.
•f
HE absence of a
direct heir will, in
the event of the
death of Queen
Wilhelmina of Hol
land, place the
succession to the
throne much in
doubt. It Is said by
authorities, how
ever, that the best
claim to the throne
Is held by the grand
Duke of duke of Saxe-AVel-
Stxe-Wsimsr mar, noted as Eu
rope’s richest bachelor, but doubt is Ex
pressed as to the probability of his will
ingness to exchange his present com
paratively easy task for the hard work
of a ruler of The Netherlands, the duke
being credited with an indolent disposi
tion. The duke of Saxe-Weimar is a
grandson of the late Princess Sophie of
The Netherlands, sister of King Wil
liam III, Wllhelmina’s father.
Another prince with a claim to the
throne Is Albrecht of Prussia, now occu
pying the throne of Brunswick as regent.
His claims are traced through his moth
er, who was Princess Marianne of The
Netherlands.
♦
UR first minister to
Cuba, Herbert
Goldsmith Squiers,
though a Canadian
by birth, has spent
nearly all his life
In the service of
the United Suites
He was appointed a
lieutenant in tha
army from Minne
sota in 1877, but dis
liked his assign
ment to the In
fantry, b e c a use
there was no Indian fighting in it, and
exchanged into the cavalry. Here he
was again disappointed. Instead of Join
ing his regiment, he was sent to th9
cavalry school at Fort Monroe, Kans.
While there he eloped with and married
the daughter of W. G. Fargo,' pioneer
in the express business. On the death of
his wife a few years later he resigned
from the army, and shortly afterwards
entered the diplomatic service as third
Aicretary of legation at London. He
also served In Berlin and St. Petersburg,
and was then sent to Pekin, where his
military knowledge and sound judgment
proved of great value during the siege
of the legations.
■f
President Henry O. Havemeyer. of the
American Sugar Refining Company,, who
has just appeared before the subcommit
tee on Cuban relations to testify concern
ing the sugar Imports from Cuba and
the ownership of the Cuban sugar crop,
has been head of the big sugar corpora
tion since 1851. The company controls
the sugar Interests of the United States
and has a capital of *75,060,0(10. Mr. Have-
meyer resides at Greenwood, Conn., to
which city he recently presented a school
house costing *260,000.
H O Squirts