The Literary Shop, and Other Tales
BY JAMES L. FORD
AUTHOR of “HYPNOTIC TALES,” “DR. DODD’S SCHOOL,” “THE THIRD ALARM,” ETC.
NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION
NEW-YORK THE CHELSEA COMPANY PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1894, By Geo. H. Richmond & Co. Copyright, 1899, By The Chelsea Company.
The Literary Shop was first printed in book form in the fall of 1894, nearly five years ago. Some of its constituent papers had already appeared in the pages of Truth and Puck . To the present edition have been added the sketches that deal with life and letters in the McClure village of Syndicate. This model literary community was established about four years ago, on a convenient and healthful rise of ground overlooking the Hackensack River, which is navigable at that point. It has a population of several hundred poets and prose hands, all of whom are regularly employed on the magazine and the newspaper syndicate controlled by Mr. S. S. McClure. These sketches are reprinted by permission from the New York Journal and the Criterion .
New York, March 8, 1899.
J. L. F.
Many of these papers are new. Others are reprinted by permission from Puck and Truth .
James L. Ford
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PREFACE TO NEW EDITION.
AUTHOR’S NOTE.
CONTENTS.
AND OTHER TALES
THE POETS’ STRIKE.
ANCIENT FORMS OF AMUSEMENT.
THE STORY OF THE YOUNG MAN OF TALENT.
THE SOCIETY REPORTER’S CHRISTMAS
THE DYING GAG.
“ONLY A TYPE-WRITER.”
THE CULTURE BUBBLE IN OURTOWN.
SOME THOUGHTS ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND PRESERVATION OF JOKES.
I.—THE “JOKAL CALENDAR.”
II.—THE IDEA AND ITS EMBELLISHMENT.
III.—REVAMPING OLD JOKES.
IV.—THE OBVIOUS JOKE.
McCLURE’S MODEL VILLAGE FOR LITERARY TOILERS.
ARRIVAL OF THE SCOTCH AUTHORS AT McCLURE’S LITERARY COLONY.
THE CANNING OF PERISHABLE LITERATURE.
LITERARY LEAVES BY MANACLED HANDS.
McCLURE’S BIRTHDAY AT SYNDICATE VILLAGE.
LITERATURE BY PRISON CONTRACT LABOR.
CHRISTMAS EVE AT THE SYNDICATE VILLAGE.