vividness with a romantic vein, and always with the minor woman interest in the background. Humorous material is always desirable. The North country is the world's last great exciting frontier line, and dog-team tales, dramatic adventure, prospecting, mystery, man-hunting, and poaching material from the great Northern and Alaskan snow countries are always wanted. Cowboy stories, cattle rustling, desert stories, border tales, and smuggling yarns are also in demand. The manuscript needs of the Delineator ( Butterick Building, New York) are somewhat limited, but Eleanor Carroll, the fiction editor, is especially desirous of getting animal stories and stories with humor, not exceeding 5,000 words. Physical Fitness (259 Plane street, Newark, N. J.) wants a good serial story in keeping with the policy of the publication. The Household Guest (141 West Ohio street, Chicago, Ill.) just now is looking for mystery, detective, and ghost stories. Moderate payment is made on acceptance. The W. D. Boyce Company (500 North Dearborn street, Chicago), who are now the publishers of Home Life, announce that the magazine is not in the market for material at the present time. Wee Wisdom (Unity Buildings, Kansas City, Mo.) is not in the open market for manuscripts, being abundantly supplied by its present corps of contributors. The Wright Magazine (Kansas City) has been merged with the Literary World (Cleveland). The combined publication, the Wright Magazine and the Literary World, will be edited by Frank H. Gibson, and will be published at 616 Guardian Building, Cleveland. A. W. Wright will still be connected with the publication. The manuscript needs of the Western Story Magazine (79 Seventh avenue, New York) vary very little. The magazine needs stories that are clean and wholesome, that urge peo ple to want to live in the open life of the West, and that makes them dream of doing so some day. Short stories should not exceed 7,000 words, and shorter ones are preferred; novelettes should contain 25,000 words, or from 10,000 to 15,000 words; serials may be of any length up to 80,000 words, instalments to con-tain about 12,000 words. Dr. Amos R. Wells says that the Christian Endeavor World (41 Mt. Vernon street, Boston) is always greatly oversupplied with manuscripts, and that only the very best and most original material stands any chance there. The paper uses serial stories, of from 3,000 to 4,000 words a chapter; short stories. of the same length; short articles, illustrated by photographs; and poems, making a specialty of informational articles, of about 600 words, dealing with scientific, historical, travel, biographical, literary, missionary, Biblical, na-tional, and other themes. Payment is made on acceptance, and is generally at the rate of onehalf cent a word. Liberty is paying five dollars each for bright sayings of children. Manuscripts should be addressed to the Bright Sayings Editor, Liberty, Tribune Square, Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Charles M. Sheldon retires as editor-inchief of the Christian Herald January 1, and becomes a contributing editor, together with Dr. S. Parkes Cadman and Dr. Daniel A. Poling. The Christian Herald (Bible House, New York) has no present especial manuscript needs, but Rae D. Henkle, the managing editor, would like to see articles with a real,. human, story touch on rural church problems,. successful country churches, and community experiments in supervised recreation. The Boy Citizen (Fort Wayne, Ind.) is always interested in feature articles, not exceeding 200 words, with photographs, for the Boy Citizens' League page. These articlesmust be descriptive of some accomplishment of a real boy, although it does not matter along what lines the work was done. The magazine is fairly well supplied with manuscripts of stories just now. The editor hopes soon to pay promptly upon publication, and in some instances upon acceptance. Opportunity Magazine (750 North Michigan avenue, Chicago), of which James R. Quirk is now the editor and publisher, and William T. Walsh the managing editor, is in the market for articles that specifically tell how some ambitious man or woman found opportunity and through sheer grit and initiative rose to the top. Photographs, with brief descriptions showing how enterprising persons have achieved reasonable successes in unusual ways, are also wanted. Payment is made on acceptance. True Confessions Magazine (Robbinsdale, Minn) is especially anxious just now to secure a number of first-person stories told by shop girls, manicurists, store clerks, stenographers, and other working girls, with the characters and love features introduced into the story as early as possible. From two to four cents a word will be paid for acceptable stories on acceptance. Rural Mechanics (1411 Wyandotte street, Kansas City, Mo.) will use a great deal more material of a mechanical nature than it has done in the past, and the editor is anxious to secure material appropriate for a Popular Mechanics of the Rural Districts. The magazine will pay a higher rate for material of this sort, and Mr. Weishaar hopes that readers of THE WRITER Will be able to supply his need. The Southern Magazine, the Mexican Review, and Scenic America have suspended publication. The last issue of the Auction Bridge and Mah Jongg Magazine was that for September. The Drama League of America (59 East Van Buren street, Chicago) offers a prize of $100 for the best play suited to the use of children of the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades of the junior high school. The contest is open to any person within the territory of the United States and the Dominion of Canada. Plays should be in complete dramatic form, full written dialogue, short speeches, with directions for business and any necessary music. There must be a distinct climax and plenty of action; plays may deal with any kind of material; may be one-act or several acts; should occupy about fifty or sixty minutes ; must be the original work of the contestant ; and must not have been previously printed. All manuscripts must be typewritten, and the author's full name and address should be sent with the manuscript, but not on it. Manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by self-addressed stamped envelope. The winning play will become the property of the Drama League, and will be copyrighted by the League and all professional performances will be reserved. No royalties will be charged for performances by amateurs, as the League wishes to make the play available for the largest possible public use. The contest will close August 1, and the decision will be announced January 1, 1926. The winning play will be immediately published, and the League will in addition secure publication on a royalty basis for at least two other plays, if there are any sufficiently good. A prize of $500 is offered by the Secretary of the Province of Quebec for the best essay on one of twelve historical subjects, with the competition open "to every Canadian and to others as well." Only Canadian writers living in Canada are eligible for the prize of fifty dollars offered by the Montreal branch of the Canadian Authors' Association for the best one-act play submitted before March 1. The American Humane Association is holding a humane poster contest, offering prizes of $25, $15, and $10, with ten consolation prizes (books and magazines ), open to children in four groups (school grades one to four; five to eight; grade nine, also high and preparatory schools ; and art students and persons above school age). Posters must not be larger than 22x 28 inches. The contest will close June 1, and further information may be obtained from the American Humane Association, Albany, N. Y. The Committee on Publicity Methods in Social Work offers a first prize of $350 and a. second prize of $150, given by Joseph Lee, for the best one-act play to be produced under the auspices of the Committee in connection with the National Conference of Social Work in Denver in June, 1925. Every play submitted must be an original work, not previously produced or published. Plays should be written for an adult audience and deal with some phase of present-day social problems, such as are found in the fields of child welfare, recreation, immigration, public health, etc. The playing time should not exceed forty-five minutes. Manuscripts must be typewritten and mailed flat. They should be signed with a pen name and accompanied by a sealed envelope containing the real name and address, with return postage. The contest will close February 15, and manuscripts should be sent to Paul L. Benjamin, Baldwin Block, Indianapolis, Ind. The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children offers prizes of $25, $10, $5, and ten of $1 each for the best posters on the protection of children. The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Philadelphia ) offers a prize of $50 for the best design for a colored postcard, illustrating "Kindness Brings Happiness," and bearing these words. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (New York) offers a prize of $50 for the best design for a humane book plate. The "Friend of Animals" offers special additional prizes - $5, $2.50, and five of $1 each -in each group. Full information may be obtained from the American Humane Association, Albany, N. Y The committee of judges serving under the auspices of the alumni advisory board of Yale University announce that no award will Le made in the recently finished competition for the prize of $1,000 for a new Yale song. Upon recommendation of the committee, the anonymous offer for a Yale song is to be renewed. Harper's Magazine has awarded the first prize of $1,250 in its third short-story contest to Mrs. Ada Jack Carver Snell, for her story "Redbone." Charles Caldwell Dobie and A. R. Leach tied for second prize and were awarded $750 each. Dr. David Starr Jordan, chancellor-emeritus of Leland Stanford University, has been awarded the prize of $25,000 offered by Raphael Herman for the best educational plan calculated to maintain world peace. The prize of $25 offered by Dr. Mary McKibben Harper, of the Order of Bookfellows, for the best poem on a bird or a flower, has been awarded to Lucille Kendrick for "March Pipes." The poem was printed in the November issue of the Step Ladder. The Hart, Schaffner, & Marx prizes for the 1924 contest have been awarded as follows: Class A: First prize ($1,000) to George Ward Stocking, A. B., for a study, entitled "The Oil Industry and the Competitive System"; second prize ( $500 ) to C. D. Kuhlmann for a study, entitled "The Development of the Flour Milling Industry "; honorable mention to Mildred Hartsough, A. B., and Gladys Louise Palmer, A. B. Class B: First prize ($300) to George Inch Emery, Harvard College, Class of 1924, for a study, entitled "The Seasonal Movement of the New York Discount Rate, 1831-1914." The prize of five thousand lire offered by the Lega Musicale Italiana, of New York, for an orchestral suite, has been awarded. to Lodovico Rocca, of Turin, for his suite in four movements, entitled Chiaroscuri." The prize of $10,000 offered by Adolph Zukor, president of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, to the author whose story or play was voted the best picture during the fiscal year ended September 1, has been awarded to Rafael Sabatini, for his novel " Scaramouche," produced on the screen by Rex Ingram. Prize offers still open : Prizes in Letters offered by the Columbia Univer sity School of Journalism: For the American novel published during the year which shall best present the wholesome atmosphere of American life and the highest standard of American manners and manhood, $1,000 for the original American play, per. formed in New York, which shall best represent the educational value and power of the stage in raising the standard of good morals, good taste, and good manners, $1,000; for the best book of the year on the history of the United States, $2,000; for the best American biography teaching patriotic and unselfish services to the people, illustrated by an eminent example, $1,000; for the best volume of verse pub. lished during the year by an American author, $1,000. Also, Prizes in Journalism, amounting to $3,000 and a $500 medal, and three traveling scholar. ships having a value of $1,500 each. All offered annually under the terms of the will of Joseph Pulitzer. Nominations of candidates must be made in writing on or before February 1 of each year, addressed to the Secretary of Columbia University, New York, on forms that may be obtained on application to the Secretary of the University. Hart, Schaffner and Marx prizes of $1,000, $500, $300, and $200 for the four best studies in the economic field submitted by June 1, 1925. Particulars in June WRITER. Prize of $2,000, in addition to royalty, offered by Harper & Brothers for the best novel submitted be fore April 1, 1925. Particulars in July WRITER. Prizes amounting to $2,000, open to any one con nected in any way with the textile industry, offered by the American Wool and Cotton Reporter, for the best stories connected with the various branches of the industry. Particulars in January WRITER. Semi-annual prizes of $100 offered by Physical Culture for the most beautiful photographs, with an additional prize of $5 for the best photograph pub. lished each month. Particulars in January WRITER. Prize of $25 in a radio joke contest offered by Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, contest closing February 1, 1925. Particulars in October WRITER. Prize of $50 offered by the Harvard School of Education at Harvard University for an official song. Particulars in February WRITER. Prizes amounting to $1,600 offered by the National Federation of Music Clubs. Particulars from Mrs. Edwin B. Garrigues, 1527 Spruce street, Philadelphia, Penn. Prize of $2,500, to be awarded in 1923 and every three years thereafter, and an annual prize of $300, offered by the Chicago Trust Company for the best contribution on any subject relating to business development and the modern trust company. Particulars in the August WRITER. Maurice Tourneur prize of 170,000 francs for the best scenarios depicting the Frenchwoman as she is - a clever and happy companion, a devoted wife, an excellent, economical housekeeper, and an admirable mother. Particulars in March WRITER. Prizes amounting to $5,000 for the best suggestions for a title to Arthur Stringer's radio story now run ning in the Photoplay Magazine. Particulars in July WRITER. Prize offered by the Poet's Guild for the best May Day poem on childhood, contest extended to April 10, 1925. Particulars in July WRITER. Arthur Lazarus prize of $100 for the best essay on How to Meet the Rising Tide of Prejudice," all manuscripts to reach the office of the American Hebrew by January 10. Particulars in November WRITER. Prize of $100 offered by the Forest Theatre, Carmel, Calif., for an original plot suited for presentation on its outdoor stage, competition closing February 1. Particulars in November WRITER. Prizes of $100 and $50 offered by the Pasadena Center of the Drama League of America for the best full-evening Flay and the best one-act play, competition closing February 1. Particulars in November WRITER. Annual prize of $50 offered by the Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine for the best short story published in the magazine during the year. Particulars in March WRITER. Annual poetry prize of $100 offered by the Nation, poems to be submitted between Thanksgiving Day and New Year's Day of each year. Particulars in February, 1923, WRITER. Prizes of the Poetry Society of South Carolina; Blindman Prize of $250; Southern Prize of $100; Society's Prize of $25; Henry E. Harman Prize of $25 Sky Lark Prize of $10 all offered annually. Particulars in January, 1923, WRITER. Monthly prizes offered by the Photo-Era Maga zine (Wolfeboro, N. H.) for photographs, in an advanced competition and a beginner's competition. Monthly prizes offered by Science and Invention for the best articles on "Electricity on the Car," and for suggestions for the "How to Make It " department; also for the best wrinkle, formula, or recipe some good method of doing things in or about the laboratory. Particulars in February WRITER. Monthly contests amounting to $50 for scientific humor, offered by Science and Invention, 53 Park place, New York. Particulars in September WRITER. Monthly prizes amounting to $1,000 offered by Science and Invention, 53 Park place, New York, for ideas told briefly in sketches and pictures. Particulars in December WRITER. Walker prizes for the best memoirs on Natural History, offered annually by the Boston Society of Natural History, closing March 1 of each calendar year. Particulars in June WRITER. Monthly prizes of $25 offered by Station WLW for the best radio dealing with Americanism contests closing the first of each month, and manuscripts TO be sent to Radio Department, Crosley Manufactur ing Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. Particulars in December WRITER. Annual international prize essay contest of $1,000, offered by Orient, 132 Nassau street, New York, Subject for 1924, "World Renaissance." Particulars in September WRITER. Also a prize of $25 with each issue of Orient for the best contribution, prose of poetry, to the "East and West" section of the magazine. Particulars in January WRITER. Annual Hawthornden prize of £100, offered in Eng. land for the best work of imaginative literature in English prose or poetry by an author under forty years of age that is published during the previous twelve months. The Rose Mary Crawshay Prize for English Lit erature, value to £100, offered annually by the Brit ish Academy. Particulars in May, 1920, WRITER. Weekly prizes offered by the Boston Post for original short stories by women, published each day. Particulars in May WRITER. PERSONAL GOSSIP ABOUT AUTHORS. Caine. - Hall Caine, who recently observed his seventieth birthday, took the opportunity to speak of things as they used to be. Referring to the relations between writers he said: "There comes a time when all writers get stuck in their work and want advice. I knew Wilkie Collins intimately, and whenever I got stuck I would go and see him. Always he would help me without hesitation. This comradeship was a common feature of literary work in those days, not only here but abroad. Flaubert, George Sand, and the younger Dumas, to mention only examples, would help one another in difficulties. Today, however, you never hear of that sort of helpfulness, and I think the loss is a great one." For the manuscript of his first novel, Mr. Caine said, he received $250 and was supposed to have done well. Literary values have increased enormously since. "When I first came to London," he declared, "the usual arrangement was for a publisher to pay $200 out-andout for a novel. In some cases writers like Wilkie Collins, Charles Reade, or Walter Besant had some sort of actuarial valuation made of their potential financial worth and sold themselves to the publishers. It was an arrangement which generally operated greatly to the advantage of the publishers." London. -"Write straight," was the advice given by Jack London to John G. Brandon, the English novelist. "Tell them what you know of life as you've struck it. They want first of all a good story. Dig it out of your own experience and put live characters in it that read human. If you've got humor let it out of the bag. The world wants to get a smile out of you. And say what you've got to say in language so that Bill and Mick and Sadie and Fanny won't have to get down the dictionary to grope after what you mean. Don't forget there are only two primal emo-tions love, and a corking good fight. Another thing don't try to educate them; folks don't want hoboes like you and me trying to teach them culture or psychology, or sex analysis or any of that stuff - they want us to interest them with real human people in a yarn that's got a bite, and to raise a smile every now and again. Don't forget that smile, kid; that's what brings the kindly feeling toward your work and the money." 66 Philpotts. How does a regional novelist like Philpotts set to work? I asked him that question. "I go to a place," he said, with an empty mind, and let my story come out of the place to me. I never have any idea what story a place is going to tell me till I get: there; but I have never failed to find a new scene tell me a new story. The story gradually develops, and I live with it through a varying period - generally about six months. Then it reaches a stage when the people have become alive to me and clamor to me to begin writing about them." During my visit I came to know Philpotts as a hard worker. Each division of the day was planned out. This method he acquired when in business, before taking to literature, and the habit has remained with him ever since. As a rule the morning was given over to creative writing. In the afternoon he would revise or correct proofs, until teatime, which afforded a brief respite. Fine weather, of course, would lure him out of doors and vary the routine, but complete relaxation did not come till evening, when tobacco and talk held sway. - The Bookman, London. BOOK REVIEWS. THE JOYS AND TRIBULATIONS OF AN EDITOR. A book of fascinating interest is this volume of reminiscences by Mr. Tooker, who for nearly forty years has been connected with the editorial staff of the Century Magazine. During most of this time Mr. Tooker, who came to the Century seven years after leaving Yale, has been an editor who edits, that is to say one who makes copy consistent with the style of the magazine, cuts and corrects where necessary, verifies quotations, and otherwise |