The Sunday Oregonian., May 12, 1912, SECTION SIX, Page 7, Image 79

V
IN exploring Pirate Island, one
should flrat provide himself with a
long low rakish craft sufficiently
light ia draft to cruise In shallow la
goons and, sufficiently stanch la build
la weather a Weat lad las hurricane.
It should bare white awnings, under
which one may lit aa the vessel bears
oath ward on the gentle ewella of the
gulf stream, and a trim deck upon
which to pace to and fro with an eagle
ye eweeptng the horlxen. Thl sort of
a craft aeema requisite to the senti
mental spirit of such a voyage of dis
covery nd accordingly a schooner of
this description was chartered. It bad
only one fault. It leaked so badly
when it reached Florida after a stormy
run from New Tork that the skipper
decided he would prefer to do bis ex
ploring as near the shore as possible.
Other boats then were considered and
at last a large power yacht was se
cured. It was built like a torpedo de
stroyer. 10S feet long. with two
149 horsepower engines that con
sumed 40 gallons of gasoline per
hour. It was long and low. but
rather more "rocklsh" that Yak
lsh as was discovered when we struck
rough water. It was the first import
ant discovery of the voyage. 8tve car
ried a complement of nine men. There
were no sails, nothing but gasoline en
gines, snd to satisfy the enormous ap
petites of these engines In a course
through nntraveled Islands far from
the source of supplies a great deal of
gasoline had to be taken aboard. The
tanks were filled. IS 10-gaUon cases
were stacked on deck and nine large
FOREIGNERS, NOT AMERICANS , WRITE OUR BEST
So Reports Successful Publishers, Who Also Comment jon Various Kinds of Readers Gross Thrills Are Sought by the Majority.
BT rRAXX H. BROOKS.
VERT recently two-hundred -end-odd
book publishers met as Is
their usual custom once a month
. ti talk about best sellers and such
ether matters as are of Interest to the
book trade. Same present are gray In
the service. As a witty Irishman once
said of the bosses whom be bad served:
"I bave aeon a lot of them pasa through
my bands. Some of them got away
and some got caught."
Many authors have passed in a sim
ilar way the publishers who took aa
account of stock.
One speaker at the meet hla name
Is B. W. Huebsch and be la only St.
with an experience of 1 years la the
business made some of the gray beards
present shake la the amoky atmosphere
of the room and some of the bald beads
oose under the electroliers.
Mr. Huebsch and. by the way. ha Is
president of the league be addressed
rut the air la motion by remarking at
the oatset that "only a handful of peo
ple evervesd books worth while. There
Is. of courc," be continued, "quite a
demand for trah. but the fact remains
that the masses read absolutely noth
ing: there Is an alarming wide chasm
I might almost say a vacuum between
the highbrow, who considers reading
either as a trade or as a form of In
tellectual wrestling, and the lowbrow,
who is merely seeking for gross thrills."
A publisher who has come down from
a former generation leaned over to one
who bas traveled with him and
groaned: "We shall probably be told
of a forthcoming story. This Is slop
and Is recommended to the serious
minded at those times only when they
are too tired to think or feel.'"
The young president, who might
properly be caiied the progressive of
bis line of business, made no apology
for what be bad said at the meet of the
league when several daya later be
I0-calloa steel drums were lashed to
the rails. The presence of all this
gasoline clashed somewhat with ro
mantic Ideas, but there was a pleasing
spice of danger In the thought of
cruising about on a volcano of com
bustibles. The plan of the voyage was some
what vague, bat In a general way It
was the purpose o go first to Nassau,
famous In pirate history, and then
cruise along the Out Islands of the
Bahamas, touching Eleothera, Cat Is
land, Waiting's Island. Rum Key, For
tune Island, and possibly Turk's Is
land, and finally Tor-tug, the most
famous of all pirate places. In this
cruise we should constantly be tn
waters and among Islands rich In buc
caneer lore and In districts seldom vis
ited by white men.
It was the skipper's plan to cruise
down to the Florida Light, lie there
until early morning, and then make a
dash across the Oulf stream If weather
conditions were favorable. A "norther"
had been blowing fiercely for two days,
and the sea out beyond the light was
rough how rough we didn't know, but
the skipper thought the wind and sea
might go down sufficiently for the
yscht to get across the stream on her
wsy to Nassau. The first tea miles
after we started were In a broad and
sheltered bay. where It was possible to
lean comfortably back In deck chairs
and gloat upon the pleasures of pirat
ing. The name of the yacht was the
Heather, rhyming with "always fair
weather."
It anchored Just under the light and
teetered la bla office chair and talked
to the writer. Modest but forceful Is
this young publisher. He sever hedged
once when a number of pointed ques
tions were banded out. Of course the
writer asked if Robert Chambers. Win
ston Churchill. Robert Herrick, Oppen
heim and Phillips ware not conceded to
be the makera of the popular sellers of
tbe day.
Reply: "Supposedly. But are they?
Maybe tbey are. but how are wa really
to know? The publishers la large
cities sell books In bulk and they are
at once advertised as best Boilers. The
booka are aent all over the country la
large and small lota. Who knows bow
many are aold all over tbe country? J
don't aay tbey are not aold. But bow
DtffercBt Klaas ( Headers.
It la not the Intention to quote Mr.
Hue bach literally at all points, for be
talked, admittedly, aomewhat discon
nectedly. But here Is aa Impression:
Reviewers la city newspapers cover a
few of the latest publleatlone at atated
Intervale. But most newspapers do It
la a perfunctory way, ao that the pub
lie Is not correctly advised, and la thia
way the public la Impoaed upon. Not
Intentionally, aa Mr. Huebsch thought.
If the young publisher didn't aay It la
ao many words, thla Is what waa un
derstood to be between the lines: Tbe
reader of the better claaa vulgarly
termed the highbrow gets tbe essence
of a subject from magaslnea, and all
the storlea be reada are la tbe same
magexlnes. He la the man who goes to
light plays and vaudeville for reerea
tton. to get rest from bis business. He
doesn't care for tragedy or play that
require thought such would not give
him the relief be seeks.
"But be frequently buys booka of the
belter sort?"
"Oh. yea A case In point. A busi
ness man whose ahelvea are filled with
TITE SUNDAY OREGOXIAy. TOIITLANP. MAY 12, 1913. T .
J I . .k aa ..null, tn roll and I looking for them. For example, wi I left by the receding tide. It was low
then proceeded earnestly to roll snd
wallow. The deck load of gasoline
seemed to act as a pendulum that fa
cilitated the rolling very much, not
only raising the center of gravity of
the yacht, but threatening to raise a
good many other things.
By 10 o'clock the yacht waa silent.
Everybody was trying to store up some
sleep before striking the Oulf stream.
When a heavy "norther" traveling
south meets a Gulf stream traveling
north, the consequences are open to
criticism. At about 6 o'clock every
body on board was awakened by the
sudden thrash of the propellers. We
were under way. In a few minutes we
should know whether the "norther"
had spent Its fury. For the first half
hour It was not ao bad. although the
yacht pitched and rolled alarmingly.
Then something happened. The yacht
staggered under a blow that made her
tremble, with her propellers "racing"
and her nose deep In the sea ahead.
For a moment It was thought that she
bad decided to be a submarine Instead
of a torpedo-boat. But she dlsslly
swung back and then began to slide
down a long bill, at the bottom of
which a mountain of sea dropped on
ber bow with a startling crash. This
was only the beginning, for the next
hour the yacht staggered, buckled,
reeled, plunged and trembled, burying
ber nose and shaking ber tall so fear
somely that those below were dreading
what would happen next The hatches
and companions were closed and se
cured, giving the pleasant sense of se
curity that Is felt by the well-known
rat In a trap. My cabin mate, who had
been vainly trying to stick la his bunk,
was heard to remark to himself that
he bad bad enough of Pirate Islands;
Manhattan Island was the only one be
waa Interested In, and be wanted to
reach It as soon aa the fastest train
could get him there. '
At last, after more than aa hour of
agony, there waa a whirling reel, a
duxy roll or two, and then an hour
more of this, after which the sea
abruptly subsided.
"Hooray," we thought. "We're across
the Oulf stream at last. The agony's
over."
But It wasn't, as a look through the
porthole proved. There was Florida
Light, and It dawned slowly and slck
eningly upon us that we were back
where we started from. The captain
said the boat couldn't stand more of
that sea outside, and for the first time
In It years be bad turned back.
That day two of our "pirates'' left
the yacht to take the regular boat
across to Nassau and said they would
meet us over there. The next night
at midnight the Heather made another
try at the Oulf stream and aucceeded
In getting across. We decided not to
stop at the Blmlnl Islands, where
Ponce de Leon thought the Fountain
of Eternal Youth was located. We
weren't looking for any more water,
even of such aa excellent kind, at this
time.
Tou cannot have adventures without
good booka (aome are German authors)
told me he bought them ao aa to have
them on band. He doesn't read a word
of German. Maybe" (this la an Iron
ical wayV "these booka figure In their
country as beat sellers."
A little chat about Dlckena waa In
evitable. We bad Juat emerged from
the centenary of bla birth. Mr. Huebsch
reminded the Interviewer that there
bad been a lull In the sale of Dlckena
and that It waa revived by the hun
dredth observance of the novelist's
birthday. Tes. he remembered that
Dlckena was la every man's home. His
name waa Indeed a household treasure
tn the lower walks of life as well as
on the heights. Did It ever occur to
some people that the publisher who
sold booka oa subscrlptloa was largely
responsible for thla? After Dlckena'
death the whole country was overrun
with book agents who carried and sold
Dickens at cut ratea on the Installment
plan. People bought Dlckena just as
many rush to the bargain counters on
bargain daya
Dickens was pushed by wide-awake
publishers because at that moment
Dlckena waa a fad. Mr. Huebsch did
not decry Dickens. He loved the name.
He loved bis humanity, and there had
been none quite like him. But because
Dlckena could be found In all homes,
high, middle and low, did not signify
that ha waa everywhere read. But Dlck
ena will live always.
Quotation: But when this country
produces a Dlckena the Dickens of Eng
land will be minimised."
Pereleylaar a Dtekasta.
"Ton think we shall have an Ameri
can Dickens?"
"Tea But be will write from a dif
ferent viewpoint. He win write from
the conditions of the hour, and they
will appeal to the people just aa the
English Dickens appealed to bis read-
looking for them. For example, wa
might have continued our voyage
across to Nassau and landed safely and
without further mishap. But as we
got In the shelter of the island along
late in the afternoon the sea was ao
smooth that someone thought It would
be an excellent Idea to visit Androa Is
land, a large and little known one of
the Bahama group. It waa a pirate
rendexvous, with lagoons and caves and
a huge cliff called Morgan's bluff. Sir
Henry Morgan is supposed to have
used this apot as a haven of refuge
when pursued by foes, for when once
in the treacehroua waters that sur
round the Island be waa safe from
larger ships. The name Morgan's bluff
had a most appeallngly piratical sound.
Many parts of the Island have never
been penetrated by white men, emi the
negroes who sparsely populate the
shores are said to have reverted back
to African barbarism.- It sounded at
tractive. A lonely Island was what our
adventurous souls demanded.
There was one difficulty. The cap
tain said he couldn't take us to Androa
and make Nassau In daylight and in
the time which was necessary in cross
ing the reefs at the entrance to the
harbor. It was then proposed the
yacht oontinue on to Nassau while we
take the little gasoline launch, the
Bun Dog. atock her with guns, food,
water and blankets, and go to Androa
In It. The sea was calm and we felt
we could safely make the run to the
Island before dark. At 5 o'clock we
left the Heather, carrying with us a
chart with a compass course laid out
upon it
It was a long trip. For an hour the
Sun Dog puffed bravely on and then
the sun began to sink ominously nesr
the horiion. Another half hour and
the sea waa In darkness and the Island
so far away as to seem like an unat
tainable mirage. We never seemed
to get nearer to It and perhaps we
should not have been ao anxloua to
reach It had we known that there waa
a dangerous reef that lay a mile out
from the shore.
Without warning we discovered It
with Its tumbling waters black and
sinister, so cloae that It waa terrify
ing. I thought a tidal wave waa bear
ing down upon us, for In the darkness
the great uplifts of water looked like
huge black glistening rocks. There
was a sudden grinding on the keel and
we lurched over the reef and Into the
lagoon. Here there was even more
trouble, for the lagoon was full of
"nigger heads" coral peaks that rise
from the bottom and lurk near the sur
face of the water and invisible at
night. Once we struck on one of these
peaks but slid off without disaster, a
good fortune due to the fact that wa
were moving so slowly. Had we been
going full speed the bottom of the
launch would have been ripped off.
It was intensely dark when we
reached the low-lying shore. The last
lo vards we waded, floundering over
the uneven coral that lined the bed of
the sea. In the darkness and with only
a little electric handllght to show the j
way. we got our things ashore and
stumbled across the coral-lncrusted
beach, floundering oyer Its lava-like and
lagged surface, or plunging Into pools
era by treating of the conditions of hla
time. But many of the conditions of
that time do not exist now, and we are
getting farther away from them. Tea,
I believe there la a Dlckena now In thla
country. I cannot even guess his name.
but our conditions must bring him out.
Aa we educate the people for higher
fiction and for all that uplifts, this
Dickens for whose coming I look will
be developed."
Mr. Huebsch explained what be meant
by educating the people. Why not. on
the observance of any great man's
birthday, celebrate In the public li
braries and halla and churches? For
Washington aa observance that would
teach people the Importance of pa
triotism; for the Fourth of July an
observance that would enable us to
appreciate what that day had done
for the Nation, meaning the work that
culminated on that day. Why not some
observance other than a slss-boom
noise, or a parade, or a picnic from
which the grown-ups return with ach
ing backs and heads and the children
with Intestinal aches?
Another quote: "Those In charge of
libraries and educational Institutes
should not wait for the public to ask
for certain booka until tbe public knew
something about booka It ahould be
the duty of every librarian and teacher
to study what Is best and than Inform
those who have not the opportunity
of studying for themselves The libra
rian and teacher ahould tell the truth
ao that aucb as I have In mind would
not be led astray by tbe representations
made by the get-rich-quick publishers."
That reminded Mr. Heubech that
authors were not always to blame for
some books they produced. An author
who writes a book and catches on like
a house afire doesn't have a chance to
change his linen before the get-rlch-auick
publisher Is at him' with a
taad-and-dellver order for more, There
left by the receding tide. It was low
tide and we carried our things to the
beach just above the coral rocks and
just at the edge of the low Jungle
growth of mangroves that fringed the
shore.
The driftwood furnished ua fuel for a
fire and with all the sensations of ship
wrecked mariners on a desert Island we
at last stretched out on the beach to
Bleep. A alienee unbelievable hung over
the lonely beach, but aa the hours
passed the sounds of lapping waters
were heard as the tide crept In over the
long stretch of coral rock. It finally
approached to within a yard of the fire.
We were up by dawn and a meager
breakfast waa cooked. The sea was
peaceful and the only disturbance on
lta aurface waa where a long, curling
crest of foam marked the barrier reef,
as It broke with a roar like that of a
fast train crossing a distant bridge.
We thanked our, lucky stars that a
kindly fate had guided ua safely over
that sinister reef.
In the morning we explored the beach
for a mile or two north In the hope that
we might find some wild fowl, but there
was no sign of any nothing but a lone
ly beach and a seemingly endless
stretch of mangrove trees. Far to the
north, across a great lagoon, a few na
tive houses were seen, but they were
too far away to communicate with and
thus learn where we were. So we re
turned to the camp and decided to start
for Nassau, nearly 40 miles away and
across the tongue of the ocean. As
the Sun Dog could make only five miles
an hour, it would take us nearly eight
hours to get across, half of which time
we should be out of sight of land. At
11 o'clock we embarked, steered care
fully across the lagoon, the waters of
which were ao clear that the wonderful
marine gardens were Been fathoms be
low. It was like "nailing In an aero
plane, so transparent was the water
and so distinctly visible were the
strange submarine rocks below like
birds In the air. Very cautiously we
approached the reef and safely crossed
It at a point where the foam was not
breaking. We shuddered to think how
blindly we had rushed It In the dark
ness of the night before, and realized
how miraculous had been our escape.
We thought of It with awe. for there
seemed to be the evidence of a guiding
hand that had piloted us safely across.
For miles In each direction the unbrok
en crest of foam waa visible and yet In
the darkness we had taken the reef at
full speed. Ignorant that a reef was
even there.
For the first hour of our voyage back
the sea was tranquil. Land dropped
from sight and we found ourselves puf
fing along in a tiny boat as much at
sea as though we were In the middle of
the Atlantic and much more In danger,
for the tongue, of the ocean Is a funnel
through which the "northers" sweep
down and scatter luckless little boats to
the found winds. At the end of the
second hour a breeze sprung up and
the sea became choppy. We watched
the quick transformation with anxiety,
for it is no joke to be out in a gasoline
launch in a storm. Within 15 minutes
from the moment we first felt the
breeze spring up, the sea had risen om
inously and big black clouds were bear,
lng down upon us. The wind had in
creased to the velocity of a gale. It
are not many ready producers like
Dickens. The writer of today has to
be In a hurry. The publisher calls htm
and he has to make a "showdown." Re
sult, Inferior work, a dispirited writer,
a disappointed public
The whole trouble Is the hurry of our
people. This bobbed up all through
Mr. Huebsch'a talk. He said in differ
ent words at different points that we
educate in a hurry; we do business In a
hurry; we get tired while we are young
so tired that we long for something
light to raise our drooping spirits; we
go In for trivialities because they re
lleve our worry. Our foreign cousins
educate thoroughly an all matters, and
yet they know how to take their ease.
Here la a thrust by the young pub
lisher. Maybe he didn't mean to be
severe, for he kept repeating that
America Is the best of all lands. But
he didn't hesitate to point out the vul
nerable spots. This is the jab: An
educated foreigner seldom has a limita
tion. If he bas studies music he knows
music and can talk about It until you
think there is nothing but music. The
same thing if he has devoted his time
to philosophy or any other branch of
science. Americans, as a whole, fall
down on whatever they talk about. That
la. we finish as far as we are Inter
ested, and then we atop, for we act aa
If we were wasting time on higher
things while the get-rlch-qulck hobby
Is growing restless for us to take a
mount. As a Nation we are wretched
In conversation.- We haven't time.
Now look out for squalls. The ques
tion was, who are the great American
authors?
Our Own Great Authors.
It has been said elsewhere In this
article that Mr. Huebsch did not hedge.
He did dodge this question. But he
ducked gracefully. Wltnoes:
"Don't ask me. There are reasons
for not answering that question. Don't
SHE WAS RATHSR MOKE
was not reassuring to note the look
of anxiety on the face of our sailor, for
his face was usually as passive and un
emotional as a piece of stone. He was
now plainly worried. The waves were
breaking against the bow of the Sun
Dog and sending volumes of water Into
the little cockpit. The hood was raised,
but as we crowded under It the feeling
of helplessness was heightened a hun
dredfold, even though It warded off the
deluge of water. There was no life
preservers In the boat, a fact that did
not not add to our equanimity. It was
Impossible to keep the boat on her com
pass course, for the seas beat her off so
savagely that in time we feared we
were making no headway at all. How
soon the gasoline would run out became
an Important consideration, and how
soon a sea larger than the others would
come on board and swamp up became
the one anxious thought of all. A great
deal of water had been shipped and the
flywheel of the engine was throwing
out a fountain of spray as it revolved
through the rapidly increasing water
In the bottom of the boat. As we later
learned, the launch had sprung: a leak
when she struck the reef the night be
fore, but we didn't know It at the
time. One man worked with the hand
pump, but the water that broke over
the sides made this seem futile. I don't
believe I had ever In my life been so
keenly conscious of impending disaster,
when destruction seemed so much more
probable than deliverance. The chances
seemed ten to one against our ever get
ting out alive and I found myself ana
lyzing my emotions Under these circum
stances. If we continued In our course
a big head sea would sooner or later
sret us and finally In desperation we de
cided to turn and try to make Andros
Island again. We could take the seas
behind us far more safely than by buck
ing into them head on. but in order te
misunderstand me as saying we have
none. But I give you some facts. One
of the conceded beat literary critics of
our country analyzed thia along: the
line of best sellers. He made a list
according to the books produced and
sold. Then ha eliminated and elimi
nated again and again. When he made
tbe final list it was submitted to the
leading publishers of the country, men
who were competent to rise above per
sonal feeling or prejudice. This is the
result for the year 1911:
Best sellers for the year ...... 21
Foreign authors 15
Americans 6
"Of the great fiction writers in the
list of 21 three are Americans. And
aome of these best sellers of 1911 were
not written that year either, for aome
bad been published long before. One,
The Foundations of the Nineteenth
Century,' was published in Germany 10
years ago. Three, 'Creative Evolution,'
by Henry Bergson; 'Jean Christophe in
Paris,' by Romain Rolland, and three
plays by Brieux, had appeared in
France several years before. 'Love's
Coming of Age, by Edward Carpenter,
had appeared In England 15 years ago.
"So there you are. Of the 21 best
sellers of 1911 six had been published
before, and on the other side. If we
had very many great American writers
we should not have any such showing
as this. I do not decry good old books.
They will live forever, and people of
the better class not the highbrows
will read them as long as they are able
to see. But we ought to have some
best sellers, not from the adver
tiser's point of view, but from the view
of people who know good fiction or
books of any other character we
ought, I say, have some of these out of
the time in which' we are living. In
the list of best sellers agreed upon
there should have been more from the
brains of American writers."
Ibis was tbe answer by a circuitous
"&OCK-ISH' 'J?AKI3HT
reach the island we should have to take
them quartering or else miss the island
entirely. Going with the waves was
like the wild rush down a roller coaster
with a pause on he crest of a wave,
and then another dizzy rush down the
hill of water. One man kept a lookout
behind and signaled when a heavier
wave than usual was coming. The
launch was then swung to take it fairly
in the stern and after the wave had
passed the course would be turned for a
few minutes at a time in the general
direction of the Island. In this way we
staggered and zigzagged on for nearly
two hours, pumping water every min
ute and tenaciously hoping that the
engine would not die or the gasoline
run out. At last land was sighted and
we nerved ourselves for the reef. We
had to cross it or else lose all hope of
ever reaching land. Two of those on
board removed their shoes In prepara
tion for disaster, but I did not, for I
knew that if the boat capsized I couldt
not swim that mile to Bhore. The reef
was roaring like a Niagara and an end
less line of breaking foam marked its
location. Far away on shore was a lit
tle clump of palm trees and a few
houses. Along the beach we could see
figures frantically rushing back and
forth waving warning signals to us.
They were telling us not to try to cross
the reef, as we discovered later, but
we had to cross and we did. In a spot
where for a moment the foam was not
breaking. Perhaps the lift of the sea
momentarily cleared us. for the great
purple rocks were so near the surface
that it seemed Inevitable that we should
strike them. "
A quarter of an hour later, drenched
to the skin, chilled and disheveled, we
landed amidst a throng of excited na
tives. "It was the act of God," they said.
"No boat can cross the reef out there."
SELLERS
route to the question: Who are the
great American writers?
ORCHESTRA OF 1094 PIECES
Andlence of 60,000 Attended Cele
bra ted Concert in 18 69.
Kansas City Star.
The coming of the London Symphony
Orchestra reminded J, M. Coburn, 13
Westport avenue, of the "greatest con
cert he ever heard." He has in his pos
session a copy of the programme of the
National Peace Jubilee Concert, held
In Boston, June 17, 1869. This concert,
one of the most remarkable ever held,
was projected by P. S. Gllmore, of Bos
ton, as a celebration of the peace fol
lowing the Civil War.
A remarkable feature of the concert
was the Grand Orchestra, composed of
1094 pieces, the largest orchestra ever
assembled in this country. It consisted
of the following instruments: 115 first
violins, 100 second violins, 652 violon
cellos, 65 violas, 85 double basses, 8
flutes, 8 clarinets, 8 oboes, 8 bassoons,
12 horns, 8 trumpets, 9 trombones, 3
tubas, 10 drums, 25 piccolos and flutes,
20 E-flat clarinets, 50 B-flat clarinets,
60 E-flat cornets. 75 B-flat cornets, 75
E-flat alto horns, 25 B-flat tenor horns,
60 tenor trombones, 25 bass trombones,
25 B-flat baritones, 75 E-flat bass
tubas, 60 small drums. 25 bass drums,
10 cymbals and 10 triangles.
The overture, "Fra Diavolo," by
Auber, was arranged for the orchestra
of 1000 performing the solo part. An
other number on the programme was
the grand march, "Peace Festival,"
composed for the occasion by Janotta,
"The concert was one of the largest
ever held." said Mr. Coburn, who Is a
vice-president of the Kansas City Sym
phony Orchestra Association. "On the
night I was there there were more than
60,000 persons attending. Think of it
enough people to fill six convention
halls gathered - tog&tiw to hear one
concert. J