VOL. XIV. NO. XX.
BSTABLISHBD IN 1880
PRICE FlVB CBNTS
LINCOLN, NBBR., SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1801).
ENTERED IN THE POBTOFFIOE AT LINCOLN AS
SECOND CLASS MATTEB.
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
-BI-
THE COURIER PRINTING AND PUBLISHING GO
Office 1132 N street, Up Stairs
Telephone 384.
SARAH B. HARRIS,
Editor
Subscription Kate In Advance.
Per annum 9100
Six months 75
Three months 50
One month 20
Single copies 05
The Courier will not bo responsible for vol
nntnry communications unloss accompanied by
roturn postugo.
Communications, to rocoivo attontion, must
bo sinned by trio full namo of tho writer, not
moroly as a Rimrantoo of good faith, but for
publication if advisable,
:
8 OBSERVATIONS.
1
First Books.
David Ilaruin from the publisher's
point of view has been the most suc
cessful book of the year. In March.
2i),000 copies were sold and 90,000
copies have been printed and the last
edition is nearly extiausted. Let the
number of young writers in di ire rent
parts of the country and especially in
Lincoln take heart of courage, that
tills book the success of the year, was
rejected with the usual printed slip
by six different publishers, residing
in New York, Boston, Philadelphia
and Chicago. If Mr. Edward Noyes
Westcott, tho author of David Harum
had had less faith in himself and in
the book revealed to him, he would
have remained a private In tho army
of inspired ones who faint because of
heretical publishers who will print
4 any longwinded, tiresome, exploita
tion of his own adventures from Hob
son and refuse to publish a book for
which 00,000 people are pining. A
new author must not only possess the
ease and skill of an old hand at tho
business but ho must possess a start
ling originality in order to ovcrcomo
the prejudice existing in all pub
lisher's minds against newness.
Everybody who lias occupied oven the
humblest editorial chair will under
stand why tho manuscript reader
abhors a new contributor. Pounds of
wretched composition containing dis
jointed sentences that only gropo for
the ideas they aro supposed to ex
press, are received by obscure pub
lishers of purely local papers. The
manuscript readers on magazines
must receive what become rejected
manuscripts by tho hundred weight.
There is llttlo wonder that after tho
depression of examining the writings
of those who can not write, for years
the reader becomes convinced that
the region of the unknown is in
habited by men and women who wear
their heads in their stomachs and
think with their fingers. Therefore
must every reader open a manuscript
to discover the address of its author
and before reading it lie takes a
prlnccd form of rejection which reads
something like this:
KDITOKIAL KOOMK.
Dear Madam or Sir: We regret
that we are compelled to decline the
manuscript you kindly submitted to
us for examination.
For various reasons a manuscript
may not be adapted to Tho
and yet meet with acceptance else
where. We sometimes accept manu
scripts declined by other publications,
and often find that those we have
declined are accepted by other period
icals. The return of a manuscript,
therefore, does not necessarily imply
lack of merit or unfitness for publica
tion. We esteem it a favor to be allowed
to examine manuscripts, whether
they prove acceptable or not. Please
excuse the absence of speciiic criti
cism, which is rendered impossible by
the great number of manuscripts sub
mitted to us. Thanking you for your
courtesy, we are
Very truly yours,
The Editors.
He puts it in an envelope and writes
upon it the name on the M.S. lie is
about to read He is surprised by
excellence only a few times In a year
and because of the rarity, his Intel
ligence goes to sleep and can only be
awakened from the coma or trance to
which all manuscript readers are
subject by indications of imperative
and imperial talent. All publishers
deny these charges, but the number
of rejected addresses by men of genius
which they are only too glad to pub.
listi after a wide awake publisher has
discovered them and the omnipotent
people have signified their approval
often confirms tho contributor's plaint
They frequently publish denials of
partiality in reply to the reproaches
of rebuffed genius, saying that they
are constantly on the lookout for a
new genius. They may bo but their
comatose manuscript readers are only
anxious to finish their day's work as
quickly as possible and assume as lit
tle responsibility as possible The pub
lishers themselves neither see nor
read the manuscripts which are de
livered at their rooms by the sackfull.
Embarrassing Relatives.
Beatrice ministers have resented
Walt Mason's good natured reproof to
lachrymose Nebraska relutives who
have wailed along aftor the First
Nebraska, importuning ttic secretary
of war, the assistant secretary, and
all others in authority to send the
First Nebraska home to their aifec
tionato but maudlin and inglorious
relatives. Yet Mr. Mason's advice is
sensible and would be offered by tho
boys themselves if it wore not impos
sible for them to criticise anything,
however sllly,tho folks ut homo choose
to do or advise.
From New York to California the
papors are full of praises of the First
Nebraska which lias been in more
battles and lost more men on the field
and fewer by sickness than any other
regiment. Yet here in Nebraska we
pass resolutions censuring the colonel
of the First, here in Nebraska tho
populist papers are clamoring for the
regiment's return, and reviling a
policy which has not yet been defined,
and even republican papers do not
fully recognize the distinction which
the regiment lias conferred upon the
state, and Nebraska parents who sent
their sons to war have not the Spar
tan virtue of rejoicing witli them.
Kansas and Nebraska have contri
buted to the war, officers and rcgi.
ments whose achievements are being
celebrated in every state but Ne
braska. Kansas is aflame over Col
onel Funston whose exploits have
been of the single, hand-to-hand dare
devil, knight-errant character. Ho
is a bravo man and the Kansans do
well to celebrate their hero, to name
hats, horses, towns and children after
him, but as compared to Colonel
Stotsenburg, Colonel Funston Is as
Lighthorsc Harry or some other dash
ing leader in the civil war, to General
Sheridan who prepared his soldiers
for victory by indefatigable drilling,
discipline and by being In complete
and composed control of the situa
tion in the midst of the battle. Such
a man was Colonel Stotsenburg whom
our stolid legislature rebuked for
incessantly drilling his men and mak
ing soldiers out of the material which
under less intelligent direction had
remained a mob of adventurers, excur
sionists and tourists, finding fault
with army discipline and acquiring a
familiarity with the inside of the
guard house. Do we not know, have
we not heard that the First Nebraska,
and its one time Colonel arc admired
by the English army and by all the
lifo long soldiers of the armies of Eu
rope?who naturally follow the men and
moves of the Filipino campaign more
closely than we do whoso business is
not lighting. When a soldier of Eng
land does a gallant deed, if lie is only
a Scottish piper, the deed and the man
are known all over England, and
when he comes back he Is mot by un
unbonncted crowd who cheer him
and call him by a pet nickname. Wo
let one of the most gallant soldiers
and best officers bo killed at the head
of his company under the impression
that liis devotion to the colors ho
fought under was misunderstood.
The parents who arc now clamoring
for tlic return of the First Nebraska
aro making another mistake of the
same sort, only this timo their own
soldierly sons, who glory in the fame
of the regiment arc being discredited
by their parent's outcries. For tho
sake of tho men whoso steadiness and
obedience unto death has made tho
regiment known throughout tho
world it is hoped by tho men of the
First that their relations will cease
moaning and prepare to bo dazzled
when the regiment conies back. For
the regiment Is composed of men now,
though only boys with damask checks
and lips still puckered in enfant
curves were mustered in Howover
indlfTcrcnt we may seem to what they
have done in tho Filipinos, I fancy no
one can look when they return, upon
tlio young faces set in warrior grim
ness, without thanking God for them
and what they have accomplished,
undeterred by senile whining, in the
Fill pines.
Historical Plays.
Sir Henry Jrving's success in Robes
pierre has produced a revival In Eng
land of the French Revolution in
print. A month ago a name that tho
gamins of London had never heard
and could not pronounce is now
shouted by them in good theatre
French and tou certain extent they
have learned about the convention
and its three divisions, the guillotine,
and the committees. Such a tre
mendous effort mude by a man of Sir
Henry's ago Is remarkable and it is
certain that after London has seen
Robespierre, Sir Henry will bring his
company to America.
Sucli historical pluys as Robespierre
and Cyrano do Bergerac, widen the
horizon of men and women whoelthor
will not read or lack time and oppor
tunity for reading, and tlie widening
of the horizon means the adding of
years, of experience, travel and ac
quaintance to a life. Dwellers in reek
ing tenements arc suddenly transport
ed by an influence they are accustomed
to yield to.to a time of chlvalry,and of
lighting for aspirations, and for the
first time become conscious of time and
history. Even for the student Cyrano
or Robespierre on the stage is a lesson
of delight and of longer living. Nor
can any imagination, however strong,,
conceive a character from reading
and study as Richard Mansfield can
portray It.
The Cyrano he plays here Monday
night is tho play of the year except
for this Robespierre of Sir Henry
Irvlng's which there is little chance
to see for more than another year.
For very love of literature and of life
from the beginning, for nausea of
problem plays, for Indigestion of
risque plays, the people of Lincoln
and of the surrounding towns will go
to seo Richard Mansfield and he of
tho long nose valiant arm and death
faithful heart.
The St. Louis Convention.
The convention of amateur musical
clubs which lately mot in St. Louis
was a very successful meeting and
discovered a proficiency in music and
an interest In tho best music flatter
ing to any people. There was ono
feature, however very trying to tho
business like western delegates who
have grown accustomed to meetings
which begin and close on time. Tho
president of tho association happens