Adventure Magazine Cover — page 195: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Ask Adventure The Case of Readers Who Violate the Rules of This Department Y PERSONAL idea is that our “A. A.” editors are too good-natured. This is a free service we offer our readers. We're giving you something. You value it or you wouldn’t ask for it. Doesn’t it seem reason- able and decent that any one asking for this service should comply with the simple rules? Yet some do not even read the rules. And if you don’t care enough for the thing you ask for to enclose return postage to bring it to you, why write at all? In short, why be a cheap skate and a poor sport? Luckily, the vast majority of our readers are sensible and decent in this use of “A. A.” I hope our ‘‘A. A.” editors will just let the others go to If some fellow doesn’t comply with the simple rules, let him go without answer of any kind. If he kicks, let him. If he gets sore at the magazine, let him. Any one who is stung through his own fault and then blames somebody else isn’t the kind we want sitting around our Camp-Fire. It’s a mighty fine lot of sports who gather there, and the other kind aren’t welcome. The letter Captain Dingle sends in is a sample of one way in which a minority abuse our ‘‘A. A.” service. Many of the places he asks about are not in Captain Dingle’s territory. Does he expect Captain Dingle to copy these questions and send them on to the proper “A. A.” editors for him? And what a collection of questions! Probably he didn’t mean the least harm in the world, and I’ll say for him that he did enclose 2 cents postage. Postage for Cap- tain Dingle’s replies (Bermuda) is 5 cents and is so stated in the magazine, but at least he “meant well.” Mr. Noyes, too, is too encdenat iced: but I’m _ good- natured only up to a certain point, so I’m asking him to let me talk a bit in ‘A. A.” These inconsiderate scatter- ' brains get on my nerves, and I don’t mind saying so.—A. 8S. H. Here’s the letter from Captain Dingle that called forth Mr. Hoffman’s remarks above: My pEAR HOFFMAN: Receipt of the enclosed prompts me to make a suggestion. See where the blighter takes me in one letter? And sends no envelop, only two cents postage, and prepays only two cents, after all the notices printed in the magazine. I get many, of course, but none before which wants for two cents a Hamilton, Bermuda. 185 geography and gazetteer of the world. My sug- gestion is that a paragraph be run among the letters printed, something like this: “If you get no response to your letter of inquiry, before you start out with your little ax to swat the Department just look over the few very simple rules regarding postage, districts covered, etc., and ask yourself if you have followed them. Quite a few of you not only expect this free service to come to you without even enclosing your addressed envelope, to say nothing of stamps or cost of postage, but you fail to prepay your letters, thereby forcing a tax on the man you ask for free advice. The eel gets tired of being skinned after a while; can you wonder if sometimes a busy writer jibs at being taxed through sheer carelessness on the part of corre- spondents and refuses to act the goat any longer?”’ You can stick my name to it if youlike. I believe it 1s possible to gouge under the hides of these mental pachyderms if we use a sharp enough goad. It might be well to print this question in the ordinary way, and run my comment by way of reply. Ihave another by the same mail, but I think one example is sufficient, so 1am replying to the other one, simply telling him to apply at the right shop and enclose postage. Yours very truly, DINGLE, And here’s the letter from the “Ask Adventure” inquirer that called forth Cap- tain Dingle’s letter, above. I may add that the same- inquirer has shot off his scatter- gun at most of the “A. A.”’ men, at some of them several times: 7-8-21. “DEAR SIR: Could you give information on the Cocos Islands the climate, natives, language, fishing, minerals, topography, weather, and etc. Is there any hidden treasure there. Are their any mts, lakes, rivers, swamps, forests, animals, burds, plants and etc. their. Could you tell me who the Canary island belongs and is there any bird or minerals found their In what country are the most burds of Paradise found. Is there any large burds or voluable deposits of sodium nitrate. Is phosphate found on the Noura island. What mineral deposts are found in New Caledonia. From what islands does most of the pearls, and coral come from. Are birds of Paradise found in New Guinea. What are the chief industries on the following island Cook, Samoa, Society, Galapagos and etc. From what island does most of the cameos and sulphur come. What is the climate of the following islands Cc pe Verde, Canary, St. Helena. Do you know if there are any cannabal found in some of the islands. Which islands are the best to go for an exploration trip. To hunt for burds, plants, animals and ete. Are their any pearls found on the Bahamas islands. From what island does most of the rare pearls come from. Any gold, silver, and diamonds found in the Celbs or in Borneo. What are the chief products of New Zeland. Where do most of the coaconuts, gum, flap and etc. come from.”— , Clairton, Pa. ‘‘Ask Adventure’’ service costs you noth- ing but reply postage and self-addressed envelop. CONMUG 1@) DOOKS (© iin