Introduction
On April 18, 1918, the Society of Arts and Sciences of New York City paid tribute to the memory of William Sydney Porter at a dinner in honour of his genius. In the ball-room of the Hotel McAlpin there gathered, at the speakers' table, a score of writers, editors and publishers who had been associated with O. Henry during the time he lived in Manhattan; in the audience, many others who had known him, and hundreds yet who loved his short stories.
Enthusiasm, both immediate and lasting, indicated to the Managing Director of the Society, Mr. John F. Tucker, that he might progress hopefully toward an ideal he had, for some time, envisioned. The goal lay in the establishing of a memorial to the author who had transmuted realistic New York into romantic Bagdad-by-the-Subway.
When, therefore, in December, 1918, Mr. Tucker called a committee for the purpose of considering such a memorial, he met a glad response. The first question, "What form shall the monument assume?" drew tentative suggestions of a needle in Gramercy Square, or a tablet affixed to the corner of O. Henry's home in West Twenty-sixth Street. But things of iron and stone, cold and dead, would incongruously commemorate the dynamic power that moved the hearts of living men and women, "the master pharmacist of joy and pain," who dispensed "sadness tinctured with a smile and laughter that dissolves in tears."
In short, then, it was decided to offer a minimum prize of $250 for the best short story published in 1919, and the following Committee of Award was appointed:
BLANCHE COLTON WILLIAMS, Ph.D.
EDWARD J. WHEELER, Litt.D.
ETHEL WATTS MUMFORD
ROBERT WILSON NEAL, M.A.
MERLE ST. CROIX WRIGHT, D.D.
It is significant that this committee had no sooner begun its round table conferences than the Society promised, through the Director, funds for two prizes. The first was fixed at $500, the second at $250.
At a meeting in January, 1919, the Committee of Award agreed upon the further conditions that the story must be the work of an American author, and must first appear in 1919 in an American publication. At the same time an Honorary Committee was established, composed of writers and editors, whose pleasure it might be to offer advice and propose stories for consideration. The Honorary Committee consisted of
GERTRUDE ATHERTON
EDWARD J. O'BRIEN
FANNIE HURST
JOHN MACY
BURGES JOHNSON
MRS. EDWIN MARKHAM
ROBERT MORSS LOVETT
JOHN S. PHILLIPS
WILLIAM MARION REEDY
VIRGINIA RODERICK
WALTER ROBERTS
CHARLES G. NORRIS
EDWARD E. HALE
MAX EASTMAN
CHARLES CALDWELL DOBIE
MARGARET SHERWOOD
HAMLIN GARLAND
JAMES BRANCH CABELL
STUART P. SHERMAN
WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE
STEPHEN LEACOCK
MAJOR RUPERT HUGHES
EUGENE MANLOVE RHODES
The Committee of Award read throughout the year, month by month, scores of stories, rejecting many, debating over others, and passing up a comparative few for final judgment. In January, out of the hundred or more remaining, they salvaged the following:
1. The Kitchen Gods, by Guglielma Alsop (Century, September).
2. Facing It, by Edwina Stanton Babcock (Pictorial Review, June).
3. The Fairest Sex, by Mary Hastings Bradley (Metropolitan, March).
4. Bargain Price, by Donn Byrne (Cosmopolitan, March).
5. Porcelain Cups, by James Branch Cabell (Century, November).
6. Gum Shoes, 4-B, by Forrest Crissey (Harper's, December).
7. The Trial in Tom Belcher's Store, by Samuel A. Derieux (American, June).
8. April Twenty-fifth As Usual, by Edna Ferber (Ladies Home Journal, July).
9. The Mottled Slayer, by George Gilbert (Sunset, August).
10. Dog Eat Dog, by Ben Hecht (The Little Review, April).
11. Blue Ice, by Joseph Hergesheimer (Saturday Evening Post, December 13).
12. Innocence, by Rupert Hughes (Cosmopolitan, September).
13. Humoresque, by Fannie Hurst (Cosmopolitan, March).
14. The Yellow Streak, by Ellen La Motte (Century, March).
15. The Elephant Remembers, by Edison Marshall (Everybody's, October).
16. England to America, by Margaret Prescott Montague (Atlantic, September).
17. Five Thousand Dollars Reward, by Melville D. Post (Saturday Evening Post, February 15).
18. The Lubbeny Kiss, by Louise Rice (Ainslee's, October).
19. The High Cost of Conscience, by Beatrice Ravenel (Harper's, January).
20. The Red Mark, by John Russell (Collier's, April 15).
21. The Trap, by Myra Sawhill (American, May).
22. Evening Primroses, by Anne D. Sedgwick (Atlantic, July).
23. Autumn Crocuses, by Anne D. Sedgwick (Atlantic, August).
24. The Blood of the Dragon, by Thomas Grant Springer (Live Stories, May).
25. Contact, by Wilbur Daniel Steele (Harper's, March).
26. For They Know not What They Do, by Wilbur Daniel Steele (Pictorial Review, July).
27. La Guiablesse, by Wilbur Daniel Steele (Harpers, September).
28. On Strike, by Albert Payson Terhune (The Popular Magazine, October).
29. The Other Room, by Mary Heaton Vorse (McCall's, April).
30. They Grind Exceeding Small, by Ben Ames Williams (Saturday Evening Post, September 13).
31. On the Field of Honour, by Ben Ames Williams (American, March).
32. Turkey Red, by Frances Gilchrist Wood (Pictorial Review, November).
Although the exiguity of the vessel forbids inclusion of all these stories, yet the Committee wish to record them as worthy of preservation under covers. Publishing by title, therefore, carries all the honour attached to publishing the complete story.
Awarding the prizes proved difficult. No title stood first on all the lists: rated best by one judge, any story lost rank through lower rating by another. But the following held from first place to fifth place on the separate final lists: "La Guiablesse," "England to America," "For They Know not What They Do," "Evening Primroses," "Autumn Crocuses," "Humoresque," "The Red Mark," "They Grind Exceeding Small," "On Strike," "The Elephant Remembers," "Contact," and "Five Thousand Dollars Reward." It will be observed that three of Wilbur Daniel Steele's narratives appear. If the prize had been announced as going to the author of more stories rated first, he would have received it. But by the predetermined conditions, it must fall to the author of the best story, and according to a recognized system of counts,[A] the best is "England to America"; the second best, "For They Know not What They Do." The first award, therefore, goes to Miss Margaret Prescott Montague; the second to Mr. Wilbur Daniel Steele.
[Footnote A:
Since there were five judges, the system used was the following:
A story of place 1 was given 5 points
" " " " 2 " " 4 "
" " " " 3 " " 3 "
" " " " 4 " " 2 "
" " " " 5 " " 1 point.]
The Committee were remarkably unanimous in answering the question, "What is a short- story?"; but they differed, rather violently, over the fulfilment of requirements by the various illustrations. Without doubt, the most provocative of these was Mr.