Billy Baxters Letters | Page 3

modify the etext or this "small print!"
statement. You may however, if you wish, distribute this etext in
machine readable binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form,
including any form resulting from conversion by word pro- cessing or
hypertext software, but only so long as *EITHER*:
[*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and does *not*

contain characters other than those intended by the author of the work,
although tilde (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may be used
to convey punctuation intended by the author, and additional characters
may be used to indicate hypertext links; OR
[*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at no expense into
plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent form by the program that displays
the etext (as is the case, for instance, with most word processors); OR
[*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at no additional
cost, fee or expense, a copy of the etext in its original plain ASCII form
(or in EBCDIC or other equivalent proprietary form).
[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this "Small
Print!" statement.
[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Project of 20% of the net profits
you derive calculated using the method you already use to calculate
your applicable taxes. If you don't derive profits, no royalty is due.
Royalties are payable to "Project Gutenberg
Association/Carnegie-Mellon University" within the 60 days following
each date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) your annual
(or equivalent periodic) tax return.
WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU
DON'T HAVE TO?
The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, scanning
machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty free copyright
licenses, and every other sort of contribution you can think of. Money
should be paid to "Project Gutenberg Association / Carnegie-Mellon
University".
*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN
ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END*

This Etext prepared by an anonymous Project Gutenberg volunteer.

Billy Baxter's Letters
By William J. Kountz, Jr.

Contents: Preface Out Hunting One Night In Society In Love In New
York Johnny Black's Girl

PREFACE
In presenting this work, we believe that an explanation is due the reader
as to why the letters are given in their present form at this time.
The first book published, "One Night," was "issued by The Duquesne
Distributing Company to show its great love for the American people,
and to incidentally advertise the 'R--R--S--.'" Its success was
immediate.
"In Society" appeared February 1, 1899, and scored as promptly as
"One Night." The demand for the booklets was phenomenal, and Mr.
Kountz received thousands of friendly letters applauding him for his
humor. He also received flattering offers from the leading comic
weeklies, the metropolitan dailies, and great advertisers throughout the
Union. He declined them all, being primarily a business man, and
carrying literature only as a side line.
On May 1st "In Love" was given to the public, with the promise that
"In New York" would follow on October Ist. On the evening of August
9th, William J. Kountz, Jr., turned to the writer of this preface, and
referring to "In New York," said: "Well, I'm through, all but going over
it." He never returned to his office, and on August 18th he died in the
room where he was born not quite thirty-two years before.
We then conceived the idea of putting the letters out in their present
form, as a last tribute to the author, who in less than a year's work lifted
himself into a place among the nation's humorists.
We have reproduced only such of the prefaces and advertisements as
have been widely discussed for their humorous quality, and which the
author's friends insisted should no be omitted.
The two heretofore unmentioned letters were discovered after the
author's death, and are published in the rough, as they were found. "Out
Hunting" is based on a trip which actually took place, and from
personal knowledge contains a good deal of fact. It was doubtless

written before "One Night," and for that reason is given priority in the
arrangement.
"Johnny Black's Girl" is merely a scrap, and is inserted as such. It
shows, however, that the author had a "tear for pity" as well as an eye
for the ridiculous.
Geo. McC. Kountz.

OUT HUNTING
Pittsburg, September 1, 1898.
Dear Jim:
I am just back from St. Paul, where I spent a couple of days with Teddy
Worthington. Teddy and Bud Hathaway of Chicago were going on a
shooting trip in the Big Woods of Minnesota, and they asked me to go
with them. It was new deal for me, so of course I was for it. I hired a
hammerless breech-loader for seven a week, borrowed a lot of
fishing-tackle, and bought a hunting-knife with a nickel-plated handle.
It