Motion Picture Story Magazine (Feb-Jul 1913)

Dear Editor: Same ten months ago, a little Brooklyn girl (five feet nine inches) sent me a Motion Picture Story Magazine. I've read said magazine again and again, and waited, for ten months, for another one, but nothing stirred. I presume that the little Brooklyn girl either ran short in pocket-money, or got married, or met some other accident; anyway, no more Motion Picture Story Magazines show up. Now, there are 1772 soldiers, 123 men (more or less), 11 women, 59 ladies, several biscuit-shooters, all kinds of babies — Filipinos and some Chinese — on this lonesome rock, and ever since I received this Motion Picture Story Magazine, I've loaned it out among all those human beings, reading it again, when I got it back, and then loaning it out once more. This proves — methinks — that I am a "constant" reader, and I, therefore, have the privilege to write to you. Fact is, that I am forced to write, since aforementioned magazine is getting pretty well worn out. I, for my part, can read it all right — I know the contents by heartbut the rest of Corregidor's inhabitants can hardly make out whether it is a Salvation Army "War-Cry" or a Chinese almanac, and so it's just about time to order a new one. Do you know, Mr. Brewster, that the arrival of this said old Motion Picture Story Magazine caused quite a sensation? You do not? Well, I thought so ; you people back In the woods dont hear any news, and that's why I want to tell you. Furthermore, do you know, my dear Mr. Brewster, how many scraps we have had on account of this here magazine of yours? No? Well, I dont know myself, exactly — nobody knows it — but I am convinced that we had more fights and scraps over it than they had in the Spanish, Cuban and Civil wars taken together. At first, we tried to keep them from stealing The Motion Picture Story Magazine (ten months old), with Springfields (model 1903, cal. 30), in vain. Then the War Department supplied us with several 24-inch guns ; that made it worse. While we tried to keep our guns pointed at them, some of them blew up the bomb-proof vault and hooked my Motion Picture Story Magazine (ten months old). At last I got wise. I recovered The Motion Picture Story Magazine, assembled the whole bunch of them, and read the dear old Motion Picture Story Magazine (ten months old) to them from start to finish. I did that afterwards, every Sunday, and we lived happy ever after. I'm thinking of having several thousand Motion Picture Story Magazines translated into the Japanese lingo, and if they should start something, I would go by and have about 2323 distributed among them. I am convinced that they'll get so interested that they'll forget everything about war, and all we have to do then is to walk up, hit them on their noble heads, claim and take possession of Japan, and — bang — we've got another star in our flag, and a pretty big one, too. Now this demonstrates only one case of what your magazine does, and can do, for the American nation. It shows and puts people hep to something they never knew before. It proves that some people (especially Motion Picture actors and actresses) can get killed in train smashups, motor-car, boat or other accidents, and still enjoy life and good health for years and years. The Motion Picture Story Magazine shows how cheap one can buy good literature ; it illustrates how many foolish questions one single person can answer, without going bughouse. It keeps people, who live in some lonesome corner of this world, in touch with the other world (the Motion Picture world). Do you know where Corregidor is? Well, I dont expect you to— nobody knows it, except people that have been here. Its location is 122° East long, and 14° 21 sec. North lat. The island is made of rock (doby rock) put into the China Sea by -Nature. It is inhabited by snakes, bamboo, Filipinos, iguanas (see dictionary) spiders (all kinds and sizes, ranging from a fly to the size of a New York skyscraper), and soldiers (put on the rock by order of the War Department, to find out whether the guy was right when he said: "There's no place like home.") But I'll have to close for today; pretty soon they'll blow "mess-call," and I wouldn't miss my beans for anything. What are you going to have for dinner? Enclosed please find money-order for the amount of $1.50 (good old U. S. currency) for a year's subscription for The Motion Picture Story Magazine, commencing January, 1913 — providing you dont charge the $1.50 for reading this letter. Very respectfully yours, Fred M. Smith. Corporal, 95th Co., C. A..C, Fort Mills, Corregidor, P. I. 104