Here’s another tale to remind us to make sure none of our relatives are inadvertently keeping treasures hidden away in their attic: A Sherlock Holmes story thought to be written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was recently discovered in an attick in Selkirk, Scotland. The story’s 111 years old and has been sitting in that attic for approximately the last 50.
According to The Telegraph it was Walter Elliot, a historian, poet, and owner of said attic, who unearthed it when perusing the space recently. He thinks he was given the story by a friend half a century and, y’know, forgot about it.
The story is unsigned and therefore unverified, but Doyle was known to enjoy visiting Selkirk and reportedly contributed to an event in the area to raise money to build a bridge destroyed in 1902 by a flood. He contributed by writing a 1,300 word story that is, apparently, most Holmes-Watson banter. The story is called “Sherlock Holmes: Discovering the Border Burghs and, By Deduction, the Brig Bazaar.”
You can read the full thing over at The Telegraph, but here’re the first few paragraphs:
‘We’ve had enough of old romancists and the men of travel, said the Editor, as he blue-pencilled his copy, and made arrangements for the great Saturday edition of the Bazaar Book. ‘We want something up-to-date. Why not have a word from “Sherlock Holmes”?’
Editors have only to speak and it is done, at least, they think so. ‘Sherlock Holmes!’ As well talk of interviewing the Man in the Moon. But it does not do to tell Editors all that you think. I had no objections whatever, I assured the Editor, to buttonhole ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ but to do so I should have to go to London.
‘London!’ scornfully sniffed the Great Man. ‘And you profess to be a journalist? Have you never heard of the telegraph, the telephone, or the phonograh? Go to London! And are you not aware that all journalists are supposed to be qualified members of the Institute of Fiction, and to be qualified to make use of the Faculty of Imagination? By the use of the latter men have been interviewed, who were hundreds of miles away; some have been “interviewed” without either knowledge or consent. See that you have a topical article ready for the press for Saturday. Good day’.’
I was dismissed and had to find copy by hook or by crook. Well, the Faculty of Imagination might be worth a trial.
What do you guys think? Is this the real deal? Noted Holmes enthusiast Neil Gaiman does not seem convinced.
The “new Conan Doyle Holmes story” is obviously no such thing. @mattias221b demonstrates why: http://t.co/QIXn181cFD
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) February 21, 2015
(via The Telegraph) (Image via BBC)
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