The $2000 Prize
The $2000 Prize was a literary contest launched simultaneously by several American newspapers of the Bacheller Newspaper Syndicate (The Daily Austin Statesman, The Omaha Daily Bee, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The Wheeling Intelligencer, The Scranton Tribune, The Minneapolis Tribune, etc), but also in magazines (the Century, Harper's Monthly, the Critic, The Strand Magazine) in april 1895.
The theme was the best short detective story. Arthur Conan Doyle was mentioned as one of the most distinguished authors of the age represented in this contest.
The results were announced on 23 june 1895 : Miss Mary E. Wilkins Wins.
Unfortunately it is not known which text was sent by Arthur Conan Doyle (if he really submitted one).
The $2000 Prize
The prize of two thousand dollars offered by this and other newspapers for the best short detective stories submitted before May 1, has brought thousands of manuscripts from all parts of the world. This handsome offer, the largest ever matte for a short story. has enlisted the interest of some of the greatest authors living, who are writing stories for the prize. It will be a battle of the imagination between giants of contemporary literature.
The stories to which the first prize of $2000 and the prize of $500 are to be awarded, will appear in a remark-able series of short stories to run in the daily issues of The Statesman in instalments of about 2000 words per day, from the first of May to the first of October.
The most distinguished authors of the age will be represented in this series, such as:
- A. CONAN DOYLE, FRANK R. STOCKTON,
- BRET HARTE,
- ANNA KATHERINE GREEN,
- STANLEY J. WEYMAN, MARK TWAIN,
- THE DUCHESS, MARY E. WILKINS,
- BRANDER MATTHEWS, MARTIN HEWITT.
