The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-06-07
GIMME FADpEN,s AUTHOR.
Edward w. Townsend Stands in Fair
Way of Reaching Fame.


The New York Tribune prints this
interesting personal sketch
Edward Townsend. the author of the
exceedingly clever "Chimmie Fadden'
sketches, has nearly completed novel
which he calls "a Daughter of the
Tenements." 1t is a story of New York
life. Young Mr.. Fadden of the Bowery
has been making his way energetically
of late into the good graces of quick
witted readers, and this more am
bilious work by the new author VIII
be looked for with interest
Mr.. Townsend was born in Cleveland
of parents who were originally New
Workers. When not more than 10 years
old he began to send to Cleveland
newspaper articles which were prompt
ly printed. Before he was OF age he
went to California to study mining;
but journalism had laid beguiling
hand upon the boy. and after some eX-
periences on rural journals he dld
great deal of work upon the San Fran
cisco newspapers. His earliest attempts
at fiction were made for the benent OF
the Argonaut. Later he became WASH
ington correspondent of the Examiner.
and three years ago he Joined the stan
of our esteemed contemporary, the New
York Sun, and has ever since displayed
brilliant ability in dealing with pic
turesque phases Of city life and espe-
cially with the Bowery types. The
young writers who think it easy to
dash OFF, a newspaper story and Won
der why the articles they prepare py
the midnight oil from their seething
brains are not better appreciated
might learn a lesson from Mr.. Town
send. Nearly every one Of the short
stories of "Chimmie," which are read
in Is minutes, represented three or
four mornings spent, not over his desk,
but in the Bowery or the Fourth ward,
studying the character Of the people
about whom he wanted to write.
There is one little fellow" he says,
down at one of the slips. He was the
most perfect Bowery boy l have ever
seen, and used to go down and pre-
tend to sit reading a paper or TO be
waiting for somebody, just to be near
him and hear him talk | studied hard
on three things in particular-the
idiom, the slang and the dialect. Ihe
last is the least important and the
easiest to get. Anybody can get IL. III
rather hurts than helps the stories in
my opinion. What | care most for is
the slang and the idiom. They were
modified as l went along and learned
more about them. 1t was hard 10 get
them wen, for the people will not talk
the same way with any stranger as
among themselves. Their most char
acteristic expressions are put of Tor
more formal words.
mo, / didn't start out to write
series at all. One story led to another.
1t began with an attempt to write
Sunday special l was put on the
track by a little incident l had seen
few days before l went up to a mis-
sion where some ladies were giving a
dinner to some tenement house chill
dren, and was To report II. One little
fellow near me I noticed gulping down
a piece of pie in about two bites. The
| young lady in charge, who seemed 70
be on very good terms with the boys,
and assumed a pretty air of comrade-
| ship, was standing by and saw the pie
| disappear She leaned over and said,
with a bit of the boys manner for good
| fellowship. Would you like another
piece If | can sneak it?' His eyes
| frightened. She brought the pie and
| placed it before him with a little conf
| Dental whisper. as though ii were a
| special favor of which he were not to
| tell. As she did SO, the boy leaned
| over and kissed her hand. 1t must
have been the innate gentleman. No
one could have taught him. Maybe he
had seen "A courtieT do IL on some Bow
! cry stage But | think it was just his
| own natural tribute. That was my
first insight into the Bnwery character.
II set me thinking. and when l wanted
to write a special, | used the people
had seen there. making up my own
IL.