The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-29
FAME HIS BIRTHRICHT
How the Remarkable Success of Rich.
ard Harding Davis Was Attained.
HIS CAREER AS A JOURNALIST
Started as a Reporter at Seven Dol.
lars a Week-Influence on His
StyIe-Two Weeks as a Tough
Sketch of His Work.

Copyrighted 1896. by Bachelor, johnson
& Bacheller)
1t Is not often, even in these DAYS OF
quick publicity, that a man wakes OF
a morning and finds himself famous
On the contrary. success in literature
In nearly every instance, is still, as II
always has been, bought at a dear ex-
pense" after years of patient .oil
NOW and then. however a writer APP
pears who leaps into popularity at the
very outset of his career. At the pres
| ent time in America there is not a more
notable instance of this kind of success
than Richard Harding Davis.
| III ne heard himself cited in this way
Mr.. Davis would probably say that he
was not a fair example; that he, too
had had his period of storm and stress
| of struggle and disbursement. But
when this period lasts only three or
four years and ends when the toiler is
little more than rs, 1t can hardly be
taken seriously.
1t was In the summer of 80 that the
short story. Gallagher" appeared in
Scribner's Magazine. Its unconven-
tionality, its freshness and its delight
full humor at once attracted attention.
People began to ask who is this Rich
ard Harding Davis?" To most of these
the name of his mother, Rebecca Hard
Ing Davis, was familiar, and ii soon
became known that Richard Harding
DaNio was dHOtDcT evidence tnat liter
airy talent may be inherited. They
learned, too, that his father was none
other than Clarke Davis, long known
as one Of the foremost of American
editors, as a writer for many of the
periodicals, and as an authority on the
drama.
Mr.. Davis was born in 1864 into an
atmosphere of literature, and his de- ]
sire to write showed itself in a very
early age. 1t will probably surprise his !
readers to learn that his desire found |
its earliest expression in verse. 1t was |
while he was at Lehigh university in |
Bethlehem, Pa, that he published his |
first verses in Life. 1.-The first money |
that I ever made by writing" / once |
heard him say. was about SO that 1 |
got from the New York Evening Post
for little article describing a cane
rush at Lehigh."
After leaving Lehigh, where he had
distinguished himself in athletics as
well as by writing, Mr.. Davis studied
for year at Johns Hopkins university
and then began his career as a newspa-
per man. He secured position as re-
porter on the Philadelphia Record and
remained there for three of the most
eventful months of his life. MY city
editor" he said to me, in talking over
this experience. didn't like me, be-
cause on cold days l wore gloves But
he was determined to make me work
and he gave me about IS assignments
a day and paid me 81 a week At the
end of three months he discharged me
as incompetent"
Mr.. Davis speedily found another
repertorial berth on the Philadelphia
Press, where he remained for two
years. 1t was at the Office of the Press
that he met the original of Gale
gher," the Office boy. little more than 10
years of age, alert and keen, giving
promise of making a clever newspaper
man.
The first day l went to the Press" |
said Mr.. Davis, II said to 'Gallegher'-l