Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-03-31

degeneration Of the heart
William Taylor Adams was born in
1872 at Midway, Mass. His ancestors
were English, and the first representative
of the family to come to America was
Henry Adams, who settled at Quincy,
Mass, in 1880. Young Adams attended
the public schools of Boston in his child
hood, and in 1888 the family settled in
RoXbury. 1t was there that he made
his first efforts at writing. His first
piece was eight pages long. his second
twenty-five and the third eighty pages.
His first printed article was published III
the Social Monitor. In 1913 Mr.. Ad
ans was chosen principal of what is now
the Harvard school, and he was associ-
ated with the public. schools of Boston
as teacher for upward of a score of
years.
oliver Optics" first book for boys ap-
peared early in the 50's. His pen name
was suggested by play produced about
that time in Boston, IN which was a DR..
Optic. The name took his fancy, and
when he cast about for a nom de plume
he simply added the Oliver to the name
already in his mind anu he had it.
his great popularity with boys has
been attributed to the fact of his thor
ough understanding Of the boy character
his likes and dislikes, his enjoyments,
hopes, fears and ambitions. 1t is certain
that Mr.. Adams had ample opportunity
to study and know che nature OF children
and their habits. At one time he had
not less than 1900 children and twenty
five teachers under his immediate con-
troi. For twenty years he was teacher
OF a Sunday school, and for ten years he
was a Sunday school superintendent His
motto in writing for his young friends
was First God, then country, then
friends
Tells How he Began to Write.
While visiting his daughter, Mrs. Sol
Smith Russell, in Minneapolis about a
year ago Mr. Adams gave an entertaining
sketch of his early days as an author.
What started me to writing juvenile
fction?" said Mr.. Adams, repeating the
reporters question. We'll" With a
tWinkling Of the kindly blue eyes, II
just Numbered into it. I had done more
or less writing for the papers as early
as 1913. / was 4 school teacher in Bos-
ton in those days and had no literary
ambitions, but took Il certain pleasure
III writing just as thousands Of young
men do. | didn't begin by writing stories
Tor the boys. L had been writing for
paper when, after a trip down the Mis-
Slsslppl IN 1913, l wrote 'Hatchie. or the
Guardian Slave The publishers said it
was too long to use as q continued story,
and sold # to them for . song. It
was issued in 80 and had considerable
success, though [ don't think much of it,
1t was too sensational. Well. along in
1872 when l was master of the BoWd-
witch grammar school in Boston. a young
man who had been a clerk in the pub
fishing house that handled my other
book, started out by himself and asked
ne to write q story. | didn't have time
to do what he wished. but | fixed I'D a
little book out of some of my newspaper
stories and it was published under
the title OF In Doors and Out
did write one novel entitled the
Confessions of a Bank Clerk"
or something like that l have forgot
ten now what it was about. The pub
fishers came to me again and said that
they wanted Juvenile story. | laughed
at the idea. I told them that [ couldn't
write that kind Of matter, besides | had
so much to do that I didn't have time
to write. Finally | consented to see
what l could do when my vacation COM
menced. set to work, and before I
met the publishers again | had a half-fn-
ished manuscript I showed it to them
and they told me to send the COPY light
TO the printers and hurry up with the
rest OF the book, so that it could be put
on the fall market. | refused to do
this because I had no competent critics
opinion of the merits Of the book. Final
ly we agreed to have a mutual friend
read the unfinished manuscript. What
he told the publishers I don't know. but
they told me to hurry up the rest of the
story. The first half was in tyne he
fore | had finished writing the last half
That book was called The Boat CHM
The publishers demanded sequel and
it came III All Aboard So Won sep 7
was started as a juvenile writer. and
had just Numbered my way into +
never had any literary ambition. I don't
think there IS anybody that thinks less Of
my books than | do l have gone on
writing and the publishers have accnn+oJ
all | sent them. | don't think that mere
than one or two volumes of al | have
written have been passed on by q reader
Publishers Wouldn't Let Him Give TN
''After l began writing the iIyeniln
stories my publishers were always NJ
me to give up school teaching and de-
vote my time entirely to writing. | was
getting 5000 and | told them that 7
didn't want to take any chances. They
answered that they would guarantee mo
that much and finally, in 1865. | left the
school The first year | made more
than twice the guaranty. Altogether |
have written about 125 volumes. includ-
ing the matter with which / supplied the
magazines, Our Boys and Girls, Student
and Schoolmate, and Our Little Ones.
which / have edited at different times
extending over Il total of twenty-nine
years In the regular series | have writ
ten, perhaps, eighty volumes.
ITO supply myself with the material
for this large amount OF work | have
been an extensive traveller and vora-
cioua reader. | have been in Europe
ten times and explored every sea ana
river IN its many nations
Mr. Adams added that he read much
merely for amusement He mastered
the French language some twenty-five
years ago, and for the last ten years he
has been q great reader of French
novels. He was once familiar with
German. italian and Spanish. but he
found that with his increasing years-he
was then nearly The had forgotten
them To great extent.
Yes he said as The reporter was
leaving him. Il am "A years old and
have enjoyed life. too"
His Home in Dorchester.
Mr. Adams IS possessed Of Il rather
large estate. lie resided for many years
in his large house in Dorchester avenue,
Boston. 1t is SURROUNDED by pleasant