Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-03-28

died at his home in this city to-day. He
was IS years of age. He had been Ill for
some time with fatty degeneration of the
heart.
William T. Adams was the best known
writer of boys stories in America. Thou
sands upon thousands Of children and
grown people, too, have read his books
with keen relish. No public library is
thought complete by the younger readers
unless it has large number of duplicates
of all his works.
He had lived for many years in an un-
pretentious but spacious house in Dorches-
ter avenue. in Dorchester, one Of the
water front suburbs of Boston.
Mr.. Adams possessed large estate and
lived many years in his large house on
Dorchester avenue which is surrounded by
trees grown large, giving the place pleas
ant air of seclusion. He had shortly re-
turned from f a trip to Jamaica, where he
became Ill and was nursed by his daughter.
Mrs. Sol Smith Russell, wife of the actor.
Mr.. Adams was born in Medway. Mass,
In 1922. The first of his family to come to
who settled at Quincy. mass, in 1880.
Young Adams attended the Boston public
schools and then worked on a farm at
West Roxbury. In 1888 he made his first
attempt at writing-a pi zee eight pages in
length. In 1913 he was chosen principal of
the school now known as the Harvard
school, and was connected with the Boston
public schools for over twenty years, when
he resigned to travel in Europe.
From 1858 to 1866 Mr.. Adams was editor
Of the Student and schoolmate, and from
1861 edited Oliver Optics Magazine for
Boys and Girls.
The selection of his pen name, or, rather,
the one by which he is now known-for at
one time in his career he had many-came
about in this way: A new play "by a Bos-
ton gentleman" was produced at the muse
UNI, in which there was a character named
Or. Optic. This name took Mr.. Adams
fancy.
At that time he was addicted to writing
humorous doggerel-.he never called it poet
of a signature he added the alliterative Oh
liver to the name in the play which had
pleased him, and it first appeared under the
the Mutual Admiration Society" He next
used it as a signature to the Waverly Mag
azine for three moral tales. In those days
he wrote all sorts of stories. Many of them
illustrated the foibles and weaknesses OF
the hour, and he used a different pen name
for each variety. For example. his senti-
ance tales another. his religious tales still
another and his society sketches another
still: but when he began his Juvenile work
His gift for devoting himself to a task
was almost a talent. Often he would be at
work at the same time on four different
sponsible work as master of a large school
And. added to this, he neglected none of his
duties, ana even held Off1Ce. He had been
at no time in his career conscious of feel
ing any great literary ambition or any van
ity in regard to his success. He went at
writing as to task set him, which he per-
formed conscientiously and simply, without
fuss or posing.
1t is only as writer for boys that Mr..
Adams is now known. But his first story
for boys was written fully thirteen years
after he became known an author 1t
came about. too, by no seeking of his. A
new publishing firm, Brown, Bazin &c Co.
"a inypnilp
furnish it. At first he. fiatly refused. He
had never written anything for Young peo-
pie and had felt no call to do So But Mr.
Bazin, who was warm personal friend,
believed that he could do exactly what was
wanted.
about writing a story about boats and
bodybuilding simply for the boys in his
Sunday school class. and now, yielding to
Mr.. BaZin's entreaties, he promised that
during his vacation he would see what he
could do for him out of that idea. So was
begun the first of the now well known
Boat Club Series" The first half uf the
story was written in ten days. Happening
into the store then, he was asked if he had
begun 1t. When he replied that one-half
was finished, he was greedily asked for the
copy at once. To this the writer naturally
objected. 1t was his first attempt. He was
by no means convinced that he could do 1t
and felt 1t hardly right that it should be
hurried into press in that way.
him, but they allowed the manuscript as it
was to be submitted to one Judge. 1t was
indorsed and the first half was in the
hands of the compoSitorS while the second
was being written. He has been writing
tales of boyish adventure ever since.