St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-12-06
KNEW DAVID HARUM.
A Woman Living i'm Denver Remem.
bers Him.

old YORK state banker mas in the city at
the foot of the Rockies. But probably
no one in Denver read David Harum"
with quite the interest of Mrs. o. S.
Storrs Of Charline Place. Mrs. Storrs
had not read far in David Harum" be-
fore puzzled look as If she was trying
to remember dream, began to steal
over her face. She laid the book down
and closed her eyes for minute, says the
Denver News.
Surely" said she, that must be Dave
Hannum."
Sure enough, it was Dave Hannum,
familiar figure in the days of her girl.
hood, back in the little village of Homer,
NY.
mo one could help recognizing the
character" said Mrs. Storrs to a News
representative.
NOT DISGUISED.
"Mr. Westcott did not even take the
trouble to disguise the name. He chang.
ed only the double m to an r. in the last
name. And the bonneville OF the book
is in reality the village of Homer, be-
tween Syracuse and Binghamton.
Homer has only about 5000 inhabitants,
but it is an intellectual centre. One of
the best academies in the country is
located there, and the standards of edu-
cation and refinement are high. But
character quite the reverse is given the
village in the novel, and the people there
are rather sore over David Harum' in
consequence.
"As to the David himself, nobody could
help recognizing him, although many Of
the incidents of the story are imaginary.
He was married twice, the second time
after remaining several years widower.
Both his wives were fine women, and he
lived very happily with them. So
think 1t was rather cruel in Mr.. Westcott
to write that portion Of his story, al
though l suppose he thought that as
Mr.. and Mrs. Hannum and their child
were all dead that it did not matter.
The incident OF the little boy is drawn
from life, ! think. Mr. Hannum had one
child by his first wife, a son, who lived
but few years. He idolized the boy
and his heart was almost broken when
he died.
"The chief point OF identity between
the man of real life and the man of fctior
is the horse.trading propensity of both
Mr.. Hannum was very fond OF trading
horses. He would rather make 81 that
way than $40 any other. One time,
remember, he sold man pair Of what
appeared to be very spirited horses
They were very spirited under Mr.. Han
NUNS driving, but when the new owner
took the reins they were anything else.
1.-THE purchaser wrote to Dave to know
why his team would not make the speed
under his driving that they did unde
their former owners. Dave wrote bacl
very laconically, when you get out o
the barn give them a touch OF long oats.
He called the whip long oats. and re
ferred to his own driving.
"He was splendid driver, and had
way of touching up his team with tn
lash and never leaving mark upo
them. He could get more steam out
a horse without injuring him than any
body else. He always drove a fin
span up to the close of his life.
Both of his wives were fine, hant
some, stylish-looking women, and Mi
Hannum himself was big, fine lookin
man. He always lived in good styl'
and at one time had a handsome fortune
amassed entirely by his own efforts, to
he was a selfmade man. But he die
land poor. He had passion for buyin
land. He added farm after farm to h
possessions, until he had very large e
tate. One time someone asked him VIII
he bought so many farms.
HE BOUGHT FARMS.
"'Well, said he, I feel as it didn
want another man next to me-
And so he bought and bought, unit
in his later days he could not meet b
obligations. and number Of people
Homer lost by him. Some of the
people feel bitterly toward him, but mo
of them remember him with pleasure, II
his big heart and his odd, original sa
ings. That part in the book about t.
rich Young man taking him to the circu
when he was a child and the remembt
ing it all his life, was touch true to Ii
Mr.. Hannum loved any kind of SHOW
particularly circus. OF all the thin
in lie he liked a show next best to
horse trade, and if he hadn't been
horse-trading real estate man wou
probably have been one of the big sho
men of the country. ! don't rememt
that he was ever banker, and dol
believe he was.
HE may have had an interest in
bank at Homer some time or 9th
among his other interests, but | neN
knew oft. His childhood, think, W
something like that described in
book-lonely, neglected and unhapI
Do know the author OF David Harun
Why, certainly. He was the son OF
Westcott OF Syracuse, very great IRE
and don't know but relative OF ~
Hannum.
"Of course, he was genius to
the possibilities Tor a great charac
sketch in Hannum, but / think ne
not quite entitled to the entire credit
the success of the book. You know I
publishers who finally accepted it IN N
York, after it had been refused by
other houses, did so on the condlt1
that he remodel it and make Harum
principal character; make the book h'I
on Harum, and all the rest come IN as
side issue. He followed their advice g
the result has justified their iudgme
One thing must say in justice to my
acquaintance Hannum.
HE never talked any such dialect
David Harum does. He talked horse
his conversation was full OF horse sto
and horse trading terms. But he
too intelligent and well educated a n
to talk dialect. thought when n
the book, and remembered what
stylish, aristocratic woman his VIE "
What would Mrs Hannum nave sa,'