Arizona republican., 1899-07-21

He Did Not Live TO see His Book In
Print,

One of the most striking books o.
! the season, one that IS read from One
end of the country to the ether. Il
David Harum.' 1t is hard to realize
after the extraordinary success of the
/ book, that the dying author had hard
work TO dispose of it Five or six pub
| fishers rejected the story Finally, N
December, 1897, the manuscript was
! accepted by D. Appleton & Co.. and
their words of communication were
practically the first that Mr. Westcott
received. At the cine he was confined
to his bed. ana, while he was much
encouraged by the acceptance. he never
recovered, dying six months before the
publication Of his book.
Edward Noyes Westcott was born in
Syracuse, n. Y. September 81, 1S47.
He was educated in the public schools.
Necessity compelled him to enter bust
ness, instead of going to college. as he
had intended At first he was a junior
clerk in the Mechanics Bank of SYRIA
cuse. His neXt position was with the
Mutual Life Insurance company OF
New York, where he remained two
years. Returning TO Syracuse he was
bank clerk, teller and cashier in turn
and then the head Of the firm of West
colt & Abbott, bankers and brokers.
Finally he became registrar and finan-
cial expert of the Syracuse water COM
mission. a position of considerable re-
spOnsibility.
While in the Adirondaeks in the
summer of 1895, Mr. Westcott began
David Harum.' He had sought the
mountains N hope of relief from con-
sumption, which thus early had COM
PEELED his retirement from active bus
Horo fol
low his bent, which hitherto he had
INDUCED only in his leisure, after the
days work. The summer produced
substantially chapters nineteen to
twenty-fOur of David Harum,'' the
Christmas dinner and the scene be-
tween the Widow Cullom and David.
Returning to Syracuse late in the fall
of 1895 he continued the work at the
advice of friends. Failing health COM
PEELED him at last to leave all work,
and in January. 1896. he sailed for
Italy, returning in the spring 20 re-
sumo the story. 1t was finished in the
summer of 1896 and after some ex-
tensive changes he submitted the man
uscript, comprising some $50 pages, to
various publishers. Each refusal had
a very evident effect on the disease
stricken man. Its final acceptance by
IL AppISlOu q ". 1nhOlNSu d SIOII6
ing of the manuscript very reluctantly
consented to by the author. The last
corrections were made practically on
his death bed, and before even the
proofs were ready the end had come.
In appearance Mr. Westcott was OF
graceful figure. tall and slender; his
face was intellectual and decidedly
prepOssessing. Next to his literary
work music was his chief recreation.
He had a fine baritone voice and was
besides a composer of some note. His
wife, Jane Dows Of Buffalo, died in
1890, leaving three children
Mr.. Westcott was careful and
painstaking writer. First a chapter
was outlined with the pencil, then
typewriter with many additions and
elisions and another revision was nee
ess3ry before il took its final form.
Mr.. Westcott put his life and soul
into David Harum" He died with
no knowledge of his tremendous sue
cess. Few lives among our literary
men have been more tragic.-Kansas
City Star