The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-18
THE AUTHOR OF "sHACKLETT."
MIR. Walter Barr Is an Industrious
Iowa Newspaper Man.

KEOKUK Ia. Aug. 16-Dr. Walter Barr,
the author of 'Shacklett," is at work on
another novel. chen it will be completed
is more or less of an uncertainty. for this
author-dC ctor-editOr is up TO the ears in
other work that demands his attention
Regarding this new story DR.. Barr has
not much to say but it is certain the scene
is laid in the same region he pictures in
"Shacklett" and the unique characters to
be found there will be delineated by his
vivid pen.
In the old river town of Keokuk is this
authors literary workshop. Herein, the
center of a region rich in historic interest,
the writer of ''Shackett' does his work.
AT the north, up the river a few miles, is
Nauvoo the old town where the Mormons
built their temple and led brief and siren
uous existence; ut the south, on the river
bend within sight of Keokuk. is the bluff
where stood the Hay mansion, the native
heath of the author of Jim Bludso" and
the present secretary of state; and it is
right in this city where Mark Twain, then
a compositor on an old-time newspaper,
| received his first remuneration for his first
literary work. 1t Is also this town that was
the center Of the pioneer trade and the In
dian wars when the State was IN It's IN
fancy, the town that had furnished presi-
dents with much timber for their cabinets
DR.. Barr is city editor Of the Gate City.
! His work, however, is not confined TO the
/ city columns. On the editorial page OF
many issues may be found the work of this
versatile man. When he is not himself
| preparing a piece of news for the printers
/ or wrestling with reporters copy, he is
/ frequently framing something for the ed
itorial page, and it is partly his work there
! on that makes it one of the most widely
/ quoted papers of the State.
! DR.. Barr deals with things in a deter
! mined manner. There are no half-hearted
feintS at anything. When he has done
/ thing it is done-done up one side and down
/ the other. He adheres to the doctrine that
hard work accOmpliShes things. By early
afternoon ne IS IN the editorial room OF the
/ paper on which he works. At midnight you
/ can see him there still, or until SO is
/ sent in. Then he lights his last cigar and
strolls off to smoke it. More often he
/ strOlls homeward, but sometimes his route
/ lies in the direction of the telegraph office
] where he smokes and chats with the men
at the keys, or sometimes sends or takes
/ message himself, for he is telegraph
! operator, too, and likes TO keep in practice
! l have been writing of the view OF the
man which We newspaper men OF this OLD
! town get. 1t is the lighter glancing view,
and there are others who know little or
/ what has been told here. They know DR..
! Barr as a scientist whose work In original
| research on the action of drugs on the
! body gives him as sincere, II fewer, ad-
! mrers as his work in fiction He Is sec
! rotary of the Board of Education of keo-
every year, which comprise a little less
than 100000 in the total of funds accounted
! for. Until lately he was full professor
/ in a medical college. He still writes a pre-
| scription occasionally, but only for an old
| friend; and he wants it understood that
| he has entirely divorced himself from the
| profession in which he won his first honors-
| He told why at meeting of a prominent
| organization, which draws out the best
| from the many intellectual men here. 1t
| last winter, and DR.. Barr was as can
| did is his custom. He said that he had
| not attained TO the high state of phian-
| thropy which is required of a physician,
| who gets something like 20 per cent OF the
| fortune and fame which other lines of
/ human endeaVOr give for the same brain
| power and labor. But if he should write
| a score of best selling novels, everybody
| here would still call him Doctor when
they addressed him or. spoke about him.
! II is along toward the twelfth hour, when,
! if ever there is a lull in the rush and whirl
| of daily newspaper work, that the author
| of "Shacklett' finds breathing time in which
to apply himself to novel making. II was
! in these brief, infrequent hours that
''ShackIett'' was written. Bit by bit, chap
| ter by chapter. and finally IL was finished.
/ Once started, he works fast, but in such
broken intervals it is difficult TO start and
| more so to make very great Roadway. He
has written a number of short stories for
the magazines, but his work in book form
| comprises the one story, "Shacklett," as
/ yet. 1t can be readily understood why the
! reading public WILL like Prosper lie Cal,
| have to bide their time until another book
comes from Walter Bars lucid pen.
! A trip to the haunts where Shacklett
held forth will show that the author has
made liberal use of the characters as he
/ finds them ready made for his pen. In the
| book he has sketched with a pen wildly
/ truthful the life of these buccaneers of
! the West'-of the people who still have
| the traits and tendencies of the pioneer
life that has passed away. When he tapped
| the region he tapped a new literary field.
other portions of the Mississippi valley
| have been exploited, but it remained for
| him to tap the rich vein in this locality He
has taken the material lying at hand, using
/ il honestly without trying to make il APP
pear other than it is. He has looked at the
! life with bare eyes and not through rose
/ tinted glasses. Bits of river scenery and
the rich prairie land that TANKS it are
| equally well portrayed
DR.. Barr is a newspaper man because he
| likes the work. For all it is so strenuous
he finds pleasure in it and has said that
he is more at ease when walowing in good
old newspaper gore than anything else.
But it is hoped he may relax somewhat
his editorial work and spend at least a
little more tine in following other liter
airy pursuits. e. j. WILLIAMSON.