The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-07
ONDON, May 6.-F. Bret Hart

7 ONDON, May 6.-F- Bret Harte,
the American author, died sud
denly last night at the Red House,
Camberley, near Aldershot, from hem
OIrhage, caused by an affection Of the
throat.
Mr. Harte had been suffering from
swelled tonsils since December last. but
/ he did not consider the attack to be
serious. A week ago ne went to visit
friends at Camberley and was present
/ az lunch as usual yesterday. He sud
denly became in in the afternoon, went
to bed and died in a few hours. His end
was peaceful.
Mr.. Harte was born at Albany, Aug.
p, 1899. He had been living quietly in
England for years. Most of his time
was spent in the country, and when
/ in London he was almost secluded,
having few visitors TO his rooms at
Lancaster gate, and only going to the
houses Of limited number Of very in
/ innate friends.
Several months ago. when a false re-
/ port of his death vas circulated In
/ America, a representative of the Asso-
I ciated Press called at his rooms Mr..
Harte then appeared TO be perfectly
/ well. He laughed heartily, and quoted
Mark Twain's old saying about the re-
port being greatly exaggerated.
Except for a little cold" said Mr..
Harte, Il have no ailments or COM
! plants. While I am getting to be a
/ pretty old man" pointing to his snow
1 white hair, there is life in the old dog
/ yet" and thereupon he lit a cigar so
/ long that il would have done credit to
( any Of his poker fat friends. He was
I hoping, he also said, to do more work,
! but he confessed he was growing lazy
1 Francis Bret Harte. aathor, was born
! in Albany. n. Y, Aug. 30. 1889, of
/ mixed English, German and Hebrew
/ ancestors. His father. a professor in
/ the Albany Female college, died when
[ the boy was quite young, and in 1854
/ the family removed to California. Dur
/ ing the first three years OF his life in
/ California he turned his hand TO what
! ever promised him a livelihood First
I as a school teacher, then as a COM
/ positor, "a miner and an express mes
/ senger. In 1857 he became a compositor
/ on the Golden Era, published in san
! Francisco, where a few sketches from
/ his pen attracted the attention of the
/ editor who Immediately took him from
| the case and installed him at a desk
/ as one of the writer's for the periodical
/ 1t was in 1863 that he first became
/ known in the east by one of his
| sketches and in 1864 he was made sec
rotary of the United States branch
| mint a position which he continued to
/ hold for the next six years. During
/ this time his pen was never Idle and ne
wrote several poems which had a wide
/ circulation. In July, 1868, the Overland
/ Monthly was started with Mr. Harte as
/ its editor. With the idea of launch
/ ing a distinctive western story in The
/ first number of the publication, and
/ having the plot and general idea OF
/ such a story in his mind, he wrote
/ The Luck of Roaring Camp" a story
/ Of pathos and beauty. oddly enough
/ the story was generally GiSproVed in
/ the Office. the proof es1eT-a Young
/ lady-refusing TO read the story be-
! cause Of its immOra! tone. Air Harte
! vas requested to Withdraw his manu-
/ script, which he positively refused To
\ do, making its publication determine
| the question of his remaining as editor
/ of the magazine. The publication was
! sent to press with many misgivings,
and while the story made little impress
/ sion in the west, in the east il aroused
the whole reading public. Letters and
complimentary notices came pouring in
/ to the publication. and among them
was an offer to the then unknown au-
thor from the Atlantic Monthly for a
similar story upon the most hattering
terms. The author felt that his posi-
ton was sustained and that his COM
pensatiOn was full and complete. Thus
encouraged. other stories and poems
: fast followed from his pen. One day,
1 in an hour Of idleness. Mr.. Harte threw
! off the poem of the Heather Chinee.'
! c'Plain Language From Truthful
| James). 1t was shortly after pub
lished m the Overland Monthly. and
became household word wherever the
English language was spoken.
Plain Language From Truthful
James.
CTable Mountain. 1900
I Which I wish 20 remark,
( And my language is plain.
/ That Cor ways that are dark
And for tricks that are vain.
/ The heather Chinee is peculiar
| Which the same would rise to explain.
/ All Sin was his name:
And ] shall not deny
I In regard TO the same,
/ WHAT that mime might imply.
/ But his smile it was peusive and child
ike.
AS frequent remarked to Bill Nye.
Il was August the third
| And quito soft were the skies,
! Which Il might be inferred
That An Sin was likewise;
/ Yet he played IL that day upon William
And me ia way 1 despise.
! Which we had a small game,
/ And All Sir took a hand:
/ TO was euChre. Tho same
i He did not understand,
\ But be smiled as he sat by the table
\ With the smile that was childlike and
/ bland.
i Yet the cards they were stocked
In way that ] grieve
I And my feelings were shocked
/ At The state of Nye's sleeve,
\ Which was stuffed fun of aces and
I bowers
! And the same with intent to deceive.
But me hands that were played
BY that heather Chnee
And the points that he made
We're quite fTightful Go see:
\ Iill al last ke put down a right bower.
/ Which the same Nye had dealt unto me.