The San Francisco call., 1905-04-04
FAMOUS AUTHOR
HERE TO STAY
Charles Warren Stoddard Is
to Call San Francisco
Home for Rest of Days
HE REACHES THIS CITY
Old Time Friends of Bo-
hemian Club Waiting to
Grasp Wanderer by Hand

When a prominent citizen returns
from a trip to the East or from Eu-
rope and says, I'm mighty glad to
get back" the newspapers don't gen.
orally print the statement, as ii has
been laid away on the shelf with other
hackneyed relics of the literature of
interviews, but when it is said as
Charles Warren Stoddard said it last
night, entirely from the heart, as evi-
denced by the beam that accompanied
ii and without the business idea OF
putting in one more word for Cali
fornia's climate, 1t deserves to be
chronicled. The author of the beau
tiful South Sea Idyls," that have
been read with delight in every part
Of the world. set foot in San Fran
cisco again for the first time in ten
years at o'clock last evening and he
says he hopes never again to make his
home elsewhere than in the Golden
State.
Mr.. Stoddard is making his home
with his niece. Miss Ada Stoddard,
and his sister, Mrs. Parker Makee, at
SIG Baker street. On his way to their
home he could not resist taking one
look into the Bohemian Club Just to
see who was there" The only two
members of the old guard in sight
were Uncle George Bromley and Gen
eral Lucius Foote, who were engaged
in a game of matador with dominoes.
There were a few minutes Of affec-
tionate greetings among the old time
friends and then the author hurried
back to the ladies.
II look on my recovery from my
illness of last year as marvellous"
said Mr.. Stoddard. II am going to
spend at least a year in California
and then If my health is entirely good
and no other change is needed I will
remain here in San Francisco the rest
OF my life. 1 regret that I was not
born in California. 1 think I was in
spirit Its influence is always with
me.
'I shall remain here with my sis
ter and my niece for three or four
weeks and then will go to the south
ern part of the State to study the
missions. I wish to bring out con-
corning them that which other writ
ers seem to have overlooked, the ro-
nance and poetry and legend that
do justice to the Catholic side of their
history.
Il shall not go to Hawaii or the
South Sea Islands. They are still beau
tiful, but with the change in the ma
tive there has passed the fascination
that they bore for me. There is no
longer a King in Hawaii. And Queen
Lil-she was one of the dearest friends
1 ever had"
AS he talked Of the dreamy islands
that he has done as much as any per-
son on earth to make famous, and OF
the dusky queen who had been so dear
a friend. look of tenderest memory
came over the kindly face Of the
writer of books that are read. a sigh
- A~A
his eye. He was back among the in
~genuous natives and the tropical
groves he had loved.
Mr.. Stoddard will visit the Bohe-
milan Club tomorrow and grasp the
hands that are waiting outstretched
there for the wanderer. He pro-
nounced this visit "a delight that was
vet in store for him." He spoke Of
his old literary friends and the good
times he expected to have with them.
II can't go out and kill an Indian like
Joaquin Miller can." he said, but my
heart is as light as ever, and Til enjoy
meeting them all"
The author. besides his work on the
missions, is preparing to get together
for publication a number of his prom
inent sketches which will be published
in book form under the title Of THE
Dream Lady," the principal one of the
collection.
Mr.. Stoddard says the position Cali
fornia is taking in the world of letters
is amazing, considering the age and
population of the State, and he looks
for a wonderful literary future for it.
DR.. Woodwork of the Harvard fac>
ulty accompanied Mr.. Stoddard- to
California, and is also in San Fran
cisco. He is a son of Selim Wood
worth, one of this city's best-known
pioneers.