The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-04
Robert Barr.

(rhe Foremost writer of Action
Few Of Robert Bars nunlbefless
American admirers recognize the great
Scotch novelist as the Detroit newspaper
man, Like Sharp, whose clever para ~
graphs and verse set continent -
laughing and won national fame ior t 1''
paper which published them Il,
still, fewer Of Bars readers KnnW tn =.
the hand which hns since iiluiteu fl So 81
many Books was once trimmed only 10
wieli tho .adge and chiscl. Tor. VINO
,nanyJ 4 MAJ, ID graduated from tho pre-
curious school of Journalism into the
world OF literature. yet tho trllogy o.
qualities NJ carpentry, journalism i33 my Ill'
novel .wrl ting-are II more than rare COM
bination. q
The man who has made q success o.
all three was born In Glasgow, 7coti,llu.
about fifty years ago. There as u poy
he iinbbed the local color ana athlos-
phore'i which since have rendered MS
Scottish stories so delightful. His fam
ily emigrated Z. to Canada, " and young
Robert was apprcnticed to q carpenter.
Old journeyinen in Toronto still shake
theft heads In lament that SO handy q
man with the gplane and the saw should
have lowered himself by becoming a
mere writing chap,
But Barr, for some occult reason,
viewed the matter III different light.
He crossed into Michigan and sought
work on the Detroit FREQ Press. ~ good
carpenter In those days stood far bet
ter chance Of earning a living than did
a sub reporter on Western newspaper.
But the 2"wrlting germ" had infected
Barr, and the future author Of "A Rock
In the Baltic" took the plunge with open
eyes.
He was not destined to remain nero
reporter. lie had a clever trick at para
graphing at fiction and at verse. His
contributions began to attract tax. y
signature seemed necessary. But (per-
haps out Of regard for his former Fellow
worlsers) he did not wish to drag the
arpenter-honored poems or Barr 3 INTO
the slough Of journalism.
AS q boy In Glasgow, and later In Eng
fish settled Canada, he had become con-
yersa1,t with that much beloved British
phrase, Look sharp!'' Adapting It, he
forthwith became Luke Sharp. and
under that pseudonym his work began
to be copied In every paper In America.
So famous did Luke Sharp become that
1t was q hopeless task to win equal re-
nown along the same fine under the title
of Robert Barr. The writer was threat
ened with figula tive destruction at the
hands Of the very character he. himseif
had evolved. u! t3 III.
But his chance came In 1881. He was
sent to London to edit an !, English q 81 edl.
ton OF the Free Press There he, met
Jerome x. Jerome, a young hack writer
at whose door Fame hadNnot yet knocked.
The two youngsters took an immediate
liking to each other. AS the result
of many conference they founded the
Idler, a clever, little periodical of con-
temporaneous British humor. The mag
aAne scored success, and Luke sharp
was forever laid to rest. his place being
permanently taken by Robert Barr. me
rising young magazine writer and edit tor.
From this to novel writing was but
step. Barr! wrote a story Of american
life, "In the Midst Of Alarms -! Al
England read It. and the ex- carpenter,
ex-newspaper man aWoke to find him
self, a full-hedged novelist IN the front
rank with the celebrities. ST
His finest work has Just been com.
pleted, entitled "A Rock in the Baltic.
which places hmr!n the very front rank
of the new school OF, writer's Of action.
Apart from the amending succession of
rapid fire. action, episode and adven-
ture which Is steadily cumulative to a
magnificent climax. the character draw
ing Of the story is exec tional.
The characters are not lay figures or
breathe. The reader feels at once that
he Is among actual acquaintances,5 For
instance, the man who does not fall
promptly in love with dainty. winsonlee
Dorothy, the heroine. would be immune
from Circe herself. The great mystery:
however, lies in the Rock, and 1t would
be unfair to the reader to dllyvulge its
secrets.
tho famous $500 series OF new novels
by the foremost writer's OF the world,
and will appear in full during May IN
the Sunday Times Dispatch for first pub
LEGATION. 81 .4ss 9.ss
Get your order In early to your news
dealer so that you will not be disap-
pointed. The first section Will appear
Sunday, May 9Th. Nh