Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-12-16
R. W. GLIDER, POET
AND EDITOR.
Brilliant Career Of a Leader IN
the World Of Letters.
TYPESETTER EARLY IN LIFE.

Late Editor In Chief OF the Century
Became Publisher Before He Was
Twelve Years OId-Novel Experience
Work as Reformer.
Richard Watson Glider, poet, lectur
er and editor in chief Of the Century
Magazine, who recently died at the
home of friend in New York city,
was born in Bordentown, N. j., on Feb.
8, 1914. For more than a quarter of
century he was regarded as an au-
thority on literature.
Mr.. Glider came of colonial stock and
inherited II scholarly bent. His father,
the Rev. William H. Glider Of the
Methodist denomination, was the
founder Of Bellevue seminary. Borden
town. N. J.
Richard brOwsed about as a boy in
the printing office Of the Long Island
Times in Flushing. While he still wore
short trousers he could hold his own
as a setter Of type. Perched on an
old soap box. he was wont to set his
own compositions in type and print
them. He showed precOcious lean
ing toward letters in his early youth
and before he was twelve years old
was writing, setting type for and pub
fishing the St Thomas Register ut
Flushing. n Y, whittier his father had
gone to establish ST. Thomas Hall, an
academy for boys.
In the AntisIavery Cause.
His education was completed under
his fathers tuition, and when he was
sixteen he was following national is
sues. His ardOr for the antislavery
cause led him at this period to unite
with two young colleagues in the pro-
duction of newspaper in the support
of Bell and Everett for presidential
honors.
He was always somewhat frail, but
when the civil war broke out he was
anxious to fight. and at the time when
the northern cause seemed threatened,
in the campaign of 1868, he enlisted in
Lands Philadelphia battery, serving
until Lee was beaten back from Penn
sylvania.
Mr.. elders first serious editorial
venture on his own responsibility was
the establishment in 1868 of the New
ark On. j. Morning Register. daily,
which he founded, and edited with
Murray Crane. The Register was not
a financial success, and he gave up his
connection with it in a short time.
His literary ability had already re-
ceived wide recognition in New York,
which then represented the best
thought of the country, and at the age
Of twenty-siX he was offered the edi-
torshp Of Hours at Home. published
by the Scribners. When this publica
ton was absorbed in Scribners Month
ly. organized shortly thereafter, he be-
came associate editor under DR.. Hol-
land, retaining that post for eleven
years. When at DR.. Hollands death
the magazine underwent a further re-
organization and change of ownership,
becoming the Century, Mr.. Glider fol-
lowed it as managing editor. He held
this post from 1881 until his death.
During all the period of his editorial
work Mr.. Glider was writing from
time to time verse, which was the ba-
sis Of his widest public appreciation.
His first book of verse. 1.-THE New
Day." was published in 1885, and
among these and the six volumes
which have followed are included SON
nets and lyrics which have found n
setting in the American anthology and
have been rated by critics as sure to
pass into the heritage of the language.
Novel Experience With Contributor.
Magazine editors are often charged,
perhaps sometimes justly, with show
ing Partially in their acceptance Of
manuscripts, but far more often the
case is the reverse, and manuscripts
are accepted purely on their merits
without the editor knowing or realiz-
ing who the author may be. The fol-
lowing experience of Mr.. Glider while
editor of the Century Is case in
point: He was sitting at dinner next
to charming young girl whom he
knew slightly as a clever young wO-
man with somewhat decided ideas,
which she spent great deal Of energy
in carrying out.
"What are you doing now?" he ask
ed interestedly of his bright neighbor.
Nothing, really nothing in particular
just now" was the reply, except, per-
haps, some verses I have been writ
ing"
ooh, my dear child, don't do thatw
cried the editor in a tone Of Mortified
regret. "Why. do you know, you are
really wasting your time. People can't
get 25 cents for 5000 verses today"
Cant they?" with sad surprise. II
can, though" she continued. "for re-
ceived $25 for some l wrote last
month"
"My goodness" exclaimed Mr.. Gill
der in mild Amusement. "Who paid
you that?'
"Why, you did, cried the girl.
Mr.. Glider was far from being a
recluse. In him the cooperative spirit
was highly developed. He took an ac-
tive interest in civic life and performed
valuable services to New York city as
member of the tenement house com.
mission that eradcated many Of the
r