The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-04-19
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: BIOGRAPHICAL CALENDAR. Z.
= = : : :: : = 80 So 1. 49, :.
April 18, 1909.

April 10, 19O9.
The famous author, Richard Hard
Ing Davis, was born on the 18th O
] April, 1864, in Philadelphia, Pa. Hi.
father, Clark Davis, though a native
OF Ohio, settled early in Philadelphia
ana was managing editor of the In
quirer in 1869. He was at his death
editor of the Philadelphia Public
Ledger and published numerous es,
says, dramatic criticisms and one
novel, "The Stranded Ship"
Richard Harding Davis was educat-
ed in private schools in PHILADELPHIA.
and after a thorough preparatory
training, studied for three years in
Lehigh university, and a fourth in
John Hopkins. He then became a
reporter on the Philadelphia Record,
and later served two years on the
Philadelphia Press. He went to En-
gland in 1889 as correspondent of the
Philadelphia Evening Telegraph, and
upon his return in the fall of that
year Joined the reportorial staff of
the New York Evening Sun. At this
time he performed a startling journal
istic feat which won him enviable dis
tinction for skill and finesse and origi
nalty. Making the acquaintance of
famous crooks and criminals he wrote
up their characters and habits with
such faithfulness that their profess
sional careers were forthwith closed.
Meantime his higher literary ability
had been fully demonstrated in the
now famous ivan Bibber" sketches,
humorous description of society life
in New York city, appearing in the
Sun and afterwards in various maya, |
zines. He became managing editor |
of Harper's Weekly in 1892, and as
such was very successful. He resign |
ed this position to devote himself sys-
tematically to fiction writing and o.,
casionally lapsing into his old reporto-
rial habits. He is an indefatigable |
worker with brain and pen, and is |
capable of writing under great pres !
sure. Some of his best short stories
in the Sun were written in the office
and sent to the compositor. He de-
voted six months of the year to travel,
and thus equipped himself with a vast
fund of anecdotes and observations.
His reputation as a descriptive writer
was established by his description of
the Johnstown Flood, and further Of
the coronation of the Car Nicholas II.
in July, 1896. His stories are charac-
terized by such spirited animation and
so much incident that he is able to dis
pense with the ordinary efforts Oh
suspense in favor of an animated sue
cession of events. Among his works
of fiction are: cinderella and Other
Stories" Gallagher and Other Sto-
ries," ivan Bibber and Others" Sol
diers of Fortune" and many others.
The following are a few of his books
of travel and adventure: THE West
from a Car Window" Our English
Cousins" Rulers of the Mediterra-
nean,' Cuba in War Time" "A Year
from Reporters Notebook" Proba-
bly, the most popular is his The West
from a Car Window Harry Thurs
ton Peck says of him in Bookman,
his literary style charac-
at may be said of him he
inherently has quick, unerring grasp
Of the essential as distinguished from :
the non-essential elements of a scene
Or situation; that he was born with a
selective and discriminating mind;
that he is naturally an intellectual i'm
Several of his books
lave been translated in German, Rus
sian and French, and probably are
more widely known than those of any
American author. He
IS an athlete devoted to all outdoor
sports, and his football stories are
some of the best of their class. He
las also considerable musical talent,
and has written several songs, both
words and music. He is a member of
he Society of the Sons of the Amer
can Revolution, Isaac Leete and Jas
two of his great gandfathers,
having been officers in the Continen-
al army He is a member of the
Royal Geographical society, and of
the American Geographical society
md many other societies and clubs.
He has decorations from Russia, Ven