The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-04-19
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April 10, 1909.

ing Davis, was born on the 18th of
April, 1864, in Philadelphia, Pa. His
father Clark Davis, though a native
of Ohio, settled early in Philadelphia
and was managing editor of the In
quirer in 1862 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 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 Van 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 %,
casionally lapsing into his old reporto-
rial habits. He is an interchangeable
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 composition. 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 oil
the Johnstown Flood, and further Of
the coronation of the Gear 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," Evan Bibber and Others, SOL
diers of Fortune" and many others.
The following are few of his BOOKS
of travel and adventure: 1.-THE West
| from a Car window" Our English
| Cousins" Rulers of the Mediterra'
mean" Cuba in War Time" "A Year
from a Reporters Notebooks" Proba'
bly, the most popular is his The West
from a Car Window Harry Thurs
ton Peck says of him in Bookman
concerning his literary style charac
teristics: at may be said of him ne
inherently has a quick, unerring GRASP
of the essential as distinguished from
| the non.essential elements of scene
or situation; that he was born with a
| selective and discriminating mind
that he is naturally an intellectual I'M
| pressionist." Several of MS DOCKS
have been translated in German, Rus
sian and French, and probably are
more widely known than those OF an!
contemporary American author. HI
is an athlete devoted to all outdoo
sports, and his football stories arr
some of the best of their class. III
has also considerable musical talent
and has written several songs, bot
words and music. He is member o
the Society of the Sons of the Amer
lean Revolution, Isaac Leete and Jas
Wilson, two of his great gandfathers
having been officers in the Continer
tai army. He is a member OF IN
Royal Geographical society, and O
the American Geographical societ!
and many other societies and clubs
11o bae decorations from Russia, Vel