The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-09-09
CLYDE FITCH DIES
AFTER OPERATION
AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHT sue
CUMBS TO ATTACK OF APPEN-
DICITIS IN FRANCE.
WAS AU THOR OF MANY PLAYS.
Made Writing of Dramas Pay and His
Yearly Income Was Estimated at
Nearly $150,O0O
FIFST WAS PRODUCED IN 1890.

sept b.-Clyde Fitch, American play
wright. died here at $50 O'Clock Satur-
day evening. He had been unconscious
since j O'Clock in the afternoon. The
doctors and his friend, Eugene eau
TIMER, were present at the bedside.
Mr.. Fltchs death was due to appen-
dlcltS. lie was stricken with an acute
attack While travelling from Germany
and upon his arrival underwent an oper-
alton at the hands of DR.. Alquier The
patient rallied somewhat after the opera.
ton, and showed some signs of improve,
ment lie suffered relapse Friday
night, and, although he was fully con.
sclous during the early hours Saturday
the Improvement in his condition was
not maintained. After marked delirium
he lapsed into unconscIousness about 3
O'Clock i'll the afternoon, mt which time
the attendant physicians gave up hope of
his recovery.
MIR. Fitch made writing pay His in.
come from his dramas has been esti
mated at all the way from $4,000 to
SloO,ooO year. And Tor all his rapid
production, he was the most carefui
worker.
i think of my plays for two years."
he once said, though l may write them
in hye weeks, and before | give them
over 10 he typewriter they have been
gone over at least four times An idea
for play comes to me usually from re.
hecuon upon some popularity of char.
acter | have observed"
Faith in American Drama.
lie was a great believer i'll the Ameri
can drama. There is great field in
America for plays dealing with the his
tory of the country" he said Such
plays IN England are made social docu-
lnents. There is no reason why we
should not have them. To give value to
such plays the manner and the customs
of the people at the time described must
be given with accuracy of detail
Both i'll public school and college Nh
Fitch eyinced an interest in itera ture
and was an untirng amateur actor. Con-
fronted on facing the world with the
necessity of choosing n profession, lie
thought at first of further studies in the
art schools. but decided that literature
was more truly his calling and began al
once TO write for the magazines and pup
fishers.
After Beau Brummel' was produced
in 1890, his plays came two and some
times three TO the year with untlagS'ng
regularity. Touched sometimes with
delicate pathos. they rarely sounded
deeper notes, but for the most part were
content TO skim the surface of the come
dy of manners with tact, observation, NJ
lack of Wit and Il resourceful craftsman
ship.
Mr.. Fitch was born in Elmira. n. y,
on May >, 1860. He was named for his
father, William q. Fitch but dropped
the given name when he took up his pro-
fessional work.
Graduate of Amherst.
After attending the public schools he
was graduated in 1856 from Amherst
college. Seven years ago, in recognition
of his literary work, the degree of mas
ter of arts was conferred upon him hy
his alma mater.
Mr.. Fitch's career as an author was
begun when his first book, "A Wave of
Life was published in 1889, three years
after his graduation and at time when
he was but "A years old. The following
year his first play, Beau Brunmel.'
erck Lemaitre' were produced the same
year In all tifty-three plays-including
TRANSACTIONS from the French and IA OIL
alteration in 1907 with Cosmo Gordon
Lennon on The Sister"-were credited
to Mr. Fitch, as well as several novels
In 1891 the young playwright again eA-
erted himself and there appeared "A
Modern Match" subsequently played as
Marriage and 'Pamela's Prodigy
"The Masked Ball. from the French.
was his only play in 1892, but in 1888
he produced The Harvest" a Shat
tered Idol" from the French, The
American Duchess" also French
adaptation, and The Social SWIM
Mrs. Grundy. Jr." another French play.
Ills Grace de Grammont' and April
Weather" followed in 1894; and the fol
lowing year, Mistress Betty" suisse
quently revised and produced in 1901?
as The Toast of the Town Gossip
with Leo Ditrichstein, accompanied
Mistress Betty as an 1895 production
His other plays We're: In 1906, DO
heman from Trant the E s1 Sner haT
Husband" with Leo Ditrichstein: 1889.
"Natha Hale" The Moth and the
Flame" The Head OF the Family
with Leo Ditrichstein; 1893 Barbara
Frietchie." THE Cowboy and the Lady
1900, "Sapho,', from Breneh; the
Horse Marines" Lovers Lane" The
World" 1.-The Girl and the Judge" The
Marriage Game from the French;
1902. THE Stubbornness of Geraldine
The Girl With the Green Eyes" 1903.
"rhc Frsky Mrs. Johnson from the
French" THE Bird in tho Cage
"Algy." Her Own Way Glad of It,"
Major Andre 1904. The Coronct of a
Duchess Granny" Cousin Billy
The Woman in the Case" 1909. wolf
Vile" Her Great Match" 1906, "The
Girl Who Has Everything" ''Eoodles.'
from the French, "The House Of Mirth,
with Mrs. Wharton: "trhe Truth The
Straight Road" and in 1907, The Sis
ter" a collaboration with Cosmo Cor
don-Lennox.
THE Blue Mouse" an adaptation from
the French. was Mr.. Fitch's iatest effort
Mr.. Fitch was a member of the Lambs
and Players and his residence was at
l13 East Fortieth street, New York city
He also had a country home near the
American nptronoIiS