Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-06-19
0. HENRY, THE
WEAVER OF TALES
G|Impses Of the Late Famous
Short Story Writer.
DETAILS OF HIS CAREER

That Always Made Him Smils-Pa-
thstic Plea Made a Few Hours Be-
fore His Death.
Put the pillows up higher. l don't
want to go home in the dark"
Only few hours after this plea, as
pathetically humorous as one of his
own brilliant tales, William Sidney
Porter, known to the reading world as
o. Henry, one of the greatest Amer
lean writer's of short stories in this
generation. died recently at New York
city. He did not go 'home in the
dark" for it was just six minutes past
Z o'clock in the morning when he died
O. Henry was North Carolinian,
having been born in Guilford county,
that state, forty-three years ago. As
a young man he went to Texas for his
health and for awhile lived on u
friends ranch. 1t was then that he
decided he was better qualified for q
literary career than to be ranchman.
Biographies say that he was cow
boy, a miner, a sheep herder, drug
gist, merchant and an extensive trav
eler before be began to write. He did
travel quite extensively. but he was
never a cowboy, be was not a miner,
and he never made pill in all his
life. These yarns always brought
smile to his face.
Navar 4 Ca<tla Thief.
Just year ago o. Henry in an inter-
view told this story of his life:
"A lot Of yarns have been printed
about me, and none Of them is true.
It has been said that was once cat
tie thief. The nearest I ever got to
that distinction was going down to a
friends ranch to learn the cattle rails
ing business. Another story is that l
have been a miner. I never saw a
mine in my life. Then there is the
yarn that was once tintype artist
So far as this is concerned, must ad-
NIT that I once had tintype taken
with my arm draped gracefully over a
lady's shoulder.
''Then there is that newspaper In
Pittsburg that printed the story that
when first began to write ! blew into
its Office. looking like a tramp. offered
manuscripts for sale and borrowed a
dollar before blowing out again. That
story is an embroidered f1t. Why.
was the best dressed man in the Office
unless it was the editor, whose shoes
were little more pointed than mine.
A year after this story was printed
saw it. l made special trip over to
Pittsburg and sent in my card to the
editor.
"'Sir,' said l when at last I found
myself face to face with this libeler of
my solvency. 4 have come to lick
you
"'But wasn't 1t bully good storyr
asked the editor.
II admitted that 1t was, and then. in
stead Of licking him, we went out and
had luncheon together"
Then the writer reverted again to
the story of his younger days when he
was on the ranch in Texas. He said
he stayed there two and a half years,
and when it stopped raining and the
pastures dried up he decided to quit
the cattle raising business, and, pack
Ing his grip, he went to Houston and
got job on the Houston Post. He
had a column in the paper each day
and got SIS week at first, and then
1t was raised to $40 and finally to $25.
After being on the Post for a year he
bought from Brann the Iconoclast for
$3.50.
Got the lconoelast.
Il bought out the whole plant, name
and ALL" said o. Henry, land started
q ten page weekly story paper. Being
an editor, Of course resigned from
the post. The editor did most of the
writing and all Of the illustrating.
Brann had gone to Waco,
and he wrote and asked me If I
wouldn't let him have his Iconoclast
title back. didn't think much Of it
and let him have it and accordingly
mine the Rolling Stone. It
rolled for about a year and then show
ed unmistakable signs Of getting
messy. Moss and never were friends,
and so said goodby to it,
After failing in the culture of ba-
nanas in Central America o. Henry
drifted back to Texas.
In Austin got job in a drug
store" he said. THAT was a rotten
two weeks. They made me draw soda
water, and gave up. After the soda
water came the highban stage. 1
went to New Orleans and took up lit
erary work in earnest. l sent stories
o newspapers. weeklies and magazines
Ill over the country. Reflections?
Lordy, should say I did have reiec-
ions, but never took them to heart.
just stuck new stamps on the stories
md sent them out again. And in their
|ourneying to and fro all the stories
anally landed in Offices where they
found a welcome. I can say that I
never wrote anything that. sooner or
alter. hasn't been accepted"
1t was while he was in New Orleans
hat he began to write under the name
II O. Henry. He said that he picked