Omaha daily bee., 1911-03-25
SOBS OF GRIEF IN BOWERY
New York Section Mourns Death Of
Their Own Kipling."
ROMANCE OF UNIQUE CHARACTER
incidents in the Life of Iiliterate
Nevvsboy who became an Author
How Ne Assisted His
KIND.

How Ne Assisted His
kind.
| owen kildare the "Bowery Kipling,"
who died the other day. furnished moral
lists with endless cause for marveling that
one who ,Bprang from so lowly and brutal
an origin could achieve so much. But many
anecdotes OF his career 20 TO show that
somewhere he must have inherited strain
OF finer sentiment that made my Mamie
Rose" a possibility.
OF his pathetic childhood he once wrote;
There was none 30 orphaned as 1. Those
who we're orphans had at least memories
I had not even these"
Seldom IN his life up TO this time had
anyone ever said kind word to him. One
day when strange woman patted him on
the cheek he almost cried with the Joy
Of IL.
with light pat on my cheek and one
of the sunniest smiles ever shed on me"
he says Of the incident, she put penny
in my hand. She was gone before 1 real
lied what had happened. Somehow I felt
that were she TO come back could have
said to her: Say, lady, haven't got much
to give, but I'll give you all me poipers,
me pennies and my knife II you'll do that
agent"
He never enjoyed possession Of eeal
pair of shoes I'll he was years old, and
when, on cold December night. a good
friend gave him a pair, he was over
whelmed with pride and delight His emo
tons were shortlived, however His drunken
foster father returned home, seeking means
Of getting more liquor. BE saw the shoes
and off they came The boy was kicked
into the street. But there was Mary Nc
/ II
own mother lay dying had refused to let
him go to an institution" He felt sure
she would rescue the shoes, though It would
probably cost her a beating. About mid
night he crept back. and. sure enough,
there were the shoes on the doorstep.
Ambition stirred.
About this time the boy achieved an am
bition to become a seller OF newspapers,
not certainly from any conscious leaning
toward journalism, for he didn't know one
letter from another. He had the shoes,
but he lacked the capital One evening he
was in Park Row warming himself in the
steam which came UP from the pressrooms
OF the newspaper buildings. While he shiv-
cred in the dim light a boy, little older
, than himself, approached.
Going to sell poipers7' the boy asked.
Yep" was the reply.
. l. 'SOt any money
Nope"
Here's olnts to stake ye Te'rs in our
gang"
: 1t was his first capital as a newsboy. and
his new found friend was the late Little
Tim" Sullivan.
But the incident that opened up the first
great romance Of his life developed after
he had reached mans estate and become
renowned as a pugilist He was ''bouncer'
for the dance hall and dive of Fatty
. Flynn" an ex-convict, at No. "a Bond
street, at this time. skinny Mccarthy.
= an expert bundle snatcher," was one Of
his chief friends and admirers. One day
in these times, when skinny" was more
drunk than usual. sand they were all out
side the saloon, loafing and insulting the
women who passed, his attention was at
tracted by hearing a woman say
And you are menl'
He took in instantly what had happened.
but the look on the slender girls face held
{ him and stirred him as he could not un-
J. derstand In another moment he had
Il knocked skinny down and cleared a good
. three yards around the girl.
Heart ThPObs.
r Il had better walk with you a little
d ways" he said gruffy. and as they walked
she drew from him his name and much OF
y his life. He saw her to her door and
o learned that she was a school teacher in
l. the neighborhood. She talked to him about
II leading a better life, and. though he hooted
at what he called "prating," what she said
a started a chain Of thought which. on his
n return to the Bowery, he could not break
If without her knowing it he would follow
IS her about the East side to see that she was
ID not insulted again. One day. growing
L.
10 night fell to the street when she stopped
instantly. saying:
Is How do YOU do, Mr.. Kildare?'
lie From that day he was her slave more
le Fthan ever. One night at her door she
1t asked him to go to a church entertainment
NJ at the same time giving him card.
sr when is it?" he asked.
At 81 don't remember" she replied, but the
d card shows"
~ Instantly ner face was crimson. Whether
, he held the card upside donw or just what
IN happened he never knew. but she had seen
~ that big man that he was he was unable
NJ 10 read line. From that night on he be.
gan to study under her direction, starting
= like a child of years at the alphabet, til
n he was master of the prose that made hin
=, sought for by the magazines. The younl
- woman was his Mamie Rose" who died
:, Just before they were to be married.
It was the merest accident that finally
- made Kildare a writer. After the death OF
=, his fiance he became utterly dependent
- gave up his work and was fast falling bacI
into his old dissolute ways. One night
while cold, hungry and indifferent to life IL
!, general, he was sitting on park bench
= when his eye caught sight OF prize Offer
-, for a love story on bit Of old newspaper
= discarded by a passerby. That gave hin
NtHh Of nWanf1 av,s
some wrapping paper and with them pro
duced the story Of his life ia MY Mamie
% Rose" which was an instantaneous success
oi The second Romance.
HIS second romance was Of the nature o
cd a Whirlwind. While correcting and revising
m MY Mamie Rose he met Miss Leita Rus
10 sell Bogartus a newspaper writer, VIII
re gave him some assistance. He saw he
no only once more before their marriage, Thi
- d.