The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-28
W|STER FINDS
COWBOYS STILL
"yirginian'' People Leading
Same Sort of Life, Inter-
esting as Ever.
SAYS AT LEAST ONE OF HIS
CHARACTERS STILL LIVES
Distinguished Author Says That
He Is Merely Looking the
West Over.

Not purely for pleasure. smiled Owen
Wlster, the famous author OF THE Nir-
glnlan." in response TO query yesterday
Il am looking over the west perhaps
for material. perhaps for purposes pI
comparison, I am always Interested IN
II and II is never ending source OF
enjoyment TO me. The trip. however. Us
really one of pleasure, both to myself ana
to Mrs Wister.
we are travelling slowly that we may
enjoy its beauties TO the utmost. There
is SO much 10 see on every Vislt-hew
things. new faces, changes in, some OF
the old and familiar spots-and most or
ell, evidences OF It's wonderful develop
ment.
''It is our intention not to reach home
until some time In November. We VIII
go to the Yellowstone from here and IN
a couple Of weeks will visit Jackson
Hole and will make visit TO Denver
trip but when reach our home In Phli-
adelphia. Will naturally resume my work
] have some stories TO add to one OF my
published volumes OF short stories--ana
may write book or two--if live. And
here Mr.. Wstcr gave expression to one
of those jovlHl smiles which with his
licve that ne is not still in his thirties,
perhaps something may develop on this
trip that will keep me going for some
time yet.
Characters in 1.-The Virginlan.
Yes did revisit some of the scenes
pictured III Inc NlTSln1aGs anu speu'
a little time with friends near the places
where the story was located And /
found some Of the same sort OF cowboys
stlll living the same sort OF llfg In, In some
lshed and what Is left Of him is just as
interesting as ever
II have often been asked whether the
characters in The Vrginian' were real
people and I can scarcely answer. They
were not actual characters and in a
sense. again they. were do not be
vents character, or rather type; He
is more likely to unconsciously depict
some character or type which he has
observed and which has been stored ,I,,, away
can truthfulIy say that the people IN
The Virginian arc quite as real as
those Of Dickens. for instance.
"One of the characters In The Viz
ginian' however, Is really drawn from
life This was n man who at the time
was governor of Wyoming. He was. a
in my books with his permission"
Talks of Remington.
To the question OF now he began to
write fiction, Mr. wister said: Why. I
'drifted into It Hike most Of the rest Of
writer's, guess. through newspaper
lege papers. where I received some en-
couragement which turned me toward a
literary career"
Mr.. wister Is a loyal friend and in
whom he was closely connected. he spoke
In reverept tones. He is a staunch ad :
mrer Of the dead artist and believes that
there is no living artist to compare with
him. There may be many" he said.
who can put life and action in their
pictures. but In some way they are all
certain to lack the grandeur which was
the first thing to observe, In Remington 5
work and which Is IL" distinctive. note OF
all his works Thrro : none who knew
the west as he did
Mr., Wister Is the most COM
panionable OF mon. .c IS CHEEKY al
ways and an optimst avery inch OF him.
With his talented wife he believes In see
ing things at their best and seeing them
thoroughly. To that end he has been
journeying in eisurely fashion through
the west stopping here and there as the
fancy took them. They Will leave to-
night to continue their jaunt.