The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-03-01
HIGH HONORS FOR
4 FAMOUS WRITER
Pres. Taft and Other Nota.
bles to Attend Banquet
for w. D. HOwells.
National News Assoc IL tion)

N"&SuOu0A AN0wo "1oOCb8Is0uI
NEW YORK. March William
Dean Howells, the dean of American
fiction and probably the most widely
read American author Of the present
time. celebrated his 18th birthday to-
day and on Saturday he will be the
guest of honor at a dinner given in
honor Of his birthday by his friends.
President Taft and several hundred
men distinguished as statesmen, writ.
ers. artists. journalists and men Of at.
fairs In general have expressed their
willingness to come to New York in or
der to attend the Howells dinner.
William Dean Howells is probably
the best liked Of all American authors.
His charming personality, his unvary.
ing kindness 40 gentleness and his al
most excessive modesty have won for
him the love and admiration of every
one who ever came in personal con.
tact with him. Amid all the jeal0usies
the backbitings, the littleness which
WVbV SuC sounop OAC uOS Ga
hears an unkind word attached to the
name Of William Dean Howells. Nor
has any one ever heard Mr.. Howells
speak an unkind word of any fellow
author. On the other hand his encour.
aging kindness has been a help to
many young writer's who have since
then won their place in literature.
William Dean Howells was born In
Martins Ferry. Ohio. March l. 1887
His father. was a PRINTER and a pews
paper proprietor and editor.
Was Newspaper Man.
For two winters. from 1858 to 1860
he resided in Columbus and acted al
correspondent for several outside
newspapers. He was then offered q
position a. city editor Of a Cincinnati
paper. but the position proved uncon
genial and he returned to Columbus
where he accepted the position Of news
editor Of the State Journal. 1t wa.
while he was connected with that pa
per that Howells wrote his Life o.
, Lincoln" This book was the youne
writer's first great success. In the
first place it brought him money
enough to make q trip to Boston
where he made the personal acQuaint
ance Of Lowell, Holmes and other emf
nent literary people and came in
touch with the best literary ideals o.
the time. In the next place 1t wor
, for him the position of American con
sui ut Venice. His four years resi-
dence ut Venice was his real educa
ton. The knowledge Of the world, thu
experience Of men and manners h,
gained there. formed the main founda
ton upon which all his subsequent lit
orary work was built.
After his return to the United State'
4 Mr.. Howells lived for some time II
New York. engaged upon the Tribun,
and the Nation. In 1866 he went t,
Boston to be assistant editor of tn,
Atlantic. In 1872 he became it's sol,
editor. and this position he held unit
1881. Since then he has devoted hi
whole attention to literature. In 1877
he published his first and perhap
most successful novel. "Their Weddin,
Journey" For five or six years he cor
Quoted 1.-THE Editors Study" in Harp
er's Monthly and for awhile acted a
editor Of the Cosmopolitan Magazine
His works comprise more than sixt
novels. essays. biographical and crit
cal sketches and literary reviews an
studies. During the latter years of hi
literary career Yale. Harvard. Colun
bia and Oxford have bestowed hor
orary degrees upon the venerable write
who. not withdrawing his advance
years 10 still enjoying excellent healt
and the full faculty Of his physics
and mental powers.