The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-22
OF SHERLOCK
 HOLMES'' IS 53 TO-DAY

S--snl What is this? The sound of footprints echoed through the ram shackle old building. Quick. Watson. dip my handkerchief into the creosote' 4 fierce struggle in the darkness, and then silence. Ah, it is as I thought! The mystery is solved. And now. Watson. hand me the needle, and I will tell you all about it. s,S
 All of which is merely preliminary to the statement that Sir. Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of "Sher- lock Holmes and the worlds great est writer of detective and mystery stories is 5 years old today. Sir Ar thur is a Scotchman and was born in Edinburgh. May P, 1859. At the very outset of his life he displayed great of ancestors. His father, Charles Doyle, was an artist of considerable fame. and his grandfa ther, John Doyle was HI. B. the distinguished carica-. turist. The originals of the works of "H. B.'-who was a native of Dub Museum. Sir Arthur also had two uncles eminent in the art world, =: Richard Doyle, contributor to Punch and illustrator of many famous books and Henry Edward Doyle, long direc- tor of the National Art Gallery of Ireland.
 Sir Arthur was educated in Scotland and Germany and. departing from the artistic tendency of his fathers, decid. ed upon the. medical profession. As a youth he had bent toward litera- ture and several of his short stories found their way into Chambers Jour- nal. When only lad he made a trip to the Arctic regions in a whaler, an experience that supplied him with much material for sea tales. After receiving the MD. degree from Ed inburgh University, he spent four sad nd yyaiC Ia fhc ship plying between England and the African. West Coast. For eight years he practiced medicine at South sea. in the meantime writing many detective stories that made an imme- diate hit with the boys of both Eng found millions of adult readers Then came the Study in Scarlet in which Sherlock Holmes was introduced. and Sir Arthur's fame and fortune were established The eccentric master of the science of deductive logic is beyond all doubt the most popular fiction character of the country. and hundreds of thousands of pounds in royalties have been poured into the pockets of his creator.
 Sir Arthur is a man of wide sym-1 pathies, interested in many reform movements. somewhat of a radical in in his political and social views, yet tolerant, liberal and philosophic. It was as much Dr. Doyle. the hu- manitarian as A. Conan Doyle, the man of letters. that was knighted ten years ago. Sir Arthur has. taken a prominent part in the battle for Irish Home Rule and has aided that cause with money voice and pen. Not long ago he said:
 sIt would be great thing if the gift of national self.governr1ent. could have come from England to Ireland, not from an English party to Ireland. It is a pity the measure could not be unanimous, but that was not to be and we must gird up our Joins for the fight If we fight patiently with the weapons of logic and charity, we sure ly will win.'' *%
 < Not long ago Dr. Doyle created a sensation by advocating cheaper di- vorce for the poor" he pointed out that at present. in England, adultery is not ground for divorce, and that women are forced to live with faith less husbands. The divorce laws. he asserted, are the cause of more pre- ventable human misery-man-made l misery-than any other one thing''-
 Robert Henri, the artist. was talk ing at the annual exhibition of the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts about certain old masters. :. Take. for instance" he said. "Mor- land. The illustrious and indefatiga- ble Morland painted in the course of | forty years 4,0O0 pictures. And of l these-''
 Mr Henri smiled his quiet and in- telligent smile.
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