The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-05-01
FORGING TO FRONT IN LITERARY
WORLD
A Former Somerset County Boy Forg.
Ing to the Front In the Literary
World

Is rapidly forging to the front in the
literary world, and together with
Holman Day, he is responsible for
much of the advertising which Maine
has received among readers of fiction
during the past few years. Mr.
Pendexter was a newspaper writer
before he became an author and his
first newspaper work was when, as
a youngster, he carried Commercials
from the railroad station upon their
arrival in Pittsfield, to the various
newsdealers in that town.
Two years ago Hugh Pendexter
threw down his pencil at the close
OF a celebrated murder trial In
Rochester, N. Y, and decided there
was no place like the Pine Tree
State to live and work In. At that
time he had completed a decade o;
newswriting and his seventh year as a
short story writer He forthwith threw
up his job and returned to his ma
tive state. stopping off in Boston
long enough to sign a five years
contract, by which he bound himself
to turn out two 10000 word boys
books year in return for whole
some royalties. For good measure
he further bound himself to write
two boys serials a year.
After having lived and worked In
various parts of the country | came
to the conclusion that the State of
Maine was the best place in the
world to live and work in," said Mr..
Pendexter. Il accordingly decided
to locate the scene of my books here.
Mr.. Pendexter had no sooner I'M
packed his typewriter upon arriving
at Norway, than he commenced to
work on series of volumes which
deal interestingly with the romance
OF logging in the big north woods
from the time of location of the
operations is first decided upon, I'M
til the drives reach q safe haven In
the booms in July and August. And
through each book runs q stirring
story of adventure. The Moose-
head lake and Rangeley regions have
both been brought into the volumes
which are full of woods lore and ad-
mirable character delineation.
hnr In
the only thing in Maine which ap-
pealed to Mr.. Pendexters literary
sense and last autumn he published
the first In series which deals with
the virile life led by the fishermen
along the Maine coast. The books
have already been adopted in various
Maine schools as supplementary read
ers. They have held the interest of
grown ups as well as that of the
youngsters.
A PROLIFIC WRITER
But as 100000 or 100000 words of
Juvenile fiction is hardly sufficient
to keep Mr.. Pendexter busy, he has
maintained his reputation of being
one of the biggest and most versa
tile short story writer's in the coun-
try. Since his first story appeared
in Red Book in 1910, he has sold
many to Everybody's, Munsey's,
Saturday Evening Post, Delineator,
Ladies' World, Cosmopolitan, Harp
er's Weekly and other of the larger
publications. His continued success
results largely from his versatility;
for he writes with equal readiness
mystery, detective, legal, love, rural
and Civil War stories.
His Tiberihs Smith, the eccentric
old Snowman, appeared In the best
known magazines for some 40 odd
stories till the name was a household
word in America. In 1907 this char
acter was preserved in book form
and proved extremely popular. His
Bureau of Abnormal Litigation stor-
ies starting In the Saturday evening
Post, have figured prominently in
many magazines with a SECOND SER
les just finishing the April number of
adventure. These Will appear in
book form later.
Mr. Pendexter writes rapidly and
usually completes a story the day he
begins 1t, composing entirely on the
typewriter. Mark Twain selected
Billy Campbell's Jungle Story and
The Town That Lost Itself, for re-
printing in his library of American
Wit and Humor. Golfers selected
a New England story-The Probation
er and the Pennant and When
Knighthood Wore Skates, for inclu-
sion in its representative collection
Of the best short stories by Ameri-
can writer's.
TAUGHT IN HIGH SCHOOLS
Before entering newspaper work
Mr.. Pendexter taught Latin and
Greek in various Maine High schools.
He was born in Pittsfield 80 years
ago and was educated in the public
schools at Lewiston. He left Bates
college in his freshman year to
teach Greek and Latin in the Nor
way High school, where he met and
married his wife. He spends his