The Washington herald., 1914-11-30
"LOST SATIRIST'
BELIEVED DEAD
Ambrose Bierce, Author, Lost
to World Since He Fought
Under Villa. O.,
FAME SPREAD OVER WEST
Thought that Bitter Critic Who Once
Lived Here Ended Remarkable
Carer in Mexico.

Ambrose Bierce, soldier and author,
who has been known as well for his
beliefs and lack of beliefs as for his
barbed writings, is believed by his
friends to be dead.
Since he went TO Mexico to fight with
Villa, nothing has been heard from him
since the battle OF Torreon, in which
he bought as a member of Villas stan.
Neither his daughter, Mrs. II. d. Cow
den, of Bloomington. Ill. nor Miss Car
rie Christiansen. of this city. his sec
retary. has had word OF him since he
left ToTreOn. He had corresponded with
them regularly.
Bierce was seventy-two years old
when he left San Francisco to fight
with Villa. He had fought in the civil
war. in the Northern army. rising
from private to captain, and was
breyetted major. His writings were
known principally in the West. He was
credited by many with approaching
Poe. Ripling. and De Maupassant. For
bare horror. his stories are claimed to
out-do Poe.
His Career Remarkable.
A remarkable career was enjoyed by
Bierce. He was a cynic, egotist. and
iconoclast extraordinary. and his work
was feared by all who NIT touched. At
the end OF the civil war, he was un-
decided whether to devote his life to
military or to literary pursuits. He
decided to be an author. and he began
by despising all authors and criticising
any he deemed worthy Of his pen. He
was a master OF English. and found
flaws in nearly everything he read. The
manner. in fact, in which he found and
pointed out the faults of others, won
for him his measure OF fame and one
OF his many titles, The last OF the
satirists." He was considered the dean
of Pacific Coast writers.
During the ten years from 1895 to 1906,
Bierce lived in Washington. and 1t was
his sojourn here that did much to make
him bitter. Coils P. Huntington was
fighting to have passed his refunding bill
to release him and his associates Of the
Central Pacific Railroad from obligations
Of SI5.OOO0OO to the government Bierce
came to Washington TO fight Huntington.
When Huntington was told of Bierce's
presence in Washington, he asked his
informant How much does he want?'
Bierce learning OF the thrust, said that
his price was S75,OOO.OOo.
IF am out of town when he Is ready
to pay" he added. tell him TO pay it
to my friend the Treasurer OF the United
States
Helped Defeat Bill.
II was said that Bierce did much to de-
feat Huntington's bill and to force the
payment of SIS. OOO 600 10 the government.
He liked Washington. and decided to
stay here He caused no stir. and he
seemed bitterly disappointed. as he had
been the most widely talked-Of author Of
the West. His writings grew more savage
and ironic as he grew older.
In London, where he went in $50, he
edited for a time a twelve-page paper.
The Lantern, for the Empress Eugenie'
in exile from France. She instituted the
paper, and had ii registered at Stationers
Hall, to prevent the publication Of Henri
Rocheforts La Lanterne. IN which, in
Paris, she had been attacked vIndiCtively.
Rochefort. in confinement at the penal
colony on the Island OF New Caledonia,
escaped, and said he would renew the
issue of his paper. He made arrange
ments TO restart it in London, but neg
lected to have it registered Knowing
that, II its name were changed, it would
lose prestige, Empress EuGenle started
her paper, and prevented the publication
of La Lanterne under that name.
II has been predicted Of BierCe that
he will be famous dead where he was
widely known alive. His books are eX-
pected to be read where, with him alive,
they would not have been noticed. Ger
trude Atherton. discussing his works,
said that he had the most brutal imagina-
ton of any man of the English speaking
race.