The Washington times., 1916-11-23
JACK LONDON HAD
A WEIRD CAREER
Noted Novelist, Who Died Last
Night, Led Tempestu-
Gus Life

SANTA ROSA, cal, NOV. <o'-SsoA .
London, noted novelist, Socialist, ana
reformer, who died last night after
an illness OF only n few hours, began
his tempestuous. career In San Fran
cisco on January ~, 1879.
His parents were very poor. He
ran the streets in his childhood, ana
at fifteen, according to his own sc-
count, he spent his pennies for beer
instead or candy because he thought
II more manly. He became q strong
prohibition mover in later life.
Had . weird Boyheea.
The~strangeness OF his boyhood 10
seen in his statement that he had no
recollection of being taught to read
and write, although he could do both
at the age. OF fve. At eight years he
was a ranch boy, working long hours.
He read Washington Irving's AL
hambra" about this time, and was
disgusted because the cowboys could
not be persuaded to become interested
He gIoated over dime novels, stale
newspapers, and other usual ranch
literature. At eleven he was in Oak
library that he developed a nervous
disorder from lack of exercise.
Became oyster Pirate.
Tnen great bptfit OF huNehtuNN
swept over him. He becameian oys-
| ter pirate, shipped as q sailor on q
schooner and was later a salmon
fisher. Turning from pirate to fish
| patrolman, he had many wild en-
counters in those lawless waters.
Then he shipped before the mast ON
sealhunting exposition TO tns
on his return to California worked
| at coal shoveling, longshoring ana
making jute.
While doing thirteen hours q day
In a competition OF a San Francisco
| newspaper with a description OF q
| typhoon off the coast OF Japan. II
was all written after midnight.
| Travelled As Tramp.
| A little later he became tramp.
| travelling all through the United
States and Canada. where he served
a term In jail for vagrancy.
| At nineteen, he was back in Oak
land attending high school for a year
and doing work as janitor to sup
port himself
! He spent three months examining
after his year in the high school, and
then entered the University of Call
fornia, for which a four years pre-
paratory course IL usually required.
He got job In laundry, but quit
II
year after a brave struggle to make
ends meet. He started writing, de
cided he was failure, and went TO
Klondike.
While he was in the Kiondike his
father died, and London. on hts re-
turn. took over the burden OF the
family. He wrote copiously and met
rejection after rejection. Finally a
story was accepted by a California
magazine. and for this he received IS.
Il n
him $40 for story. 1t seemed like
fortune.
| Grew To Prominence.
| From that time on there came rec.
ognition to an increased degree, until
he became one OF the best-known au-
thors in the world. His books have
been translated into numerous Ian.
guages. In Sweden he was the most
popular foreign author.
He Travelled much, his Cruise of
the Shark" being one result OF an
adventurous journey. He became an
ardent Socialist, and lectured In this
cause. He was n war correspondent
in the Russo-Japanese war.
With the increased popularity OF
his books came wealth, and he bull
beautiful Glen Ellen" In the Cali
fornia mountains. He marYied Bessie
Madden, OF Oakland, Cal, IN 1900, but
, in a few years their romance ended
in a divorce His second wife was
Chairman Kittredge, whom he mar
ried In 1905.
: Despite his lack OF regular school
: ing his Before Adam" Is so highlN
held by the anthropologiSts that II Il
used as text book in university
i; classes. 1t is remarkable visualize
. ton of life among mans ancestors.
: Went to Mexico.