The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-06-25

ing them. I'm sure tudy are mere
Just the same. Well. thanks for be-
Ing a detectuf, Jimmy"
Mr.. Davis never did receive the
sort OF answer to his advertisement
which would lead TO anything. ale
though he had two or three nibbles.
But the incident goes to show the
freshness Of his point Of view and
the spontRneity OF his feeling.
But no envious newspaper report
er or author should believe Mr.. Da-
Wis got his results without effort.
Once. when lie was on the old Phila-
delphia Press. he read Robert Louis
stevenson's n Lodging for the
Night" and wrote the distinguished
author a letter. He received a re-
ply. in which Stevenson warned Da
Wis he must be careful not to fall
heir to the hAsty methods Of journal
ism. Here is the answer Stevenson
sent. Davis having carefully preserv-
ed II:
why. thank you so much for your
frank, agreeable and natural letter.
1t Is certainly very pleasant that all
you young fellows should enjoy my
work and get some good out OF 1t and
It was very kind in you to write and
tell me so. The tale OF the suicide Is
excellently droll: and your letter.
you may be sure, will be preserved.
II you are to escape unhurt out OF
your present business you must be
very careful and you must find in
your heart much constancy. The
swiftly done work OF the journalist
and the cheap finish and ready made
methods to which II leads you must
try to counteract in private by writ
Ing with the most confederate slow
ness. and on the most ambitious mod
els. And. when ! say 'writing'-O.
believe me, 1t is rewriting that have
chiefly in mind. II you will do this
/ hope to hear OF you some day.
Please excuse this sermon from
Your Obliged.
Robert Louis Stevenson"
~ have tried to follow that ad-
vice." declared Davis to me.
No matter how far he travelled. no
matter where he was, Davis never
forgot he was an American. A GER
tain American writer got in II dis
pute with a United States consul, To-
Gated in South African city while
making trip up the coast with him.
The cause OF the dispute was n beau
tiful girl on the steamer. who fell
for the author" and for whom the
consul was making a play" So irri-
tated did the consul become over the
failure Of his cause with the lady
that he had the writer arrested in 4
fever port. at which the steamer
touched. and thrown into jail. The
charge was fictitious one, but the
danger OF fever was very real, es-
pecially in that filthy Jail. The
consul proceeded on up the coast.
leaving the writer to his fate and the
fever.
Davis happened along and heard of
the American In the dirty jail on the
fever coast. He stopped in his jour
ney long enough to miss the steamer
on which he was travelling, but to
bring relief to the writer in the fever
hole. He gave the fellow writer mon
ey enough to carry him back to the
United States, since the jailers, like
most in their trade, had been care
full about leaving him broke. And
then Richard Harding Davis went on
his blithesome way. He adjusted the
case OF the false arrest OF the writer
through the state department later
and furnished testimony which re.
suited in the removal OF the OFFEND
ing official with his fondness for pref
~ women and his lack Of attention
to affairs OF state. An American in
trouble could always depend upon
Davis.
Some OF the best stories written by
the hero OF this sketch have been
founded on fact. His great story.
The DerelIct." was based on a news
paper incident which happened in the
Far East. He lived in part many Of
the adventures through which his
readers follow his characters.
Davis never tried to solve the sub
leties OF women in his writings. per-
hRps because he was a big man, in
fine health, straight, clean. soldierly
looking, who never lodged Issues
when they came up. He was so SOL
diery looking that the Germans wan
ed to shoot him az an English spy re-
Gently. He was always in condition.
1T to go on any campaign and stood
all hardships with the toughest. He
was fond Of prIzeHghts and baseball
He was called to the telephone one
day while at lunch.
''Ill bet" he said. as he excused
himself from the table. lit was Jack
Barrymore wanting me to go to the
fight tonight.
Il was right" he declared when he
returned. and you bet I'm going"
Right then Davis was sure the
prospective fight would be the best
one he had ever seen. He always
found something new to enjoy and
amuse him. In his younger day..
he went to cover" fight for
his paper. The mayor attended this
exhibition and his honor's collar had
worked loose from the back button.
In the excitement attendant on the
battle It moved up and down his neck
as loose as ashes. Davis based his
story on the mRnnerlsms OF the
mayors collar and reported the fight
from the point Of view OF the collar.
When things were dull in the ring
the collar was calm. When II moved
up and down. like the walking beam
on Hudson river steamer, the Tight
ers were mixing It," Everybody IN