The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-18
RICHARD HARDING DAVIS
AS HIS FRIENDS KNEW HIM

razor. and you always felt he was At
and ready to meet all sorts in the
world. with his hat cooked just a little
10 one side n at least a figurative
flower in his buttonhole. He was ia
vored by fortune since youth. lie had
never been stranded In a TRANCE coun.
try without funds. He had never been
forced to starve In a garrett with tn"
monotony Of the day broken only by
the postman's whistle returning re-
jected manuscripts. Richard Harding
Davis was a success from the start.
Davis lived with a capital l., seeing
both the amusing and the pathetic IN
life all the way. and he made II u
point tn stick close to the inside rail
of human emotions. lie did the I'M
usual FOR his own amusement. lie
never lost his capacity for enjoy nnent.
He was always a boy at heart.
Less than six weeks before this aiti-
Gle was written he burst into our offices
with n commission for James Driscoll.
the capable office boy Of the syndicate.
Jimmy" demanded u vis without
any explanation. do you want 10 be
a detectut?"
MIR. Driscoll. who had recently put
on long trousers and therefore de-
served the dignity OF the title. though;
he would. lie nodded his head in as
sent. for ne was still bashful and not
yet fully accustomed to rubbing up
against fame, although l know he
secretly rated Mr.. Davis below Christy
Mathcwson, who was also "A frequent
visitor 20 tn nee. II was always i'm
possible to any work ron Mr.. Dr!s-
coll while Matty was around.
~ you want to ne a detectuf." con-
tinued Mr.. Davis. go over 10 the New
York Herald office and ask IL there
Ia ny mail for Henry Wagner. then
walk around the block and see II any
one follows you"
What's the game" I asked Mr..
Davis after Jimmy had started on
his mission.
Il put an advertisement in the Her
aid which I thought might catch some
German spies" he explained. II said
in IL that a non-comm!ssioned officer
Of the United States army. retired. OF
German-American parents. has some
plans and patents OF a confidential ma
ture for sale. I gave the name OF Henry
w xiv u lcNFlNt u IVplN dlb
can arrange for a meeting | will get
Gen. Wood. who Is a friend OF mine, :"
give me some phony plans OF forti-
ications. ! will try TO sell them. II
| do II will he n great story ~ Ger
man spies in America for YOU. Maybe
the bait won't he right. hut II ! catch
anything II certainly will a a
fine yarn"
However. Detectuf Jimmy returned
shortly with the news that there was
no mail for Henry Wagner and that
he could not discover any one shadow
ing him after he left the Herad office
Il didn't want 10 ask for II my
self" explained Davis, 'for fear the
window might ne watched for some
one seeking nail under tina: name
Maybe my bait wasn't right for hook
ing them. I'm sure they are here Jus,
. the same. Well. thanks for being a de-
,ectuf. Jimmy"
Y Mr.. Davis never did receive the sor'
Of answer 10 his advertisement. which
would lead TO anything. although h,
had two or three nibbles. Blu. the IN
cident goes TO show the freshness OF
his point Of view and the spontaneity
OF his feeling.
But no env!ous newspaper re-
porter or author should believe
MIR. Davis got his results with
out effort. Once. when he was
on the old Philadelphia Press. HI
read Robert Louis S~tevenson's a
|. Lodging for the Night" and wrote the
distinguished author a letter. He re-
p ce,ved a reply. In which Stevenson
warned Davis ne must be careful no
|, to fall heir to the hasty methods al
. journalism. Here Ia the answer Stew
: enson sent. Davis having carefully pre-
, served II:
Why. thank you so much for you
3 frank. agreeab bic and natural letter
II IL certainly very pleasant that a.
you young fellows should enjoy m,
work and get some good out Of 1t
and il was very kind in you 10 writ
! and tel me 30. The tale Of the SUI
> eide is excellen,ly droll: and your let
' ter, YOU may be sure. will he preserved
~ yuli arc 10 escap unhurt out o
> your present business YOU must IN
very careful snd you must md II
your heart much constancv Th'
/, swiftly done work ~ the journals
!. and the cheap Nnish and ready mad
' methods to which II leads YOU mus
!, try TO counteract in private by wrttin'
: with the most considerable slownes
and on the most ambitious models
. And. when ! saw 'writing'-O. believ
:, me, II IL rewriting that | have chief,
in mind. II you will do this ] hop
~ hear OF you some day,
. please excuse this sermon from
y Your obliged,
, "RoPERT LOWS STEVENSON"
|, Il have tried to follow that advice,
4 declared Davis 10 me.
A. No matter how far he travelled. NJ
4 matter where he was. Davis neve
. forgot ne was an American. A Ger
v tain American writer got In a disput,
n with a United States consul locate
in a South African city while making
( n trip up the coast with him. TIL
Q cause OF the dispute was a beautiful
r girl on the steamer who "fell for IN
7 author" and for whom the ons wa
n making a play" So irritated did tn
r consul become over the failure Of hi
l cause with the lady that he had tn
writer arrested in a fever port. a
q which the steamer touched, an,
thrown into Jail. The charge was
II fictitious one. but the danger OF feve