Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-13
JOHN r. TROWBRIOGE :
IS BRONCHITIS VICTIM
Poet aud Author of WciI-i<
stories for Boys Died in Ar
llnStOn, Mass.

ARLINGTON. MASS. February l2.--
John Townsend rrow bridge. poet and
author OF stories for boys, died to-
night. Death was caused by bron-
chitis. which developed from severe
cold contracted few weeks ago.
MIR. rrowhridec was one Of the last
survivors Of the group uf authors who
made Boston "a famous literary center
i'm the first three decades Of the last
half OF the nineteenth century. AL
though his chief success came from the
writing OF books for boys, lie also pub
lished several novels and volumes Of
poetry.
MIR. T'rowUridse's parents. New Eng
land people. were among the pioneer
settlers Of Western New York. nud it
WAS in Il log cabin in the little hamlet
OF Ogden. Monroe County, that he Was
born in 1897. Although brouch, up
on a backwoods farm. youn" Trow-
bridge early discovered The possibilities
of supplcmcutiuS III" mcaecr educ;i-
ton OF his district school by obtaining
books from u public library in a near
ny town. N;ter - term At n classical
school NJ locliport, y. y. he went 10
Illinois for = wear teaching school in
winter ana farming in summer. II"
returned To Lockpor aud taught for
At while. but. deciding "a devote him
self To writing. he went to New York
city at the age of nineteen. For -
time he met with little encouragement.
\ year later he went to Boston. and
soon became we'll known as AN author
Of stories and Sketches under til" pen
name OF Paul creyton"
His iirs, book Father Bright Hopes"
WAS published i'm 1888, and his first
genuine success Was 'Ncjahhor lack
wood" novel OF Ncw England life.
which appeared In 1888. For some time
- ss.A, ~ - 4,
numbered among its contributors Dick
"ns. Whittier. Maync Reid, Mrs. stowe
ana Miss Alcott.
Perhaps tho best known Of NJ. 'rrow-
bridges verse is the humorous poem,
Darius Grecu and His Flying Ma
chine" written in 1870 When. forty
years later. he first saw an aeroplane
In action he remarked:
81 never dreamed when 7 wrote that
poem that such thing as dying
machine was even possibility in my
lifetime"
Among his hooks for boys. tho most
popular were ''Cudjo's Cave" aud The
Three Scouts"
For half Il century MIR Trowhridgc
made his home on an attractive estate
bordering Spy Pond in Arlington, a
suburb of Boston. He maintained his
physical vieor in his old age. AMI was
fond of walking, bicycling and work
in" in his garden.
1t was siSty-threc years AGO that Mr.
Trowbridce gave tn the youth OF an
earlier generation Father Fright
Hopes" the first OF long series of
books that included "NeiGhbor Jack
wood The Po,Sct Rifle" "Cudjos
Cave" and ended with IA Pair Of Mad
caps in 1909.
Until his present attack Mr. Trow-
bridge appeared physically we'll and
mentally alert. The war, however. dis
tresscd him greatly and recently he
said To Il caller: 81 have the utmost
adherence of war, and the one thing
! now wish TO live for is to see mill
'arism crushed. International peace o.
tabliShcd and the so-callcd Christian
nations no longer madly destroying
each Other. preparing to live together
as unarmcd friendly ncichbors should"