The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-30
Its Roster of Grad
yates Include s
Many Names Gel
ebrated inthe Field
of Literature
T 10 with no thought Of d,sparage-

possessing school Of fiction.
The writer is tho freer to express
himself for the reason that. In the
bright days Of early youth, when Jour
nalism was mentally spelled with capt.
tai letters and the lights OF Park Row
windows vividly recalled the famous
discussion Of the power OF the press in
obliged in by Arthur Pendennis and
George Warrington as they passed
Gown London's Fleet Street, It was
never his good fortune to be associated
personally with THE sUN. Even then,
and before then, THE Sun school Of
fiction was recognized. 1t fiourished
despite Mr.. Danas somewhat sighting
comparison Of the art of inventive mar
rative with straight reporting.
Many men who subsequently have
won prosperity and reputation by the
spinning Of fiction have derived their
training from the newspaper desk.
Dickens began as a shorthand reporter.
az hio Cal ~ udyS WAS Ine
Paris correspondent of an ill-starred
London journal. Mr.. Howells grew
up In an atmosphere OF printers ink
In a newspaper Office in the middle
West. The list might be continued in
definitely. But as a rule these mon
cannot be considered as the product of
any one paper. The particular ONCE
has been mere accident. Whereas,
in the case OF THE Sun school of
Notion. the result has often been d.
rect and obvious.
1t was when out on EVENING Sun as
Htgnments that Richard Harding Davis
discovered or invented ivan Bibber,"
and developed him. 1t was as strictly
EuN copy" that Edward W. Townsend
created 'Chimmie Fadden" and stirred
q nation to laughter. It was with every
corner OF the old Sun Office In his
vision and probably before his eyes
that Jesse Lynch Williams wrote 1.-The
Stolen Story" The flavor of the Sun
and Of no other newspaper on earth is
in every line OF Stephen French Whit
mans "Predestined," as y!rile a neg
lected novel Of New York life as has
been written In the last twenty years.
Side by side with THE Sun reporting
that was his daily business Bruno Les
sing picked up the threads that were
woven Into his tales Of Ghetto incident
and character. 1t was THE SUN
story" that took Julian Ralph to the
"Big Barracks Tenement" and the
scenes Of People We Pass" Thus,
from THE Sun school there has come
not only vigorous fiction. but a fc-
ton that IS particularly associated with
certain physical aspects of New York.
In the year 1890, a tall young man
carrying a hat box and atttred in a
long yellow ulster with pale green
stripes, sought employment as a re-
porter on THE EVENING Sun. He
had had. he said. newspaper expe-
rterce in Philadelphia, and his name
was Richard Harding Davis, giving
even then. In pronunciation, the sur
name an odd Cockney twist.
Chronologically, the New York trail
of Davis begins with Cortlandt street
as that thoroughfare was In its days
Of lively glory, long before the con-
struction of TIC Hudson Terminal
had diverted commuters from its
shining windows and the welcome OF
Its swinging doors.
Up Cortlandt street Davis was
making his way after a week end
visit to Philadelphia when he was
approached by a persuasive stranger.
Listening indulgently to the tale
Davis decided upon his duty as a
good citizen No policeman being
in sight, he himself took a firm grip
on the mans collar and delivered
him into custody. Then. going to his
desk in THE EVENING Sun office.
he wrote the story Of the capture,
which, to his deep disgust, was flip
PANTY headed "Our Green Reporter"
The incident having established
Davls's fame as an authority on the
subject Of "greengoods' men, he was
sent a few days later to Hester street
named Perceval and a plant in a
ramshackle building that existed until
few years ago on the south side
OF the street. about fifty yards west
Of the Bowery. Apparently the ado
liOuA Va Va poii ipoHuSiSO hoa
Invested the reporter with a new air
OF sophisticatior. for Perceval refused
to believe in his assumption of bu-
collie simplicity. Mr.. Davis's retreat
was, as he expressed it in later years,
"hasty and undigniied." The Cort-
tandt street encounter and the Hester
street episode both went to the making
Of the story called The Trailer OF
Room No. s."
The Trail OF Van Bibber.
All over the city was the trail OF
Van Bibber. whose adventures were
written In odd hours. between what
were at the time regarded as the more
important assignments to cover the
aquarium or the zoo.
The scene of Evan Bibbler as Best
Man was the Cafe Martin. at Uni
yersity place and Ninth street. The
house of striking yet somewhat SIMS
ter appearance at Ninth street and
Fifth avenue, that was erected in the
middle of the last century by one
Of the Brevoorts, but which has long
been associated with the De Rham
tamiiy. Is obviously the house OF ivan
bibber's Burglar" When Delmonicos
laced the trees of Madison Square
Mr.. Davis used 1t as the background
Of "van> Bibber's Man" About the