New Britain herald., 1919-03-11
AUIHOkfSJ,  Famous Writer Publishel first
 Book at Age Of 30

New York, March 11-Amelia F..
 Barr, the authoress, died last night at
 her home in Richmond Hill, this city
 Mrs. Amelia F.. Barr passed the
 first half of her life in comparative
 obScurity. She Yentured upon her
 first novel when she was 50 years of age. During the following 33 years she produced her books at the rate of about two year, until she had
 63 to her credit. In addition she had written hundreds of short stories poems and magazine articles. For ; consecutive years she supplied an average of a poem and a short story a week to one publication.
 The first time 1 tried my hand at literature" she said, was when was years old. 1 amused myself by putting one of Psalms into verse. The reward for my first literature venture was d sound whipping. That kept me quiet until I was twelve. At that age l prepetrated d crude and turgid tragedy on the life of Seneca. It is the only tragedy l have ever written. I have lived all my trage- dies since then. In my books I have put all the happiness that I could imagine"
 Tragedies came early in her life. She was born in Ulverstone. Ian caster, England, in 1881, with the name of Amelia Huddleston. As a ! little girl, she lost three young [ brothers in quick succession by death. l Then came straitened finances for the i family. She set out as a teacher to 1 earn her own livelihood. Finally | settling in Scotland she met and i married at the age of 19 Robert Barr. { a young Scotch mill owner. Barr i soon lost his mills and money.
 The young couple came to America : in 1853 to start life anew. They lived | and worked in Chicago, Memphis. i; Harrisburg (Tex.) Galveston and | Austin, Mrs. Barr helping out by i, teaching school.
 They were living in comfortable circumstances in Galveston in 1867 : when yellow fever sxept the city. and during the epidemic Mrs Barr lost her husband and three sons-all ! the male members of her family.
 She faced life anew for the third time with three daughters and little money. Her attempts at seIf-support proved fruitless in the Texan city. At the age of 70 she arrived in New York.
 "I had $5.18 in my purse" she said, and was absolutely alone in the battle of life, but confident that God and Amelia Barr were 8, multi tude"
 She turned to literature for liv- ing. Henry Ward Beecher employed her on the staff of his new journal. The Christian Union. This led to an acquaintance with many of the lead ing literary men of the day. Work Ing day and night to support her family, she soon established q market for her literary wares.
 My expenses at the time" said Mrs. Barr, ''Were $50 a week. I had to make this Sometimes I made less, sometimes more"
 When 50 years old, and confined to her home with illness, she began to elaborate q short story into a novel, The result was her first novel, Jan Y edder'S Wife" From that day until her death Mrs. Barr wrote novels, short stories, poems and magazine and newspaper articles constantly, and. as she once said, "I never wrote l story which l was unable to sell"
 Most of her famous characters were treated at her beautiful home, Cher Iy Croft, at Cornwall, overlooking he Hudson river, where she lived Tor more than so years.
 It is commonly said that authors Ire their own worst critics she once remarked. Nevertheless, l think that The Lions Whclp' is my best