Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-11-14
BAGbY JUDGED TO
Be SOUTH'S GREAT
WRITER OF HUMOR
lis National Figure, Rank
ing With Mark Twain
and Ward.
WROTE OF OLD SOUTH IN
ANTEBELlUM SKETCHES
Described as Being Weak in
Body, but Mighty in Heart
and Spirit.
BY q. WATSON JAMEs. .n.

Isl u. WATSON JAMES, JN.
l. Literary life OF the South IN The
lrs. century. particularly the frs;
.ycaty years, seems comparable viii;
landscape of nature ia all her va
/ led glory. TIC art e Poo rises be-
orc the mcnta, vision !iko como
ARK. so,nbcr wood. full Of hooks and
-anniea which tho mind cannot
penetrate. and fcarsomc hol!0w3
nich test tho b-avury ot the OBJ
-rvcr. Taroush this fas;ncss runs
70 e!l-cry brook OF sidney Lan!cr.
aressip" the ruehcs OF tho marsh
| nj lu,ing them into song. Through
he mysterious branches of Poc'H
,cn!us the rushing wind OF Father
yam stira and iashcg the forcR. with
~ patriotic :Grvor and lightning
ashes OF God-ingr ired rhythm. Ia.
own IN the depth OF this forest VIC
esr the exquisite and dea;hiesa
hrenody OF John Hannistcr Tabb. and
hcn sprinhl!ng the carpet OF fallen
opes and aspirations. Offering
Trough the dark reccssss with a
aoanrie,In.t OF annshine is the life
nd letters of George W. Dagby
q To gay that this man-who was "a
vinmanding figure from HE Grst ut
ernacca In tho Lynchburg Nirginian
the time when II: was laid TO rca.
l. historic, Shockoc--was w:t, J..
heap praise and Is 10 place him in
ne class w!;h tho modern pcfdlcro
slang VITO .a.ra!;i At lIpinpT and.
OF. the ncst part, 1uccrc! t.; con
.nc!ng this superficial age ;hat they
20 humor.atS. liumor ~ a. much an
ur!bu,c OF the goul as love. oa:hos.
earning after God and the hope Of
q, eternal hereafter.
: Iunor must hrd It's wc.ispr!nGs IN
lac heart Of tho community; tho
uperstitions. tho simple life Of the
ountry. II must find expression
hrough finely balanced pen. sym
athctic and cmottnal. y man 20 be
hu,norist must hc one who can
salk vita k!nSa and not losa the
ommon touch" George W. Bagby
;as endowed viii, these requisites
nd. like tho faithful servant Of Holy
Writ. hid them not beneath bushei,
ut increased them tcnfoid. 40 that
;hcrever has name is mentioned
monE those that love letters. /, in
pires vcncration Of thought and
genuine pElus VIZ ''ObNf -
uced such :. mar.
horn in Duekingknn, County.
EuckinEham County, Ia which Dr.
aCby was born on Angus, IL, 1928.
p.rhaps. OF all the counties OF the
% Dominion, the best adapted 70
,s,e. the study OF The dialects and.
,cial characteristic OF not only The
ocro. IN, tho son OF tho soii-the
yoraEc citizen Of Virginia. la this
environment to which might b. added
IN % the refinement OF ante befum
,an,ation !!fc. wc hnd the back
round for tho later literary skill o.
- man who was TO influence the
nd o. the South for many genera
ous
Iouns BaSbys father, merchant
I.ynchhurS, and his mother. who
~ m Evans, realized early in their
ms life that he would want a liberal
luca,ion and so he was sen. to
r.:caton, y. J. and later TO Newark,
,I.. where he came under tho
aucncc OF DR.. John S. Hart great
.star. and who later honored his
Ipil in his Manual OF American Lit
.,ure." Al the end OF his sophie
ore year at Delaware College le de-
dcd TO study medicine. and hence
tered the University Of Pennsyl-
AHA. where in due time he received
degree.
WITH the arduous duties OF college
- behind him. the young physicians
: ought turned to Virginia and he
ent 70 Lynchburg. where his parents
a settled. and there hung out his
Jingle" We might as we'll attempt
stem the ebb and flow of the tide
S 10 resist the power OF destiny. Des-
NJ had not willcd that George w.
acpy should be doctor 10 the hu-
AN Ills OF the body, hut rather a
MUSICIAN to the mental distress of
Is countrymen and the one ray OF
,nshlne IN the Gethsemane Of South
IN ideals.
Attracted as the metal Is to the
,destone, so Basby and James Nc
onald came together In one common
ond of spiritual union. Mr. Nc
onald. who was to become one OF
&c most illu5trious o: NirGinia's
.cretarics Of the Commonwealth. and
djutant generals, was then editing
10 famous Lynchburg Virsinian.
then no was absent from his cd:to-
al chair it was Alied by the future
cato" Of "Mozis Albums" and by
Is locum tencns tho world OF let
rs first was introduced TO DR.. Bagby.
s first contribution was an edito-
a, article on christmas which, took
rc Till City by storm. and the atten-
on Of Virginia was centered on this
~ star that had arisen. This effort
as followed rapidly hy others which
ere devoured by the hungry reading
'pulation. for the State at that time
as poverty stricken in literary ma
rial.
Among these sketches was ono tina.
3;sJther Addison nor Irving wcuid
ave disowned." says DR.. Bagby's b.
Erapher. Edward s.: Gregory. This
las The Sacred Furpiture Ware
boms," II Is an essay upon one of
pc curiosity shops Of Lynchburg; an
REQUISITE flight of idealism; a delft
CRY OF building which was once
Pc house OF God, tenanted by hal
pVrn yrar nm MI IL. z.