The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-05-11
Lowden Routs Thompson For COP. Rule
William Dean HOlUells.
Noted dAn1erican Writer.
Dies in N. Y, Age SO

NOV 1UIAs Nay ll"WIllJ8m
Dean Howells, the novelist
died here today.
Mr.. HOWeils returned q few
weeks ago from Savannah,
where he had spent the winter.
While In the south he was
stricken with influenza and ney.
er had fully recovered from lis
effec.s.
His son, John Mead. a New
York architect, and his daugh-
ter, Mildred, who lived with her
father, were at his side when he
died.
Howells continued active work
Of writing up TO the start Of the
illness which resulted in his
death. Some Of his best known
works were:
THE Landlord of the Lions
Head 1The World of Chance.
Venetian Life,- "Italian Jour.
neys." "The Rise of Silas Lap.
ham,, '"The Shadow Of n
Dream and ~The LeatherwoOd
God.
Funeral services will be held at
the Church of The Ascension here
tomorrow at 1880 a. m. Burial will
be in Cambridge, Mass, where much
of Mr.. Howells' literary work was
performed.
At dinner given in New York in
1912 to do honor to William Dean
Howells upon his 18th birthday
William Howard Taft, then presi-
dent of the United States, lauded
the guest as the greatest living
American writer and novelist"
He was the dean OF American
letters; poet. essayist, dramatis.
and editor, as well as a weaver of
fiction.
Beginning his first book, Poems
OF Two Friends" just before the
Civil war. Mr. Howells had COM
pleted and published II volumes at
/ the time of his death, besides acting
as editor of various publications,
crossing the ocean IS times in
search of material for his novels,
and writing essays, criticisms and
magazine articles.
Born in Martins Ferry, Ohio.
| Born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, in
1887, he served his literary ap-
premiership as a compositor, re-
porter and editor on his fathers
newspaper.
'Inwardly l was a poet" said the
eminent novelist in reviewing his
early experiences, with no wish 10
be anything else, unless in mo-
ment of careless affluence l might
, so far forget myself as to be a
novelist"
When % years old, he travelled to
Boston to make the acquaintance Of
Longfellow. Hawthorne, Emerson
Holmes and Lowell. Though a boy
among masters. he became their
intimate. learning their literary
traditions and preserving many OF
them throughout his long life.
At the age Of "a, he was appoint
ed by President Lincoln as United
States consul at Venice. He CON-
bined his consular duties with lit
erary work, and produced his cele-
brated book, Venetian Life"
Becomes Editor in n. Y.
Four years later, in 1865. he came
to New York with his wife, who was
Elinor G. Mead of Vermont. and
whom he had married in Paris ir
1862. For two years he wrote edi-
torials for the New York Nation
the Times and the Tribune, and
then moved to Boston where. as as
sistant editor, he began his associa.
ton with the Atlantic Monthly, sue
ceeding James Russell Lowell al
editor in 1872. At the age Of A he
retired to devote himself TO his
novels, which he produced for many
years at the rate of two year.
When so years old. Mr.. Howells
found time to become contributing
editor, and later writer for tn.
Editors Easy Chair" department
in Harper's Magazine. For a brie1
period he acted as editor OF the
Cosmopolitan.
| DR.. Howells-he had received de
| grees from Yale. Harvard, Oxford
and Columbia universities though
he had never attended college-wa:
a keen student of current events
! He avowed his belief in socialism
SOcialistic Beliefs.
Il cannot see.' he declared, "tha'
the remedy for existing conditions
lies anywhere else. But if it is tf
be remedy it must come slowly
Violent revolutions do not perma
nently solve these problems
On the subject of woman SUI
frage his opinion was decided:
ut is one of the most importan
developments of this generation
| and one Of the most hopeful. Th'
men have made such a mess o
things that if the women do no
come to the rescue I'm sure / don
know what is to become Of u.s."
| DR.. Howells acceded to the edi
torship of Harper's Magazine las
fall at the death of DR.. Henry Mill.
Alden, who had occupied the edi
torial chair himself for more thar
so years.
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