Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-14
Led Adventurous Life.

James Oliver Curwood's love for the
outdoors. and particularly for the
great forests of upper Michigan,
motivated his life and his work as 4
novelist.
He wrote of outdoor men and
women and moved them across stage
that usually was set in the big woods,
thinning their lives with soreness
born of his own experiences.
1t was the forests that rose in dark
grandeur along Michigan's northern
boundary that furnished a great deal
of the inspiration for his novels which
he wrote with clocklike regularity.
THE Courage of Captain Plum his
first novel, was written in 1908. From
then on novels flowed from his pen.
there followed The Wolf Hunters,
1908; The Great Lakes and "The
Gold Hunters" both written in 1903;
1.-THE Danger Trail" 1910; THE
Honor of the Big Shows" and Phillip
Steele of the Royal Mounted written
in 1911.
Others of his novels included 'IKa-
zan," 1914; "Nomads of the North, !"
1919: 1.-THE Valley of Silent Men,
1920, and THE Flaming Forest" 1921.
A jealous crusader for conservation
of natural resources, Curwood was
considered an authority on the Cana
dian northland. and was the only
American ever employed by the
Canadian government as an explora-
tory and descriptive writer. He made
periodic trips into the North woods
and northern Canada in that capacity.
Gov. Fred W. Green appointed him
a member of the Michigan Conserva-
fion Commission, and he fought vigor-
ously for conservation of Michigan
forests.
Descendant of Marryat.
Mr.. Curwood was a direct descend
ant on his fathers side Of Capt. Mar
rydt, the English novelist. And from
his mothers side he inherited GER
tain amount of Indian blood-possibly
with it the high cheek bones revealed
by James Montgomery Flagg's por-
trait Between the ages of 6 and IA
Curwood lived on a 40-acre stone
quarry, which his father fondly be-
lieyed to be a farm when he origi-
nally purchased it. 1t was close to
the shores of Lake Erie and behind 1t
were big woods and swamps. AT the
age of Curwood was the pos
SCISSOR of a gun. The influence of
every one of these elements is very
easily traceable in every one Of his
successful books, and it came natu-
rally to him in THE Country Beyond"
to speak of a patch of woodland in
which the heroine lived as being
s'only rife shot in width
He confessed that he began writing
at the age of 8 and that one of his
earliest manuscripts ran a hundred
chapters. in large majority of which
sundry Indians and outlaws met vio-
lent ends. He had a reputation as a
marksman and hunter when he was IL
years old, and it later contributed to-
ward his expulsion from high school;
he paid more attention to nature and
hunting than to classroom schedules.
1t finally made up for this catastrophe.
however, by paying his way through
the University of Michigan. He earn
ed his tuition fees there by burying
himself in a big Michigan swamp and
becoming a successful young trapper.
That ability. he believes. was an In
dian inheritance.
Betting Incident Recalled.
At the University of Michigan he
became local correspondent for a
number of newspapers, and in this
manner helped pay his bills. Also he
learned a lesson which could easily
provide fine incident in the plot of
one of those novels that go in strong
for psychology. 1t was at a foot ball
game between the University OF
Michigan and a rival college. Cur
wood was the possessor of $40. He
was a hard-working youth who had
never gambled, but partisan enthu
siasm got the best of him and he bet
half his cash that the rival team
"wouldnt win The original plunge
into gambling made him reckless
another boy Of the opposing clan
dared him to bet the other So. He
did, the stakeholder admitting this
second bet had been unconsciously
nhraSed: THAT the University o.