Evening star., 1929-11-17
WRITINGS OF MISS HAMILTON e.
DONE IN CAPITAL APARTMENT
i.uthor of Many Poems and
Stories Widely
Travelled.
Genius Manifested In Lap of
Her Literary
Mother.
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.

Venturing forth into the highways
and byways OF the world to secure her
copy, Miss Gertrude Brooke Hamilton,
short story writer. author of many
beautiful poems, some of which have
been put to music, and winner of the
1928 popularity prize awarded by large
national magazine, always returns to
her home city. Washington, to bring
to life in her stories the characters
which she has met in her travels.
Although Miss Hamftons stories have
been chuckled over and wept over by
thousands of WAshingtonians. few
readers of the famous "Mahoney stories"
realized that the Gertrude Brooke Ham,
ilton whose name appeared as the au-
thor had written them on a typewriter
in her hotel apartment within the
shadow of the Capitol dome.
Born in Washington. Miss Hamilton
boasts a long line of Washington an
ceStors. Her great-grandfather. Judge
Nathan Sargent, while holding Office
here as commissioner of customs, wrote
Public Men and Events; her grand
father, the Rev. Mark L. Olds. was
rector of the historic old church on
the Navy Yard: her father: stanislaus ;tsl.I
NJ. Hamilton, as scholar and historian,
gave lifelong service to the Depart
ment of State. AS a contemporary of
Worthington Ford Librarian of Con-
gress he edited The Monroe Letters"
and THE Letters to Washington" In
addition, Miss Hamilton's mother, who
is her inseparable companion in her
travels, has been a writer of juvenile
stories.
Early Signs Of Genius.
It is not to be wondered that with
such distinguished literary geneology
Miss Hamilton should have evinced
signs of genius at very early age. At
the age of I, while being rocked in her
mothers lap at bed time. she was read
poem entitled Twilight" At the
conclusion of the reading her mother
said: Now. Gertrude, you compose
something for me about Midnight"
A moments silence and the child
replied:
And even the breeze is gone from the
And night passes on to the dawn"
The mother knew her child was
marked for a literary career.
In the competition last year for the
popularity prize" offered by one of the
large magazines, for the author con-
short stories for that year, Miss HAM
ilton received an overwhelming majority
Of votes from readers of the magazine.
against such acknowledged successes as
irwin Cobb, Larry Evans, Irving Bach
ellor, Coningsby Dawson. Emerson
Hough, Kathleen Norris and a number
of others senior to her in years and
literary experience.
A screen version of Miss Hamilton's
story, The flushed Hour" appeared in
moving pictures several seasons ago.
starring Blanche Sweet and Milton
Sills. Preparations are now under way
for the screen production Of her Ma
honey" stories, which Miss Hamilton
hopes will have its premier in this city.
A Traveller Everywhere.
Travelling by boat. by rail. by airline
or motor, Miss Hamilton has gone to
the four corners of the earth IN secur-
ing the inspiration for her stories.
when I am in search of copyS' con.
tinued Miss Hamilton. II don't care how
or where get it. Once followed an
old hot dog man on Broadway for
blocks and blocks-another time, I
gained inspiration from the life-story of
a watchman, who sat for hours in one
of the watch towers overlooking the
Grand Central tracks on the Hudson
River.
why stories and romance are to be
found everywhere. I do believe that
even the f1eas I met III Naples would
have had romance to tell had l al
lowed them to finger near me long
enough" she laughed.
A story of Warrington City is now
being written by Miss Hamilton. II
have gone throughout every section OF
the city" she said, ITO secure my copy.
! intend to picture our beautiful, ro-
mantle city as it really is, because you
know, there are very few books Of
fiction written about the real wash
ington.
Perhaps my greatest ambition" con-
cluded this young writer, with far
away look in her eyes, "is to create be-
fore die, some writings that will help
others to live-that-and to buy my
mother a magnificent pair of diamond
earrings!"