Evening star., 1933-09-27
BY JOHN N. WHEELER.

NEW YORK, September 27-Strug-
Cling against fate for three years, Ring
Lardner never complained. Looking
death in the face, he continued to write
humor under the severest handicaps
when every effort was agony. He re-
sented any attempt to discuss his ILL
ness, and, in reply to inquiry how he
felt, always replied promptly, but some
times feebly "Fine!"
He was never satisfied with the job
he did, and, therefore, handicapped as
he was by his physical condition, the
quality was always the highest. This
estimate was not that Of this writer
alone, who naturally would be preju-
diced because of years of friendship.
Summer Blossom. editor of the Ameri-
can magazine and good judge. said
to me shortly before Lardner's death:
His work was always of the best"
Always Desired to Work.
Because of his weakness from the
disease which finally killed him. for
several months before his death he
could not sit for more than 20 minutes
or half ar hour at his typewriter with
out becoming exhausted. yet he strug
gled on because he felt he had to work
And in all that period there was never
a word of complaint
Lardner tried to rig his typewriter so
he could lie in bed and write, but was
never able to work it out. told him
about Capt Morgan Robertson. writer
of sea stories. who spent the last years
of his life in bed. He had worked out
a pulley arra ngement which permitted
him to use the machine while lying
down.
"Yes. but he was a sailor" COM
mented Lardner.
The aff1iction which probably caused
Mr. Lardner his greatest mental dis
tress was that in the last few months
he was able to read only with the
utmost difficulty.
1t seems that the great die without
comrlaining John Siddall largely re-
sponsible for the success of the Ameri
can Magazine and one of the great
American editors. knew he had cancer
of the stomach and six months to live
if he kept at his job. Yet he never gave
and, like Lardner, would never permit
any of his friends to discuss his illness.
Face One OF Saddest.
Even in the days when he was we'll
Lardner's face was a tragic one, and
the last time I saw him alive I think
it was the saddest face I have ever
seen. Iardner was always really lonely
and quite bitter and discouraged about
human beings, because he saw so plainly
their frailties
For most of the last two years of his
life Lardner transacted all his business
through a bedside telephone either at
his home in East Hampton. Long Island.
Or in hospital and naturally he fretted
under the restrictions this imposed. He
inn vrvrff ~
always keenly interested in base ball.
so he covered his last world series in
1882 from his bed by listening to the
broadcast of the games. Writing those
stories was stupendous effort for
sick man. because he had to deliver
them on an unsparing time schedule.
The first time I saw Ring Lardner
was in 1908 when he was travelling as
base ball writer with the Chicago
White Sox before he had written the
busher's letters which started him to
fame. Even then he was tall, thin,
gaunt. silent and sad, but he had more.
OF the joy of living than later.
Hated Practical Jokes.
His greatest stories were sardonic,
such as "the Champion" and Haircut"
The latter was bitter arraignment of
the practical joker. He hated all types
of practical jokes.
Several years ago I wrote for Col
lier's Weekly an article about Lardner.
I take the liberty of repeating some
stories which appeared in that and
which give a picture Of the man and
seen: appropriate now. Following are
these anecdotes, presented just as they
appeared in Golfers:
Lardner went to the Mardi Gras in
New Orleans years ago and found him
self backed into corner by a native
This gentleman had climbed hand-over-
hand to the top of his family tree be-
fore Ring got a word in edgeways
When he did he began. without haste
or passion:
"If you would be interested in my
family. was born in Niles, Michigan,
of colored parents"
Ring hated funny stories. sincerely
and deeply. If you made the mistake
Of saying to him, Did you hear the
cne about" he would reply, Yes"
at that point. 1t generally stopped the
story.
He was funny, but you had to listen
closely to get it Why" 1 asked him
once, do you detest funny stories?"
And he came back with: Because most
of them are so old and most of them
aren't funny and most people are rotten
story-tellers"
When Ring purchased his first auto
mobile he thought he was good driver
before any one else did. In the most
congested street in Chicago he grazed
a woman pedestrian with his mud
guard. She was unhurt, but mad clear
through. and shortly Ring was sur
rounded by policemen and curious
people. There he sat solemn and
silent A friend came along, saw Ring,
and pushed through the crowd.
whats the matter, Ring?" he asked.
rs there anything I can do?"