Evening star., 1937-10-04
ED HOWE, APOSTLE
|0F SIMPLICITY, DIES
Achieves absolute Tri.
umph' He Sought by Expir.
ing During Sleep.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ATCHISON, Kans., October A.
Edgar Watson ed Howe, "the sage
Of Potato Hill," has achieved his "ab-
solute triumph"
After a long lifetime of observing
and writing about the foibles of plain
people, the S4-year-old author. editor,
philosopher, died yesterday in his
sleep Of the infirmities Of age COM
plicated by paralysis.
His death fulfilled his once ex-
pressed desire, MY hope is TO go to
sleep one night after a hard days
work and never awaken. That would
be the absolute triumph"
The funeral services will be held
tomorrow afternoon at his home here
Potato Hilp'-with the ritual OF
the Episcopal Church.
Mr.. Howe was perhaps best known
for his novel, "The Story of Country
Town." which he published in his own
publishers had rejected it.
Edited Globe for 81 Years.
He founded the Atchison Globe in
1877 and retired from it 81 years
later. His active mind, however,
could not be at rest and he began
publication Of "E. w. Howe's Month
ly," devoted to information and in
dignation." In this magazine. which
Mr.. Howe discontinued in 1888, sp-
peared such pungent paragraphs from
his pen as:
"All my life I have heard men
clamoring for more rights. 1t has
always seemed to me / exercise more
rights than are good for me. I am at
liberty to do hundred things I
shouldn't do. have always been too
much of a free man"
Mr.. Howe was known as a keen stu.
dent of human nature, his attitude
toward his fellow men may we'll be
summed up in his own words" little
improvement persisted in. is enough.
Knowing myself and others, I do not
expect too much, and cheer a reason
able average"
Feared Youth, Obeyed Women.
OF youth he wrote:
Il am timid in the presence of yout h.
I sharply criticize the young and know
they pay it back with interest An
tagonism between youth and. age is as
natural and inevita BILE as the antaeon-
ism between women and men. ! am
timid in the presence of women, too"
OF women:
L have never suited women: alvays
there is something about me they
want to fix =. As a rule I have found
it easier to obey my women folks than
to fight them, and be a free man only
in private"
Howe's death followed by days that
OF his former wife, Mrs Clara L. Howe.
90, from whom he was divorced more
than IS years ago. She died last
wednesday at her home in Falls City.
Nebr
When he was 80 years old Mr.. Howe
wrote:
AT 80 I am not afraid of the
future. have been treated with
reasonable justice all my conscious
LIE, and expect as much of the future.
NO one can convince me there is A
devil after death to torture me for
eating. drinking, loving, hating, VEN
turing"
Virtually Finished Conclusions"
Shortly before he was stricken with
paralysis last July. Mr.. Howe vir-
tually completed work on his book.
Final Conclusions" of which he said
in June, 1885:
Give me two more years and I
am going to write the greatest book
in the world"
Mr.. Howe's survivors include two
sons. Eugene A. Howe. Amarillo. Tex,
editor, and James P. Howe, Walnut
Creek. Calf, and q daughter. Mrs.
Mateel Howe Farnham, New York.
In the closing lines of his auto
biography, Mr.. Howe wrote:
"A good many years ago I was
driven through Yellowstone Park in
a stage coach by a plain man called
Doc Wilson, of whom I became quite
fond in the course of five days. When
We parted he said: Well, good-by;
take care Of yourself 1t is the great
human philosophy; no one will or
can do it for you nature has
never yet produced creature without
first providing for its needs: mans
greatest fault has always been too
much preaching and not enough
work. Well, good-by; take care Of
| volrself"