Evening star., 1944-03-10
Cobb
reContinued From First Page )


journalism" Mr.. Cobb related
We'll, I just said to myself, If this
kind Of derisive attitude is what
they like, maybe tire same tone in q
letter might hit some of these. edi.
tors.'' -.
Selected New York Sun.
The letters he sent hit several
editors, and Mr.. Cobb selected a jot
on the New York Sun. A year later
he was on the, staff of the Evening
and Sunday World, one of the
highest paid evening paper re-
porters in the world, and remained
there until 1911. For the next
ii years he was on the staff of the
Saturday Evening Post, covered
the World War for that periodical
and came back from abroad to es-
tablish reputation as a lecturer
and after dinner speaker. From 1927
he was with the Hearst publications
more especially the Cosmopolitan
Magazine.
He got to Hollywood when he sold
the movie rights to his fiction char
acter, Judge Priest, and was made
unofficial adviser" in the filming
Of the judge. Then, to his surprise
he was drafted as an actor. He ap-
peared first in four short comedies
then with Will Rogers in Steam
boat Round the Bend" He never
thought much of his own histrionic
abilities.
Mr.. Cobb settled down in a for
mer home of Greta Garbo in Santa
Monica with his wife, daughter ano
three grandchildren. He continued
to write daily newspaper articles
and, as the spirit moved him, to pro-
duce his dryly humorous fiction.
Was Thrice a Colonel.
Mr.. Cobb was born June %, 1876
in Paducah, the son of Joshua Clarl
and Mamie Marshall Saunders
Cobb. His father and four uncle
. served in the Confederate Army ant
one of Mr. Cobb's proudest posses
sions was a commission as colonel OF
| the staff of the commander in chic
of the United Confederate Veterans
conferred on him in 1916 when h
was chief orator of the veterans re
union at Birmingham, Ala.
Mr.. Cobb also was colonel by vir
tue of commissions granted by tn
Governor of Kentucky in 1918 am
1921. He always considered this
real honor and used TO voice his in
dignant protest when the corps o
Kentucky colonels" expanded into
list of amplitudinous proportions.
His first ambition was to be al
artist. When forced by family finan
cial difficulties to leave school a
Is, he became a cartooniSt for tn
Paducah Daily News. For pictoria
delineatlons of quilting bees ant
sewing circles he received Sits
week. He also made some money b,
contributing squibs and sketches t,
comic weeklies, but soon became ;
full l-aedged reporter and at 10 wa
made editor of the paper. From 189
to 1901, besides these duties, he con
Quoted column, Sour Mash" il
the Louisville Evening Post Thel
there was a merger of Paducah pa
i perS and Mr.. Cobb became manag
ing editor of the Paducah News
Democrat. After three years of thi
work, he went to New York ant
came to rest on his park bench,
Grim Tale First Success.
Mr. Cobb married Laura Spende
Baker of Savannah, Ga, on Jun
20, 1900. A daughter, Elizabeth, wa
credited with several successful nov
els
Mr.. Cobb's favorite among hi
short stories was The Escape of MI
Trimm,' published in 1913, and hi
first essay into the field of fictior
1t was based on a trial he covere,
in New York and was anything bu
funny.
This was the start OF an amazin
output. Short stories, books, play;
musical comedy librettos and miscel