Evening star., 1946-05-20
Booth darlington, 76, Famous
Novelist of Indiana School, Dies
Popular Author
Wos Twice Winner
Of Pulitzer Prize
BY the Assoeioied Press

Of Pulitzer Prize
BY the Assoeiotsd Press
INDIANAPOLIS May 2O.-Booth
Harrington, whose novels found a
place on the worlds bookshelves,
died last night in the indianapolis
home in which he had done much
Of his writing. He was rs years old
His death took another of the
small group of writer's and artists
who brought Indiana it's golden age
of letters shortly after the turn of
the century. One of his boyhood
friends was the Hoosier poet. James
Whitcomb Riley.
With those of Riley, Meredith
Nicholson, George Ade and George
Barr McCutcheon, his writings
brought Indiana prominent place
in the worlds literary circles. OF
the group, only Meredith Nicholson
is now alive.
At Mr.. Tarkingtons bedside when
he died were the authors wife,
Susannah: his secretary, Betty
TrOtter, and Mr. and Mrs. John T.
Jameson. Mr. Jameson is a nephew.
Output Prodigious.
Mr.. Tarkington's literary output
was prodigious, and the quality was
equal to the quantity. Two of his
novels brought him the Pulitzer
prize for literature-"The Magnifi-
cent Ambersons" in 1919 and Alice
Adams" three years later.
The American Institute of Arts
and Letters awarded him its gold
medal for distinguished fiction. pre-
viously given only to William Dean
HoWells and Edith Wharton He
had two honorary degrees, 20 years
apart, from Princeton, A. M. 1899
and Lit D. 1919. and the same doc
torate from De PauW 1923 and Co.
lumbia 1924
, His first successful novel, published
when he was 30, was The Gentle
man From Indiana" and Mr.. Tark
ington himself often was referred to
by this title in later years.
His Study Was Fortress"
! Mr. Harrington preferred to be
/ remembered for his mature novels,
but it was the tales of boyhood
which won him the greatest audi
ence. He wrote Seventeen. Willie
Baxter, Jr.." and Little Orvie," and
created his most remembered char
acter, Penrod, in the novel of that
name.
/ In his Indianapolis home his
study was his fortress. Eighteen
/ hours a day or more he worked.
Mrs. Harrington saw that no one
intruded Food was brought to her
husband, fruit was always at hand
and large pitcher of water. Mr.
Harrington would emerge from his
study for a short drive or walk and
return to his drawing board table
his pile of pencils and his yellow
manuscript paper.
The Turmoil" kept him thus en-
gagged for go days. but he found that
complete exile from his friends was
the only setting for effective work
These efforts finally cost Mr.
Harrington his eyesight In 1890
he became blind, after being
troubled with falling sight for years
An operation partially restored his
vision. but his stories were dicta ted
thereafter.
! Mr.. Harrington ventured into the
field of play writing on occasions.
His Monsieur Beaucaire" was
staged in 1901 ind he followed it
with a string Of hits. After the
production of Magnolia" in 1923.
he said he was through with the
theater. Critics had said he was a
novelist. not playwright But in
1881 he was back with Colonel
Satan" based on the life of Aaron
Burr.
Took Up Cause of Dogs.
From his Indianapolis home and
his summer residence at Kenne-
bunkport, Me. Mr. Harrington
watched the world pass by, never
| failing to inject his opinions on
issues which interested him.
Three years ago, he took time out
to lead the cause of the homeless
dogs which the city of indianapolis
sells at its pound for 81. In a letter
addressed to the City Council, he
wrote:
1T can be heaven on earth to be
81 dog. l can't believe that any
$l00 dog would be less valuable be-
cause there'd come to be a chance
for life and happiness in the exist
ence of 81 dsgs. The 81 dogs are
already in this world-as we our
selves are. Can't they even have 81
worth of a chance to live?"
Had Wide Range.
Few American authors touched
the Imagination of their readers, or
tickled their sense of humor more
than Mr.. darlington.
characters make their own plot,
all the plot there should be- he once
wrote struggling writer.
His own delineations pictured So
cial history With whimsy, benignity
and often iDny over such a versa =
tile scale at the hearts-and-swor
romanticism of Monsieur Beau
caire," the modern realism of Alice
| Adams" and the boyhood travails of
"Penrod."
Fame suddenly tapped Harrington
on the shoulder at the turn of the
century aftsr eight years of stony
indifference to his offerings. He
admitted the monetary benefit from
his first five years of effort was ex-
actly $3.50
THE Gentleman From Indiana,
in 1899, was not his first novel
Cherry" story of Princeton life