The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1946-08-14

September Il.
Herbert George Wells, English
man of letters, made science a
popular subject with the man in
the street, and, by breathing life
into the dry bones of history,
made of it "best-seller.
He and his work were known
OH both sides of the Atlantic.
Wells, Rudyard Kipling and
George Bernard Shaw were hail
ed as the 1big three" of modern
English literature and Wells was
the most versatile of the trio.
With fifty books to his credit,
he ran gamut of sociology, poll
teal economy, and romance, as
well as the widest flights of
fancy. He had a particular apti-
tude for working into the frame
work of his novels the latest
technical and scientific discover
les so as to advance his own
views on politics and sociology.
No task was too big for Wells
to tackle. Yet he was often wrong
in his estimate of the reception
his work would receive at the
hands of the public. He was sur
prised by the success which his
Outline of History attained. 1t
turned out a gold mine, was
translated into almost every lam
guage, and is still to be found on
bookstalls all over the world. In
one year it sold more than half
Ia million copies in America at
dollar a throw, and for a while
even outstripped the Bible as a
best -seller."
The Outline" was followed by
1.-THE Science of Life and '@The
Work, Wealth and Happiness of
Mankind The latter was a
monumental study of the present
situation Of mankind in 100000
words.
OF his novels, "Mr. Drifting
Sees 1t Through achieved the
greatest success in the United
States, earning its author about
100000. Here again Wells was
surprised by the popular taste.
In his opinion the less widely
read "Joan and Peter" was by
far the better piece of work.
Born In CrockerY Shop
From history and sociology he
turned with ease to the pro-
duction of gripping scientific ro-
mances. Among these his thine
Machine" was considered out
standing, although 'The Invisible
Man (Which was adapted for
the screen), 1.-THE First Man in
the Moon," and ''The War of the
Worlds" were highly praised. In
another book, "The War in the
Air" published in 1909, Wells
became a prophet and pictured
the role of the Zeppelins of the
world war with astonishing fidel-
ity.
The novels 'Kipps,' Love
and Mr.. Lewisham" and The
History of Mr.. Polly" showed yet
another side of his talent = the
portrayal of English lower mid
dle-class life.
Herbert George Wells was born
September 81, 1866, in a room
behind the China and crockery
shop kept by his parents at
Bromley in Kent. When. in 1927,
that old home was pulled down
to make way for building inn
provements, Wells declared that
he had given up hope of ever
becoming a world-famous figure.
His vision of pilgrims flockIng to
the little shop to see Wells relics
in the years to come, had been
ruthlessly swept away.
Wells father was gardener
who turned professional cricket
er before becoming shop keep
er. His mother was an lnnkeep-
er's dauhgter who was lin serv-
ice" as a lady's maid before her
marriage.
At the age of 10 Wells was APP
prentieed as Junior clerk to a
dry goods store at Windsor. lie
found the work irksome, and,
after an undignified fight with
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