Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 February 1950 — Page 16

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PAGE 16

chased by Adams County conser- ¢,mauys, state. “Girl

“Freckles,” among other best wy, demanded perfection in her| selling books,

“North.” as Mrs. Porter called the

diana

of 1918 by Frank N. Wallace.

Fireplace in Limberlost Cabin, Geneva, mentioned in "The Haryester."

Appropriate Memorial to Indiana Novelist By CARL HENN INDIANA I8 PREPARING to honor (iene Stratton Porter | novelist and nature-study writer who died in 1924, with the kind of memorial she would have preferred above any other a bird sanctuary. 8 ta Plans are under way to establish near Geneva, Ind, a preserve for birds in memory of the woman who loved birds and who taught others to love them through her nature writings and photographs. The Indiana Department of with affection and admiration. Conservation - is surveying the “She was a wonderful person.” area to determine a site for the yo wajiace says. “Mrs. Porter sancthary, When chosen and , qed publicity and crowds approved, the land will be pur-iphoth pefore and after she became but she had a warm. vationists and donated to the na.gonafity.”

the - seven years she spent with the woman whom she remembers

» ” » 2 MRS. WALLACE described the Limberlost” and author as a strict disciplinarian

The Hoosier author who wrote) of the

already 18 Te own work and in the work of membered in two Indiana me: gthers but who was quick to! morials opéh to the public. praise when the work was well One {8 Limberlost Cabth in done. \ i Geneva, where Gene Stratton. “Mrs. Porter called her novels Porter first began to write na- ‘potboilers’" Mrs. Wallace says. ture studiés to accompany the “She could write them in a few photographs she took of birds. months, although she might plants, bees and other wildlife and spend seven years in accumulat sold to outdoor magazines, Ing the material for one of the . " “1imberlost Cabin nature books." The other 1s “Limberio The“ pothollera™ ‘more widely than nature books, however. A survey In 1934 by the Institute of

sold” much

wild the City hus

home on Sylvan Lake in flower Woods near Rome

where she moved with her

taken Arts

THE INDIANAPO

LIS TIMES -

the first half of the book .was written. The housekeeper at Limberlost cabin, an efficient woman ‘from London, had been called away, “|apd no other being available, Mrs. forced to stop book activities,and ‘Porter and 1 were : sometimes

the family. ; One day, when food was at its lowest ebb, Mrs, Porter decided to lay aside the manuscript of “The Harvester” long enough to fill. the refrigerator with all sorts of likable food-—food enough to

the cook could return. : Hunting up her favorite cookie recipe, Mrs. Porter filled the cookie jar, while 1 prepared a meat loaf and salad. She then sent Lawrence, the chauffeur and

spend time to replenish food for

give us freedom, we hoped, until

SUNDAY, FEB. 26, 1950

than 10 million copies of her who have “been led afield and books. “These fantastic figures do taught a larger appreciation of

not take into account the books God's great outdoors through in Spanish, Czechoslovakian, Dan- the fascinating work of Gene

ish-Norwegian; Dutch, German! Stratton Porter's pen—long ago“ and Arabic. dropped from her hand. A statistical survey . compiled Si m—s———————————

for Columbia University of best Pg sellers since 1875 reveals that

lack Shrine Circus among the first 20 listed are four of Mrs. Porter's books. The novels The Polack Shrine Circus will and numbers sold are™ Freckles,” open for its annual -engagement which was second on the entire jn the Murat Theater on Mar. 27, list, 2 million copies; “The Girl of gjated for a’ 10-day stand, through Limberlost,” 1.7 million, and Apr. 5. : : “Laddie,” 1.6 million copies.’ The circus will feature 21 acts, Mrs. Porter felt that in no other 3] new to Indianapolis, when it novel had she given to her inter- comes here direct from the Mested readers such a wealth of dinah Temple fn Chicago. nature lore as was recorded on Featured this year will be Rose the pages of “The Harvester.” Gould, aerialist, who was injured Upon finishing the first p#ragraph in a-fall three. days before her of Chapter 7, she called me to scheduled appearance here last

Booked at ‘Murat —

SUNDAY nsid ICE CUBE and carving carving busin Hans Viet whamming ax a chisel when around. A fai ‘showed on th “Somethin Ei “his 18 1 Hans. “I'm 1 eaten shrimp

No Shrim = #NQO. Neve dings I go to shrimp.” “Anyway, block: of ice Sometimes it’ never know.” There was man with a

ite Lovers of Adams Coury sponser | Secretary Recalls How F Wrote Best Sellers in Limberlost Cabin

By LORENE

Log stable behind Limberlost Cabin, Geneva, mentioned in another novel.

;

= ld Ca

iy fi -

med Hoosier

M. WALLACE ‘ sometimes take most of the morn-

“VALENTINE DAY wottld be an auspicious time to begin my ing.. This meant that no creative

new novel, don't you think so, Ic

sitting down at her desk before the

lost Cabin.

“The morning is glorious enough to

splendid,” 1 replied, raising the s of the sunlight in my corner. few hours later, the click of the typewriter ceased; pushing back her chair, for a few moments Mrs. Porter intently watched a nuthatch running head downward on a tree just outside the study win-

dow; then she turned and read td me “Bel, come here! The Har-

vester sat in the hollow worn in the hewed log stoop, by the feet of his father and mother and his own sturdier tread. and rested: his head against the casing of the cabin door when he gave the command. The tip of the dog's nose touched the gravel between his paws as he crouched flat, with his beautiful eves steadily watching his master, but he did not move.” But I thought vou told me ves

rene?” said Gene Stratton Porter, work on the novel could be done east library window of Limber- that day, as Mrs. Porter had an Tt : unalterable rule that only mornbegin most -anything ing hours were to¢be allotted to hade so as to get the full benefit this particular part of her literary work, Porter by an editor who wanted ” a magazine article with a human A ppPER-1ENECH. which-usuatiy Interest In it about ginseng grow- at the cabin came between 1 and ing in her part of the country. 5 ,cigek, Mrs. Porter would reMr. Porter had bought ginseng tive to her room

for years for a drugstore hela; ja54t complete relaxation. Latowned, and there were several |... in the day we always took our \persons he knew still gathering constitutional walk. The length Bus herb for market. But Mrs. of these walks depended largely | Porter, In her characteristic, upon the weather; but they were thorough manner, began inves-|,. er wholly omitted from the (ligating ancient and modern g,v., gohedule. If the weather medical works on this particu- proved too rainy, we put on our lar herb. As this research con-|wraps and took a brief but brisk tinued came “the idea of a man|walk on the front cabin. porch, who should grow herbs profes- which was spacious enough fo stonatty and of a sick girl healed gy many steps by them. So, from thi sie’ ’ . Hel he HO tr basi On our return from these walks,

was created

for a nap, or

Mrs. Porter looked over her mail Since “The Harvester” was the eighth book she had given to the reading world, the mail coming

Book-making days at Limberlost Cabin usually began in late October... Sometimes Mrs. Porter,

— added what festive touches time

“Garden,” so it was with the keen-

houseman, to the grocery for a her desk and read it aloud year. long list of emergency food. Next “Can you smell the woodsy Also in the line-up of featured morning found us back.in the li- odor, Lorene?” ' she smilingly acts will be the Loyal Repinsky

asked. . Bareback Riders, with nine peoWhen I answered “Yes’ I was ple and eight horses, and Otto speaking for the countless people Greibling's troupe of clowns,

“5-Pc. Chrome Sets |

are 30x60.

brary, busy on book work and happy in the thought of our family provision. But pur assurance was to last only a few hours. ” » » LATE that afternoon, F.- N' Doubleday of Doubleday Page & ('o., Mrs, Porter's publishers, telegraphed that if convenient, he and Mrs. Doubleday would arrive at Limberlost Cabin the following morning. Of course, -it would be convenient,- but just. how that could be arranged, we did not know. Again the manuscript was laid aside and after several frantic and futile attempts to locate a temporary cook, Mrs. Porter in her characteristic manner sald: “Well, we will manage the best we can with the help of Lawrence.” So Lawrence put the cabin-in-immaeculate order and we

Chairs have seats and Tables backs covered in

Duran Only

Heat resistant, Alcohol Proof,

Stain Proof.

allowed. Mrs. Doubleday, who wrote under the name of Neltje Blanchan, was the well-known author of “Bird Neighbors” and “Nature's

est delight Mrs, Porter awaited the coming of this mutually interested friend. When Mr. and Mr& Doubleday arrived at the cabin, they proved such wonderfully interesting, adaptable guests that the mere matter of food seemed to solve } ftself. Later that month Honore Wiltsie Morrow, author of the Lincoln historical novels, was a guest at the cabin, but by this time Mary had returned and the daily routhe cabin was running in ent manner, . ” ~ » IN A FEW WEEKS the manuscript of “The Harvester’ was ‘on its way to the publishing ‘house. During the time taken! for transforming the manuscript into galley proofs to be returned! to the cabin Mrs. Porter was always busy on cover design .and lining decorations for the new. book. This part of the work was one in which she took the keenest delight; she always regarded this period as the most beloved part of her book-making. : When work on galley proof was begun no other activity was allowed to intrude. During this time only the most urgent letters were answered, the others being

LCL: DINETTE CO.

Showroom—316 W. Washington St. ® Monday & Friday, 9 to 9 ® MA. 6905

DAYS ONLY! j=

n.-Tues.-Wed. ¢

ANGLE kK AYE Yr

"UNITED" RECONSTRUCTED

laid aside until the proof was sent Yrade wy eur. vid back to the publishing house to an [Electrolux ombe transformed into- page proof. ete nie Suastrucied Mrs. Porter felt when page-proof {tained experts, Model days arrived the most strenuous ernized jn 1950 with of book-making hours were over. | Hye oy oA eid PP Reading page proof is exactin o¥iiter. Puy your sexi

work; which must be done wit) x; the keenest professional eye pos-| sible, for this stage of the work marks-the final appearance of all proofs sent to the author. When the book was returned to Mrs. Porter it would be in its finished form, so it was always sort of an epoch-making time at Limberlost Cabin when the last consignment of page proof was mailed to the publishers.

s =m = “AUG, 1911, the birthday of

pert. ne today. 2 year written guarantee.

HOME TRIAL

But Hans onl throat. Little “Ever hav want it to bry Hang’ lau told me he times. Slips, accidents. Ha way to the b “Last wee One of my bo we were settj became very “What dic paper?’

lee form. “feel to ca such as Han

drawn the I final payoff o age is noed. = ond installme ——for-handy he der why the | schedule? The latest Apart from | offered a pre pains, plus -a concoction of Life costs or cheap charge age.

No Secrets

NICE TH man’s extinc dences, betra proach to a came from ur dispensed for uninhibited e What Life reasonably h: these thing: Machinery is gians have bs from our ind scheme, a go« valuable thai Life can is produced i of the Hanfo small fear of because the f the dope, al “located it for

terday- thatthe dog's name-was to be Abimalech,” said I in aston Ishment, since durir ; walk the previous day Mrs. Porter had

would have the suggestion of rhapter headings of her novel previously thought out and would Btart from this nucleus. Other

our

to Limberlost Cabin had assumed enormous proportions, She always insisted that anyone who was

sufficiently interested in what she its first glimpse of

Gene Stratton Porter, was the day on which the reading world had “The Har-

"Phone LI. 6503

Military Eng Life will, and tell you where U-235

band and daughter in 1913.

and Sciences, Columbia Univer

lace, now state entomologist for readers did not begin writing un

. ® = sity, revealed that four or ACCOMPANYING ‘the Porter Stratton Porters’ novels family in the move was Mrs, 2MONg the 20 most widely Porter's secretary, Miss Lorene fiction works of all time, Miller, who met and married at ” ” ] Sylvan Lake a young ento THE WOMAN who had at one mologist named Frank N. Wal time an estimated 50 mitljon

Gene were sold

Indiana AMre-Wattace-mow-Hves—in N. Capitol Ave. Prominentiy dispiayved in her home are pictures Mrs. Porter, all the author's books and other mememtoes ’ of

Park. School Plans Minstrel Show

Production Set for

State Fair Auditorium Park School students will present an old-fashioned minstrel show _in the Indiana University Auditorium at the State Fairgrounds at'8 p. m. Saturday. Entitled “Those Good Old Min-

QO) Nt

. strel Days,” the show will include 1

four numbers by the school chorus specialty numbers, well ‘as minstrel routines, . "James Beatty will be Mr. Interlocutor. Specialty numbers will be presented by the Colwell Trio Steve, Paul and Ralph) and by Allison Denny, Frank Snyder and Dick Travis. : Members of the stage crew include Howard Henderson, Thomas Kahn, Charles Kivett and Herb Wilson. Business manager is Sterling Bartlett, assisted by John I.anagan. Faculty advisors are

“Frank Carrico, John Neilson and {George ‘Holler,

Mrs. J. shire will be accompanist Members of the chorus include Sterling Bartlett, James BeatPaul Colwell, Alison Denny, Paul Denny, John F.asterline, Robert. Grimes, Eric Helmer, Kip Hine, Richard Holler, lames Hogshire, Kevin Johnston, L. Johnston; John Dewey Petty, Louis Ran

A. Hog

fey,

dle, John

Rigg, Gerald Slatin, Pat Sullivan, Hoosier. author will be rememRobert: Whyte, David, Williams bered in the songs of her beloved | and Herb Wilson. Lo

Steve Cojwell,

Lanagan;—Sfate Conservation

ITV ears after her marriage Her—draghter— now 3s Jean nette Meehan, 10s Angeles, (‘al was her first secretary Following publication a number of {llustrated magazine articles Mrs. Porter produced her first book, “The Song of the Cardinal.” She turned to fiction with her second book, “Freckles,” which by 1934 had soid more than 2 million copies. : She wrote 10 books in C 10 after she moved Lake, and three in—Catifornia where she moved in 1923. She. died Dec. 6,71924, of injuries suffered in an automobile accident in Los Angeles, Born on Hopewell farm near Wabash, Mrs. Porter all her life preferred the solitude of nature. | Her literary life grew naturally from her interest in the forests and marshes. It was because she wanted as many people as possiole to share her love of nature that she sugar-coated her work With fiction to make it sell.

eneva, to. Sylvan

-” ~ ~ THF PORTER family moved

from Gerfeva because the original’ Limberlost territory surrounding the small town was

ruined for her when the marshes were drained for cultivation and the discovery” of oil in that area drove out wild life. Both Indiana homes of Gené Stratton Porter are open to the public every day in the year, with caretakers in residence, A fee of 25 cents for adults and 10 cents tor children over eight, plus federal tax, is charged for those who wikh to visit, . The: cabin in Wildflower Woods surrounded. by 13 “acres of forest, in which Mrs. Porter, ‘as sisted by Frank ‘Wallace, set out 17,500 plants and shrubs of alr varieties. : : In -the near-future,

‘if present Department plans become realities. the noted

compapnions—the birds.

laughingly told me how she had hegun her new novel in the wee hours of that morning by naming the alt-important dog character Abimalech” "Bim" for shert. “And I, too, thought he was to called Abimalech, but after consulting the Bible last night 1 found that Bim was guilty of such

HHT A PPRIHg TTI Reet Upon.

polite society that I had to rename my dog, He is now Belshazzar and will be called Bel for common

usage.” \

wv " n THIS CONVERSATION took place on Valentine day years ago. It was on this day that Gene Stratton Porters-wrote the first chapter of her now widély read and beloved book, “The Harvester.” her new novel for 1911, Book-making. days at Limberlost Cabin were always the most

interesting pleasure to me; each!

book in turn, novel and nature, bringing its. own appealing work. But somehow the hours that Mrs. Porter and I spent together while working. on “The Harvester” have always stood out pre-eminently among the many treasured memories of this interesting and happy contact. Mrs. Porter often laughingly explained that it was the romantic calendar significance of “The Harvester” that had always endeared this particular book work to us. Following publication of “The Harvester,” letters came to Limberlost Cabin from all over the world, Letters from college professors, from the heads of big business concerns, from ministers, from working boys an girls, from soldiers in- the trenches, and even from men shut away from the world by prison bars. I recall one letter that Mrs. Porter’ especially prized was from a man serving a long’ sentence ‘in Sing Sing prison.’ This letter was a beautifully appreciative one, thanking Mrs. Porter for giving him a glimpse into God's great outdoors and for bringing to him the portrayal of a beautiful love of a man for a maid. This letter SO touched Mrs... Porter's sympathetic heart’ that always after-

ward she sent ‘this . imprisoned °f the. conservatory. The follow- was-so ‘well formulated in her,

man an autographed copy of each of her books as soon as they were published. .. - 5 Sa

< x 5m : THE IDEA of writing “The

(Harvester was suggested to Mrs.

’ b Fie

wrote to send her an appreciation or criticism of it was entitled to a courteous reply. Most of my a morning hours, while Mrs. Porter During the year “The Harves: was busy om her manuscript, were ter” was written, John Murray & given to her vast correspondence, Son, ‘publishers of London, an-'The greatest number of these letnounced a new Fnglish edition of ters had to be marked and anthree of Mrs. Porters books. Work swered and filed away in the li-conthe-Rnghish-editions-had-to-DerHrary drawers. Ea ee finished several months in ad-] vance; &o it was Valentine day before the new novel for 1911 was begun.

times, a blank page in the typewriter marked the beginning of a new-novel,

at ‘the cabin, Mrs. Porter always gave to the reading of the daily } . papers; and, if there were. time, . any - ’ i to a glance at her favorite magaAFTER 3 leisurely breakfast zines During book writing days, at Limberlost Cabin, followed bY her hours were so erowded that a discussion Keen day's routine more often the pleasure of maga“With the iouseXeeper, Mrs. Porter zine reading had to be postponed usually spent three or four hours yntil Sunday afternoon. of undisturbed writing—undis- } i turbed-—as nearly as I could man- : age it for her—on her new novel, AFTER. DINNER, in the eve“The Harvester.” . ning, as we sat around the huge Callers often came to the cabin !IVing room fireplace, Mrs. Porter door with dangling cocoons, un- Would frequently read aloud the usually constructed bird nests and Manuscript she had written that various kinds of nature freaks Morning, 8o, long before the life {that they wished Mrs. Porter to history of her book characters identify. Most of these. interested Was finished, they had become callers I could ask to return at real almost tangible people to her a later time; when Mrs. Porter husband, Charles D. Porter, and would be free to see them. But to me. when I found someone at the Mrs. Porter always said her cabin door with his hand cupped husband was one of her most exover the broken or injured body bréssive, if not her keenest of |of .a bird, I knew he was to be!critics. "If he did not like the asked in. wf manner in which the manuscript On hurrying to the door one was written, in no uncertain tone morning, after a most vigorous Mr. Porter would point out, what ringing of the bell, I found a mud- to him, was the unconvincing bespattered liftle fellow with his phase of character drawing, or grubby hands’ tightly holding a whatever might catch his. critical |most “forlorn looking object. On ear. {looking at it more closely, I dis-| Very frequently a war of words [covered it was a bird, but so|followed these criticisms, but both coated with crude oil and dust it parties of the heated argument appeared - lifeless. * 1 called Mrs, were always so sincere in their (Porter. She immediately left her wish to help and be helped that I desk, took the miserable creature always enjoyed being the intimate into the bathroom and, with a soft audience to these literary fire-

nu »

brush and a mild soap powder, works, : worked for more than. an hour ; "- trying to cleanse the bird's -0il-. TWELVE WEEKS after “The

soaked fedthers. When this was Harvester” was begun, the first accomplished, she took a medicine rough form was completed. dropper and gave the bird a drink Twelve weeks was the shortest and some food. She then rolled time in which Mrs. Porter had it inca warm flannel cloth and ever written any of her novels: tucked it away in a sunny corner but the. material for this book

{ing morning this bird eagerly took mind. before ‘she ‘began td write, imore ‘food, and, later that day, that she had beén able to accom-

|flew from the cabin door with so plish more speed than was- her

uch speed his going was merely usual habit. In spite, teo, that a

a flash, - a domestic problem of disturbihg Such interruptions as this would [proportions confronted her before 4 = fa ! > a BO Se : fon 5

re he

vester.,”. One million, six hun-

this cleavage

dred thousand copies of this book have been sold and “The Harves: ter” is now translated into both the Scandinavian and Arabic language. ‘At the time of Mrs. Porter's sudden and tragic death in 1924, her publi$hi#ra had sold mors

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their sleep, patched up, 2 was about. I wish T Wednesdayv | gentlemen e began. You “PYACHiceés KT Republican 3 enact into la few Republic: their dead be So on cale week, under chance of bei would gang u They used wt best one was

Wearing ¢ THE BEL fope through building and door, answer offices. Hare again before

be on their hard on feet and inflamed One of th © offered a bi moving sidev the flat, in | kept up thei in order to k« arguing abo right to-beco But those the antis fin on this last

The

Who orig " other planet. Copernicu from 1478-1 revolutionar; planets revo made