“A Brilliant Genius” from the Thursday, June 16, 1910, issue of
the Watauga Democrat.
The death of “O. Henry,” whose real name was William Sidney
Porter, removes one of the most brilliant story writers in America. Only 45
years old, he had won fame as both story writer and playwright. He was born in
Greensboro, was a nephew of the late Treasurer J.M. Worth, showed talent as a
writer while a boy drug clerk in Greensboro, and spent several years in Texas
and in Mexico, where he was a cowboy and later newspaper reporter. He had the
genius to be able to convert his experiences into really interesting stories.
It was this gift that gave his first claim to fame. He preserved his identity,
and not even his relatives knew who “O. Henry” was until a few years ago.
Like most Tar Heels who win fame elsewhere, his heart turned
back to North Carolina. His second wife was a talented Buncombe writer and
their marriage was a romance. O. Henry planned to do his future work in North
Carolina—his native land—and looked forward to a long and happy career. His
countrymen believed he would win greater fame, which would add to the glory of
North Carolina.
His death in the midst of large usefulness is nothing short
of a calamity.—News and Observer
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