Walt Mason Letters and Manuscripts, 1912/1927

Containers:

Box 18, Folder 30-40

Extent:

11 folder(s)

Scope and content:

The Walt Mason materials include:

Folder 30: A signed short poem beginning "If days were always sunny" on the back of a postcard in color with a picture of Walt's home in Emporia, Kansas (undated)

Folder 31: A signed typewritten one page manuscript of the poem, "Bix" (undated)

Folder 32: Typed letter signed, 1 page, from Walt Mason to Will Owen Jones, "The State Journal" (1912 June 20) with envelope; Mason sent a check for the sum he thought he owed Jones, but admitted his life at the time prevented a very accurate accounting. He also admitted that "it was the most fortunate day of my life when I got next to W.A. White. He gave methe right sort of encouragement and got some ambition stirred up in me.Since the luck turned things have come my way with a rush."

Folder 33: Typed letter signed, 1 page, from Walt Mason to Will Owen Jones, "The State Journal" (1918 September 3) with envelope, Walt Mason described the positive impact of his article in "American Magazine" called "Down and Out at Forty-Five."

Folder 34: Signed autograph note on the back of a photograph postcard of Walt Mason's residence in La Jolla, California (1927 May 23)

Folder 35: Signed typed letter, 1 page, from Walt Mason to Will Owen Jones, with envelope (1927 June 7); He was pleased with the way his article appeared and he asked for five copies to be sent to him.

Folder 36: Signed typed letter, 1 page, from Walt Mason to an unidentified correspondent, but possibly Will Owen Jones (1927 July 8), in which he expressed his appreciation for the Anniversary number.

Folder 37: Signed postcard, La Jolla Cliffs, California, from Walt Mason to Will Owen Jones, "The Journal" Lincoln, Nebraska, informing him that he will be at La Jolla through the summer, at least (1920 May 10).

Folder 38: Signed (with initials), autograph letter, 2 pages, from Walt Mason to "Dear Friend" at the Lincoln "Journal" asking if he could send an occasional contribution as he has time for the people who look for his material in the publication (undated).

Folder 39: Printed photograph and autobiographical article, "Down and Out at Forty-five" by Walt Mason, with a brief printed note by William Allen White, titled "What Happened to Walt Mason" both in the same issue of "The American Magazine" (1918 September)

Folder 40: Newspaper clipping about Walt Mason (undated)

Biographical / historical:

Walt Mason (1862-1939), a popular humorist, was born in Columbus, Ontario, Canada, but came to the United States for newspaper work in 1880. He worked for "Atchison Globe," the "Nebraska State Journal," and the "Washington Evening News. In 1893, Mason married Ella Foss (1861-1936).

Later he was associated with William Allen White at the publication, "Emporia Gazette." He authored "Rhymes of the Range" and "Uncle Walt" and his columns "Rippling Rhymes" and "Poetic Philosophy" appeared in numerous newspapers.

From 1921 until their deaths, Walt and Ella Foss Mason lived in La Jolla, California.

Access and use