critics, readers and
writers--were dining together. Discussion arose as to the respective and
comparative merits of contemporaneous popular writers. It was decided that
each man present should set down upon a slip of paper his first, second
and third choices in various specified but widely diversified fields of
literary endeavour, and that then the results should be compared. Admirers
of Cobb's work will derive a peculiar satisfaction from the outcome. It
was found that as a writer of humour he had won first place; that as an
all round reporter he had first place; that as a handler of local colour
in the qualified sense of a power of apt, swiftly-done, journalistic
description, he had first place. He also had first place as a writer of
horror yarns. He won second place as a writer of darkey stories. He tied
with Harry Leon Wilson for second place as a writer of light humorous
fiction, Tarkington being given first place in this category. As a teller
of anecdotes he won by acclamation over all contenders. Altogether his
name appeared on eight of the ten lists."

Cobb lives at Ossining, New York. He describes himself as lazy, but
convinces no one. He likes to go fishing. But he has never written any
fish stories.

BOOKS BY IRVIN S. COBB

BACK HOME
COBB'S ANATOMY
THE ESCAPE OF MR. TRIMM
COBB'S BILL OF FARE
ROUGHING IT DE LUXE
EUROPE REVISED
PATHS OF GLORY
OLD JUDGE PRIEST
FIBBLE, D.D.
SPEAKING OF OPERATIONS
LOCAL COLOR
SPEAKING OF PRUSSIANS
THOSE TIMES AND THESE
THE GLORY OF THE COMING
THE THUNDERS OF SILENCE
THE LIFE OF THE PARTY
FROM PLACE TO PLACE
"OH, WELL, YOU KNOW HOW WOMEN ARE!"
THE ABANDONED FARMERS
SUNDRY ACCOUNTS
A PLEA FOR OLD CAP COLLIER
ONE THIRD OFF
EATING IN TWO OR THREE LANGUAGES
J. POINDEXTER, COLORED
STICKFULS

Plays:
FUNABASHI
BUSYBODY
BACK HOME
SERGEANT BAGBY
GUILTY AS CHARGED
UNDER SENTENCE

SOURCES ON IRVIN S. COBB

Who's Who in America.

Who's Cobb and Why? Booklet published by GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY.
(Out of print).

Article by Robert H. Davis in the book section of THE NEW YORK HERALD
for April 23, 1922.

Robert H. Davis, 280 Broadway, New York.

CHAPTER XII

PLACES TO GO

=i=

The book by Thomas Burke called _More Limehouse Nights_ was published in
England under the title of _Whispering Windows_. At the time of its
publication, Mr. Burke wrote the following:

"The most disconcerting question that an author can be asked, and often is
asked, is: