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Papers of O. Henry (William Sydney Porter), Accession #6333-i, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.
The collection was purchased by the University of Virginia Library for the Clifton Waller Barrett Library of American Literature from James Cummins, New York, New York, on December 4, 2002.
This collection contains forty-eight short, holograph, early sketches, jokes, poems, and dialogues from Porter's time in Austin, Texas. 1894-1895, when he was producing copy for his humorous weekly The Rolling Stone , most of which he wrote, illustrated, and edited himself. The Rolling Stone was in publication for only a brief time of 56 weeks and 48 issues and Porter contributed heavily to it while also working full-time at the First National Bank of Austin. The typed descriptions with each piece were supplied by the dealer.
A religious poem, in pencil, about the denial of Christ by Peter at cockcrow, with "copy Miss Roach" written on the verso of the second page. 2 pp.
A comic poem, in ink, which makes the point that the man to whom a missing sailor owes money is best able to spot the returning ship. 3 pp.
Three comic dialogues in ink. 1 p.
A comic poem, in pencil, consisting of a play on words, with the initial letters of the first two lines missing. 1 p.
Three comic dialogues in ink. 1 p.
Two comic dialogues, in ink, with paragraph markings on the left side of the page. 1 p.
Two comic poems, in pencil, consisting of plays on words. 1 p.
Running gags about why women do what they do, in ink, with paragraph markings on the left side of the page. 2 pp.
Political humor, in ink, with paragraph markings on the left side of the page. 1 p.
Two comic dialogues in ink, with Porter's signature and Austin address in upper left corner. 1 p.
A comic dialogue consisting of a play on words about a boarding house meal and a comic poem about Adam and Eve and a "rib roast" both in ink. 1 p.
A comic poem, in ink, about a bride's jealousy over her husband's poetic ode to Spring. 3 pp.
A comic dialogue and poem in ink, both consisting of plays on words. 1 p.
A comic dialogue, in ink, about journalists and Mount Blanc. 1 p.
A comic dialogue, in pencil, in which Princess Scheherezade hesitated to relate tale number 288 as "too gross" with reference to Chauncey Depew. 2 pp.
A humorous political dialogue, in pencil, with paragraph markings on the left side of the page. 1 p.
A comic story, in ink, with paragraph markings on the left side of the page about being wooed in buggy and involving the reading of palms to foretell the future. 2 pp.
Two comic dialogues, in ink, with a note in pencil on the verso, "NY Journal, returned April 20." 1 p.
A comic story, in ink, with paragraph markings on the left side of the page, about a birth announcement involving a play on words. 2 pp.
A comic political story, in ink, about the silver and gold standard question. 1 p.
A comic memorandum, in pencil, consisting of current social and political humor. 2 pp.
A comic story, in ink, with paragraph markings on the left side of the page, concerning the wooing between a teacher and his student. 2 pp.
A comic story in, pencil, with paragraph markings on the left side of the page, about a newspaper business manager who dismisses the submission of mediocre poetry, not realizing it was the ad copy for a cold remedy. 3 pp.
A comic poem, in pencil, describing the beauty of his girlfriend in orthopedic terms. 1 p.
A poem, in pencil, consisting of a parable about a missed opportunity for love while waiting for "an ideal love," 1 p.
A poem, in ink, about the love of a flower for the maid who picked it. 3 pp.
A comic dialogue, in pencil, about preferring to duel rather than ask a lady's father for permission to marry, very similar to the dialogue on the same page as "A Literal Caution" described previously. 1 p.
Literal translations of eight comic dialogues, in pencil, with paragraph markings on the left side of the page, resulting in comical mangling of the language. 3 pp.