PORTER, William Sydney, American short-story writer, well known under the nom de-plume of •0. b. Greensboro, N. C., 1862; d. 5 June 1910. He received an academic education in Texas, in which State he spent some time on a cattle ranch before beginning his journalistic career as reporter on the Hous ton Post. Shortly afterward he purchased Brumes Iconoclast, which he converted into a 10-page fiction weekly, and for which he fur nished himself most of the copy. He renamed it the Rolling Stone, but soon abandoned the venture and undertook a journey to Cenral America. This trip was in after years of great use to him as a mine from which to draw some of his best tales. He set about raising bananas on a large scale and the venture proving un successful he returned to Texas and sought employment as a druggist's clerk. Soon after ward he removed to New Orleans and there his literary work began in earnest. His stories were sent all over the country, but he remained ir. comparative obscurity until his removal to New York in 1901. Within a few years he became one of the most popular short-story writers in America. His 'Heart of the West'
(1907) and 'Roads of Destiny' deal with West ern life as he knew it, and his 'Cabbages and Kings' deals with life and incidents in Central America. His fame, however, rests On his stories of New York life in its many phases, from the palatial mansion of the millionaire to the homeless wayfarer and tramp of the slums. His stories are marked by a freshness of style and by keen penetration and characterization, albeit deficient in psychological insight and abounding in slang. The short stories have appeared in the following collections: 'Cab bages and Kings' (1905) ; 'The Four Million' (1906) ; 'The Trimmed Lamp> (1907) ; 'The Gentle Grafter' (1908) ; 'The Voice of the City' (1908) ; 'Options> (1909); 'Whirligigs' (1910) ; 'The Two Women' (1910) ; 'Strictly Business' (1910) ; 'Sixes and Sevens' (1911) ; 'Rolling Stones' (1912). A complete edition of his works was published at Garden City (1912).