George Fitch

David Rachels (Newberry College)
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During the lifetime of humorist George Fitch, some critics thought that he might take the place of Mark Twain in the hearts and libraries of American readers. Sadly, Fitch's promise was cut short when he died aged 38 from a ruptured appendix.

Fitch, a native of Galva, Illinois, began his career as a humorist in such newspapers as the Council Bluffs (Iowa) Daily Nonpareil and the Peoria (Illinois) Herald-Transcript. He broke into national magazines in 1907 when his “Megaphone” series, which satirised various American cities, began appearing in the Ladies' Home Journal. In 1908, his most popular stories, which were set at the fictitious Old Siwash College, began appearing in the Saturday Evening Post. He published prolifically in many other magazines as well, ranging from

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Citation: Rachels, David. "George Fitch". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 July 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1543, accessed 19 March 2024.]

1543 George Fitch 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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