Peter Clark MacFarlane

Peter Clark MacFarlane (March 8, 1871 – June 9, 1924) was a novelist in the United States.[1] The 1919 comedy film Molly of the Follies is based on his story "The Side-Show Girl". The 1924 film Tongues of Flame was adapted from his novel of the same name.

Peter Clark MacFarlane
Born(1871-03-08)March 8, 1871
St. Clair County, Missouri
DiedJune 9, 1924(1924-06-09) (aged 53)
San Francisco, California
OccupationNovelist

MacFarlane was born in Saint Clair County, Missouri on March 8, 1871.[2] His initial employment was as a railroad clerk.[2] He studied at Florida Agricultural College and then studied theology at a seminary in Berkeley, California, graduating in 1905.[2][3] He took a position as a pastor in Alameda, California and was a minister for seven years. He also served as Secretary of the Brotherhood of Disciples of Christ.[2][3] He left ministry to become an actor and lecturer.[3]

In 1912 he wrote a critique of then-governor and Democratic Party presidential candidate Woodrow Wilson.[4] In 1922 he was one of two speakers at a San Jose rally in support of Senator Johnson.[5] MacFarlane corresponded with Teddy Roosevelt.[6] Hiram Johnson considered MacFarlane among the best orators of his time.[7]

With a goal of improving his writing, he joined the United States military during World War 1, entering Germany with the Second army division, then transferring to the Seventy-Seventh for action at Vesle, and then serving with the Marines at St. Mihiel.[7][8] He spent 1921 and 1922 lecturing on the Chautauqua circuit.[2]

MacFarlane shot himself in the head at the San Francisco morgue on June 9, 1924, leaving a note discussing his incurable kidney disease and mental toil regarding self-expression.[2]

MacFarlane was frequently published in The American Magazine, Collier's, and the Saturday Evening Post where his articles on politics received significant attention.[7][8]

MacFarlane was married twice. His first marriage to Emma D. Garfield ended with her death in 1908.[2] He was married to his second wife Florence E. Judson at the time of his death.[2]

Bibliography
  • The Quest of the Yellow Pearl
  • The Centurion's Story[9]
  • Those Who Have Come Back
  • Tongues of Flame
  • The Crack in the Bell
  • Held to Answer
  • The Exploits of Bilge and Ma

References
  1. "MACFARLANE DIE BY HIS OWN HAND; Author and Playwright Shoots Himself in Front of San Francisco Morgue, LOST FIGHT WITH DISEASE Unable to Carry On Work, He Writes Physician Friend Who Treated Him". NY Times. The New York Times Company. 10 June 1924. p. 22. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  2. "Author Ends Vain Fight". Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. June 10, 1924. p. 4 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ""Man's Country": Peter Clark MacFarlane's Best Novel To Date". The Fresno Morning Republican. Fresno, California. February 18, 1923. p. 8C.
  4. MacFarlane, Peter Clark (1 November 1912). "Understanding Woodrow Wilson". The Metropolitan. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  5. "Hear Ptr Clark MacFarlane, Famous Author, 'And Charles McGee' at Final Johnson Rally Tonight at High School Auditorium". The Evening News. 78 (46). Associated and United Press Service. 24 August 1922. Retrieved 30 September 2020 – via Google News.
  6. "Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Peter Clark MacFarlane". Theodore Roosevelt Center. Dickinson University. 31 July 1912. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  7. "Peter Clark MacFarlane Will Be at the Phoenix Chautauqua". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. April 19, 1921. p. 6 – via newspapers.com.
  8. "Peter Clark MacFarlane Once Dug Ditches: Noted Author, Lecturer Visiting Here". Visalia Times-Delta. Visalia, California. May 21, 1921. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
  9. https://www.loc.gov/item/10014147/
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