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James Jackson Montague (April 16, 1873 – December 16, 1941), often referred to as "Jim" or "Jimmy" Montague, was an American journalist, satirist, and poet. Renowned as a "versifier," Montague is best known for his column "More Truth Than Poetry," which was published in a wide number of newspapers for nearly 25 years.〔"(James Montague, Versifier, Is Dead )," ''New York Times'', December 17, 1941〕 Montague's journalism career began in 1896 at the ''Portland Oregonian'', where he started as a copy boy. He was soon promoted to reporter and eventually took over the column "Slings and Arrows."〔James J. Montague, collected papers, Ithaca, New York〕 In 1902 he was hired by William Randolph Hearst to work at the ''New York American'' and ''New York Evening Journal'', where he debuted "More Truth Than Poetry." Montague wrote the column six days a week, in addition to articles on topics such as politics, theater and sports.〔 In 1919 he moved to the ''New York World'', which described him as "the most widely circulated poet in the United States."〔" 'Jimmy' Montague, Aladdin of the Newspaper Poets," ''New York World'', June 15, 1919〕 Later in Montague's career, his whimsical pieces were often carried by the Bell Syndicate. ==Early life== James Jackson Montague was born in Mason City, Iowa on April 16, 1873, the sixth child and third son of John Vose Wood Montague and Martha Washington Jackson.〔 The couple lost their first daughter and son in early childhood; four children survived, including James, his brother Richard, and daughters Carrie and Jane.〔Richard C. Montague, correspondence, August 12, 2011〕 In Mason City the father worked as a cashier of the First National Bank until it began to lose money in the recession of 1887.〔 The family then moved to Portland, Oregon, where the father went into the insurance business. James J. Montague entered high school there, finishing in two years so he could go to work to help support the family. Consequently he never attended university, but he made up for his lack of formal education through a love of literature. In the memoir ''Memory Street'', his son Richard wrote: "He was an omnivorous reader, especially of the works of Shakespeare, Conrad, Mark Twain, O. Henry, Shelley, Keats, Coleridge, Byron () Burns"〔''Memory Street'', p. 7〕 Montague first worked at lumber mill and later a fish-freezing plant. When he heard there was an opening for an office boy at the ''Portland Oregonian'', he was sufficiently interested in becoming a journalist that he offered to initially work without pay. In 1896, at age 23, he was hired as a "cub" reporter at a salary of $10 a week. Soon after, the writer of an ''Oregonian'' column titled "Slings and Arrows" died, and Montague was offered the opportunity to take it over. His version of the column, which often included comic verse, was considered "an immediate success."〔''Memory Street'', p. 5〕 In 1898, at age 25, Montague married Helen L. Hageny of Portland, Oregon. Their first child, Richard, was born in 1900. Two years later Montague's writing attracted the attention of publisher William Randolph Hearst through ''New York Evening Journal'' cartoonist Homer Davenport, who had worked at the ''Oregonian'' before moving to New York in 1895.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Guide to the Davenport Family Papers 1848–1966 )〕 Through an agent, Hearst offered Montague a position in New York City but he declined, preferring to remain in Portland. Hearst was insistent, however, and the writer named what he thought was a prohibitive price, $60 a week — double his salary at the time — and was "flabbergasted" when it was accepted.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「James J. Montague」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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