E. W. Howe

Learn about Edgar Watson “E. W.” Howe (1853–1937), American novelist, journalist, and editor known for The Story of a Country Town, his magazine E.W. Howe’s Monthly, and his sharp wit. Explore his biography, writings, style, and lessons.

Introduction

Edgar Watson Howe, better known as E. W. Howe, was a prolific American novelist, newspaper and magazine editor, and essayist whose career straddled the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best remembered for The Story of a Country Town (1883) and for his periodical E. W. Howe’s Monthly (1911–1933). His writing combined realism, pessimism, moral reflection, and incisive commentary on everyday life.

Howe’s influence lies less in a single enduring novel and more in his role as a voice of introspection in small-town America, as a master of short aphorism, and as a prominent editor whose publications shaped public discourse in his era.

Early Life and Family

Edgar Watson Howe was born on May 3, 1853, in Wabash County, Indiana, in a locality known as Treaty.

When he was about three, the family moved to Missouri, settling in Harrison County.

In 1870, Howe took a job at the Nemaha Valley Journal in Falls City, Nebraska, marking the start of his journalism career. Clara Frank and moved back to Nebraska, where they would have five children—though tragically two (Bessie and Ned) died in infancy.

Howe and Clara divorced in 1901, and he never remarried. Mateel Howe Farnham later became a novelist.

Journalism, ing & Publishing Career

Howe’s professional life was inseparable from journalism and editorial work. Here are key milestones:

• At age 19, in 1873, he moved to Golden, Colorado, to help acquire and run the Golden Eagle newspaper (later renamed the Golden Globe).

• By end of 1873, he took over full control of the paper, and soon sold it and relocated to Falls City to continue his editorial career.

• In 1875, he merged the Little Globe with Nemaha Valley Journal to form the Globe-Journal.

• In 1877, he launched the Atchison Daily Globe in Atchison, Kansas, which he edited for 25 years until 1911.

• In 1911, Howe founded E. W. Howe’s Monthly, a magazine he edited and wrote until 1933.

Through his editorial voice, Howe gained a reputation for moral clarity, biting commentary, and concise, sometimes cynical reflection.

Literary Works & Genres

Novels

Howe’s most famous work is The Story of a Country Town (1883), which he initially printed privately after facing multiple rejections. Midwestern naturalistic fiction—depicting the struggles, small ambitions, and social constraints of a provincial community.

Other novels include The Mystery of the Locks (1885), A Moonlight Boy (1886), A Man Story (1887), An Ante-Mortem Statement (1891), The Confession of John Whitlock (1891), and The Anthology of Another Town (1920).

While those later novels had less enduring popular success, they reveal Howe’s recurring themes of human limitation, moral struggles, and community life.

Short Stories & Nonfiction

Howe also produced volumes of short stories and essay collections, including Dying Like a Gentleman and Other Short Stories (1926), The Covered Wagon and the West (1928), Her Fifth Marriage and Other Stories (1928), When a Woman Enjoys Herself and Other Tales of a Small Town (1928).

In nonfiction, he wrote travelogues (e.g. Daily Notes of a Trip Around the World, 1907; Travel Letters from New Zealand Australia and Africa, 1913), collections of editorial “country town sayings,” and autobiographical works like Plain People (1929).

His book Ventures in Common Sense (1919) is also known for its aphorisms and reflection on human nature—a volume that even H. L. Mencken wrote a foreword for.

Style, Themes & Philosophical Outlook

E. W. Howe’s literary voice is characterized by:

• Pessimistic realism: He often viewed human nature skeptically, portraying moral failures, hypocrisy, and the constraints of environment.

• Regional focus: His settings and characters are often midwestern small towns, with local color, social mores, and the tension between individual desire and communal expectation.

• Moral observation and wit: Howe sharpened his commentary with aphoristic statements, cynical humor, and incisive observation of ordinary behavior.

• Naturalism and limitation: Characters often struggle against social, financial, moral, or psychological constraints with limited capacity for transcendence.

• Economy of style: In his editorials and short essays, he favored crisp phrasing, distilled judgment, and minimal adornment.

While his fiction occasionally suffers from dated dialogue or melodramatic moments, critics recognize The Story of a Country Town as pioneering in depicting the darker undercurrents of small-town life.

Impact & Reputation

Though Howe is not as famous today as some contemporaries, his contributions include:

• Pioneering a strand of Midwestern realism / naturalism in American fiction.

• Influencing later writers who grapple with provincial life, social mores, and moral struggles in small towns

• Being a respected editorial voice: his magazine E. W. Howe’s Monthly attracted attention for its intelligence, frankness, and wit. Mencken and other contemporary literati praised it.

• Serving as a critique of American optimism—his skepticism toward progress, materialism, or facile idealism offers a counterbalance to more celebratory narratives of American life

In later life, he continued writing and traveling, maintaining his sharp voice until his death.

Famous Quotes

Here are several well-known quotes attributed to E. W. Howe:

• “The man who can keep a secret may be wise, but he is not half as wise as the man with no secrets to keep.”

• “The underdog often starts the fight, and occasionally the upper dog deserves to win.”

• “There is usually enough of everything on the table except cream.”

• “A man who does not fool himself seldom cares much about fooling others.”

• “Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing but nobody else does.”

These quotes reflect Howe’s wit, moral insight, and terseness.

Lessons from Howe’s Life & Work

1. Persevere despite rejection
   The Story of a Country Town was initially rejected by many publishers, so Howe published it himself. Its later reception validated his confidence.

2. Observe deeply the small and ordinary
   His greatest work derives strength from paying attention to the moral and emotional cracks in everyday life.

3. Marry journalism and literature
   Howe’s dual identity as editor and novelist allowed cross-pollination: editorial sharpness enriched his fiction voice, and narrative sensibility informed his essays.

4. Wit and moral clarity hold power
   Even in a modest magazine or a brief essay, Howe’s ability to state a moral truth plainly resonates.

5. Embrace intellectual honesty, even when critical
   His skepticism toward facile optimism or progressiveness invites readers to engage rather than accept platitudes.

Conclusion

Edgar Watson “E. W.” Howe (1853–1937) was a distinctive voice in American letters—part small-town chronicler, part moralist, part editor wit. While The Story of a Country Town remains his best-known novel, his broader legacy lies in his essays, magazine, and the trenchant moral consciousness he brought to midwestern life.