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Show CK l K (; K I 'ITCH, noted ! T writer, who died at lU-rkelev, Oil., utter under- j Roin :in operation for appen- dicitis. (" . H FAMOUS HUMORIST OIES IN BERKELEY George Fitch Succumb as Result of Operation for Appendicitis. By Interr.atior.al News Senrlee SAN FRANCISCO. Aug. 9. Georjo Fll-rh. rreator of "Slvvash college," and one of Uie country's most famous humorists, humor-ists, died at Berkeley tonight followlng aa operation for appendicitis. Filch was stricken on Friday while staying at the SliattucK hotel. He was removed to the Alia Bates sanatorium. where Dr. David Kadiien performed an operation Sun lay. . The news can'.e as a deep shock to George Aie and John T. McCMtcheon. ths cartoonist. who were clofie persons.1 friends of the "5age of Peoria." The humor'sts ha.1 come west together to see the exposition. Fitch spranc Into fame a few years ago with his stories of "Slwash college." Later he relinquished burlesque and wrote many remarkable pieces of humor. In which students were quick to discover something IJncolnesque. Fitch had drawn from the very eoll of Illinois some of the homely, kindly phlloeopsy which has come to be considered typically American. He was IS years old. Born In 1571, George Filch graduated from Kncx college, a quiet, denominational denomina-tional Institution, which later he bur-lesqued bur-lesqued In "Slwash." His life was spent whollv In newspaper offices as reporter, editorial writer and editor. In 1912 he was elected to the lower house of the Illinois legislature. Recently he was elected president of the American Press Humorists. Hu-morists. . . In his "Homeburg. as some or nls stories have characterized Peoria. Fitch was editor of the Herald-Transcript. In 1503 Fitch wrote "The Big Strike at Slwash." In 1911 came "At Good Old Slwash " Later "My Demon Motorboat" was written. Fitch was at his best, however In such whimsical writings as the "Remarkable Findings of the Peoria Board of Strategy." His short contributions contribu-tions to the weekly magazines of la.te years have been a notable Influence. |