Mr. Fuller has received many honors during his long, eventful life. One that he is especially proud of is the Distinguished Citizenship Award presented to him by the Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce on March 31, 1951, in recognition of his efficient service as a director of the organization. The award is signed by the Awards Committee: Harry Wilk, Dwight O. Nichols, Joe A. Morris, Paul Smart, Cecil Maberry and Richard Thompson.
At the end of the book, “Backwood’s Baron,” Mr. Beals says: “Oliver Wendell Holmes (Jr.) in a radio address on his ninetieth birthday, might well have been speaking of Claude Albert Fuller when he said:
‘The riders in a race do not stop short when they reach the goal. There is a little finishing canter before coming to a standstill. There is time to hear the kind voice of friends and to say to one’s self, ‘Thy work is done.’ But just as one says that, the answer comes: ‘The race is over, but the work never is done while the power to work remains.’ The canter that brings you to a standstill need not be only coming to rest. It cannot be, while you still live. For to live is to function. That is all there is in living.’”
XXXII
WRITERS AND ARTISTS’ MECCA
Eureka Springs probably has more writers than any other town of its size in the nation. Since World War II an astonishing number of books have been authored by residents of the “Stair-Step-Town.” Some of these writers have been producing novels, short stories, feature articles and poetry for a quarter of a century; others have appeared only recently on the literary horizon.
Vance Randolph, Ozark folklorist, is the author of fifteen major books and hundreds of pamphlets and feature articles. His books on the Ozarks, as listed in “Who’s Who in America,” are “The Ozarks: An American Survival of Primitive Society” (1931); “Ozark Mountain Folks” (1932); “From an Ozark Holler” (1933); “Ozark Outdoors” (1934); “The Camp on Wildcat Creek” (1934); “The Camp-Meeting Murders” (with Nancy Clemons) (1936); “An Ozark Anthology” (1940); “Ozark Folksongs” in four volumes (1946-50); “Ozark Superstitions” (1947); “We Always Lie to Strangers” (1951); “Who Blowed Up the Churchhouse” (1952); “Down in the Holler: A Gallery of Ozark Folk Speech” (1935).
Glenn Ward Dresbach is recognized as one of America’s leading poets. He has produced a number of books and contributed to leading national magazines for a number of years. His latest book: “Collected Poems, 1912-1948,” was published in 1950. Beverley Githens (Mrs. Glenn Ward Dresbach) writes both poetry and prose. Her “No Splendor Perishes” won the Dierkes Poetry award in 1946.
Major Frank L. Beals is author of “The Ancient Name” (1937); “Look Away Dixieland,” a novel (1937); The American Adventure Series of books (1941-45); “Boswell in Chicago” (1946); The Famous Story Series (1946-50); “Backwoods Baron” (1951).
Marge Lyon has produced four books on Arkansas and the Ozarks. They are: “Take to the Hills” (1942); “And the Green Grass Grows All Round” (1943); “Fresh from the Hills” (1945); “Hurrah for Arkansas” (1947). Her “And So to Bedlam” (1944) is set in Chicago. Mrs. Lyon has a column entitled “Marge of Sunrise Mountain Farm” in the Sunday Chicago Tribune.
Everett and Olga Webber, a husband and wife writer-team, have authored two novels: “Rampart Street” (1948) and “Bound Girl” (1949). “Rampart Street” sold more than a million copies in all editions. The Webbers contribute short stories to a number of magazines, including the Saturday Evening Post. We expect a new book from them soon.