When Carl Sandburg was born in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1878, his parents named him Charles and recorded this name in the family Bible. During his early boyhood days, however, everybody called him Cully. Finally as a teenager he announced to the world that he wanted to be called Carl Sandburg, under which name he won fame and fortune as a poet and biographer.

  Cully's parents were hard-working immigrants from Sweden, eager to provide a good home for their children. His father was a blacksmith in a railroad shop, and his mother rented out rooms to earn extra money. Their earnings were so meager that Cully had to obtain odd jobs to help support the family. When he finished elementary school, he had to drop out and go to work.

  In many ways Cully was a typical boy of his time. He was exceedingly active, ever ready to carry on boyhood pranks. He especially liked to swim and play baseball, and once hoped to become a professional baseball player. Always, however, he found time to read and to study. Early he became fascinated with words and kept a special notebook of words which intrigued him.

  After Cully dropped out of school, he held a variety of jobs in Galesburg. A few years later he became discouraged and decided to travel west as a hobo. Before long, however, he became disgusted with this life and returned home in time to join the army to fight in the Spanish-American War.

  In 1899, now eager to obtain an education, he entered Lombard College in Galesburg, where he developed an intense interest in poetic literature. After he graduated he became a newspaper reporter. Soon he married Lillian Steichen, a school teacher, who shared his interest in literature and urged him to begin writing.

  During his lifetime, Sandburg published numerous volumes of poetry, several volumes of stories for children, and two colossal biographies of Abraham Lincoln. In recognition, he received two Pulitzer awards. He was a popular lecturer, noted for singing folk songs while thumbing a guitar.

  The author of this fascinating and authentic volume on Carl Sandburg is Grace Hathaway Melin, who has written three other popular volumes in the Childhood of Famous Americans Series. Besides being an author, Mrs. Melin has a long distinguished career as a teacher and newspaper reporter.

From the dust jacket