Biography of Ring Lardner
...nt’s estate and developed great interests in music, drama, and baseball. When his family suffered a huge financial setback in 1901, he worked and was never successful at a variety of jobs in Niles and in nearby Chicago. One job that he did hold and found somewhat amusing, was that of a sole bookkeeper, bill collector, and meter inspector for the Niles Gas Company, which paid very little and a very discouraging experience. After leaving the gas company in 1905, Lardner wrote the lyrics and music for his first published work, “Zanzibar,” and shortly thereafter, began to work as a reporter for the South Bend, Indiana Times. He soon developed into a highly respectable sportswriter leaving South Bend and working for many Chicago newspapers. While he traveled with the White Sox and the Cubs, Lardner came to understand the humor, jokes, and concerns of the ballplayers, and at the same time, becoming their friend. H...