Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Alger, Horatio

ALGER, Horatio, Jr., author, b. in Revere, Mass., 13 Jan., 1834; d. in Natick, Mass., 18 July, 1899. He was graduated at Harvard, engaged in journalism and teaching, and in 1864 was ordained pastor over the Unitarian church in Brewster, Mass. Taking up his residence in New York in 1860, he became interested in the condition of the street boys, and this experience gave form to many of his later writings. He has published in book-form “Bertha's Christmas Vision” (Boston, 1855); “Nothing to Do; a Tilt at our Best Society,” a poem (1857); “Frank's Campaign, or What a Boy can do” (Boston, 1864); several series of books for the young; “Helen Ford,” a novel (1866); and a volume of poems. “Ragged Dick,” “Luck and Pluck,” and “Tattered Tom” are the most popular of his series for boys.