David Skaats Foster
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David Skaats Foster (January 26, 1852 – June 23, 1920) was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and merchant. One of his novels was adapted into The Road to London.
Foster was born in Utica, New York on January 26, 1852.[1][2] He was the son of Eliza P. Skaats and Thomas Foster.[1] His father "was prominent in railroad building", was a merchant, and was vice president of the Utica City National Bank.[1] Foster was educated in the common schools of Utica.[3] Foster was a linguist who could speak and read in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish.[3]
Career
Foster was the head of David S. Foster Sons & Company, a hardware firm in Syracuse, New York.[4] He was also a coal and iron merchant.[3]
He wrote poetry and novels.[4] Some of his best-known works were Casanova the Courier; Ellinor Fenton, an Andirondack Story; Mademoiselle of Cambrai; The Road to London; The Divided Medal; The Kidnapped Damozel; Flighty Arethusa; The Benevolent Bandits; Spanish Castles by the Rhine, and The Lady of Castle Queer.[4] He also wrote dective stories that were syndicated in American newspapers by the Irving Batcheler Syndicate.[4]
His book Rebecca the Witch: And Other Tales in Metre was adapted into the play, The Witch.[4] His 1914 novel, The Road to London, was adapted into a film in 1921.[5] He also wrote the play Wanted, A Wife which was produced with Roland Reed as the lead.[4]
