Walt Mason was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. Orphaned at 15, he began an itinerant lifestyle that took him from Canada to New York and across the American midwest, working odd jobs. He eventually became a journalist, but his wanderlust and alcoholism hampered his career. William Allen White gave Mason a job at the Emporia (Kansas) Gazette, and he started writing light verse, both humorous and inspirational, which became very popular. Through syndication, "Uncle Walt" developed a national following, published several collections of his Rippling Rhymes, and became known as the best-paid poet in America.
From the description of Walt Mason poem for Horace M. Hill, circa 1910. (Pennsylvania State University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 67710347