The Myth of Ephraim Tutt: Arthur Train and His Great Literary Hoax

Introduction

Introduction May 23, 1945, was a gr ueling day for the infantrymen of the Seventh Division . As “wind and rain lashed at the[ir] camouĀaged bodies, ” they slowly advanced through mud and enemy fire to gain control of strategic hills on o kinawa Island, Japan. Servicemen stationed nearby reported trudging through a “stream of death,” as they faced some of the “fiercest fighting of the Pacific war.” In fact, the mixture of rain and blood that covered the ground was so deep that the “infantrymen almost swam through the red pools of liquefied earth,” and the mud below was so thick that it “seemed determined to pull off the shoes of the ploddingdoughboys.” Despite the challenging terrain and menacing attacks, by nightfall the Seventh Division added two more hills to the territory American forces controlled. The Seventh Division’s conquest was front-page news in the United States— with each victory, World War II seemed closer to an end.1 After the Seventh Division retired to their camp that night, it was not long before a familiar debate arose, transforming the otherwise united group into two competing factions. S ince they had already endured countless discussions on the topic, many of which grew rather heated, the unit decided that their disagreement had smoldered long enough. The following day, a sergeant, captain, and technician fifth grade (T/5)wrote a joint letter to Charles Scribner’s Sons, the publisher ofYankee Lawyer: The Auto- 2 / Introduction biography of Ephraim Tutt, in the hopes of securing an answer to the controversy that had long vexed their infantry division. “Dear sirs,” they began, “having read your published book, Yankee Lawyer . . . we have started a never ending discussion. The question raging back and forth is whether Ephraim Tutt is a real or a[n] imaginary character.” They explained: “We have read many magazine stories written by Arthur Train [about Ephraim Tutt] for the Saturday Evening Post which we have readily taken for fiction, however your published book has divided us into two camps as to the authenticity of the character .” o n the one hand, some of the men believed that EphraimTutt was not a real person, and his “autobiography” was just another story written by Arthur Train. Those on the other end of the debate were certain that the book could not possibly have been a work of fiction. Having reached an impasse, the men play fully reported, “At the moment we are fighting two battles, one with the Jap[anese] on o kinawa and the other among ourselv es about your particular book. We have no doubt as to the outcome of the argument with the Jap[anese] but are certainly up in the air about E phraim Tutt.” The men asked for clarification so that the matter would be settled and peace might be restored to the Seventh Division’s leisure hours. Considering the danger the men faced each day , it is rather surpris ing that one of their most pr essing concerns was to determine whether Ephraim Tutt was a real person. However, the significance of the book transcended the issue of whetherTutt existed; the principles thatTutt represented galvanized the men and renewed their sense of purpose in fighting the war. As the men of the Seventh Division remarked, “Real or imaginary , Ephraim is a hell of a lot better ideal and inspiration to fight for than blue berry pie and a chance to boo the Brooklyn Dodgers.”2 For a quarter of a century, Tutt had accompanied Americans through prosperous times as well as some of the most challenging ev ents in the nation ’s history. He provided entertainment during the lighthearted 1920s, he was a sour ce of comfort and hope to Ameri cans as they persev ered through the Great Depression, and, by the time World War II commenced, Tutt had attained the status of an Ameri can icon and was considered as historically significant as Uncle Sam and Paul Bunyan. By midcentury Introduction / 3 Tutt was so popular that he was on the radio and had a television program , books about him were on national best-seller lists, his “life” story was written into a script for the New york stage, and he was asked to endorse certain products. To his fans, however, Tutt was not a mere literary luminary but an old soul they had come to know over the years who felt...