O. Henry was born William Sidney Porter on Septem, near Greensboro, North Caro-lina. He moved to Texas in He first settled in Cotulla, where he worked on a ranch as a sheep herder, before making his way to Austin in There he met Athol Estes Roach, with whom he shared an affinity for singing and playing music. They eloped in That same year, Porter got a job as a.