Where did O Henry get his story ideas from?

William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862–June 5, 1910), who wrote under the pen name O. Henry, was an American short-story writer. O Henry got the plots of his stories from everywhere. He was once an apprentice pharmacist and knew the drug business; and he even worked for a time as a ranch foreman. He learned a great deal about life in those positions which gave him inspiration for his stories. Some of his stories were based on real-life events. For instance, "The Gift of the Magi" is said to be based on O Henry's own struggles during his first year of marriage. Other stories were inspired by literature. For example, "A Municipal Report" is a parody of the annual report of the chief of police. Many ideas probably just popped into his head.