The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-10-19
Miscellany.


Pen Picture of Horace Greeley ON HIS
bripOd.
A subordinate editor of the New York
T, ibune contributes TO Pdckard's MonJhiy
the following sketch OF Horace Greeley, as he
appears when at his editorial labors Horace
is much-sketched man, but tie picture is so
characteristic OF the confirmed editor as a
specimen OF the genus homo, that we make
room for it
We walk through the little gate in the
counter. tuIn within the open doorway on
our let. climb a short, narrow FL, hit OF stairs,
and find ourselves in a small room ten BY
fifteen, furnished with green carpet, bed
lounge. an opea book ra:k, high desk, a
writing desk, three arm chairs, a shOrt-legged
table, a small marble SILK.
Mr.. Gieeey's back is toward u.s. He is
seated al his desk. His head is bent over his
writing. and his round shoulders are quite
prominent. He is scribbing rapidly. A qulre
OF 'ooiscap, occupying he only clear space on
his desk, is melting rapidly beneath his pen.
A glar &c at the manuscript reve Is two dozen |
knotty figures. You may be sure leader |
on The national debt io-morrow NOR. ling. The |
desk itself is heap OF confusion Here is
Mr. Greeley straw hat there is his hand-
kerch'ef. IN front OF him is peck OF news
paper clipp ngs, not neatly rolled up, but
rcKetty pain OF scissors catches hurried nap.
and at his right paste-pot and halI-broken
box OF walers appear to have had a rough-and- |
tumble fight. An odd-lookIng paper holder is |
Just read, to tumble on the floor. An old |
fashioned sand-box, looking like dlapdated |
hour glass, is halt-hiuden under a slashec copy
OF the New FORK World. Mr.. Greeley still
sticks to waters and sand, instead OF using
muciage and blotting- pa er. A small draw
er, hlled with postage stamps and bright steel |
pens, has crawled out on the desk. Packages |
OF folded missiles are tucked in the pigeon
holes wmking at us from the back OF the desk, |
and scores OF halt-opened letters, mixed with
seedy brown envelopes flop lazils about the Ia
bic. Old pap"rs innumerab gashed, and man
giei lie 'odt his chair, the debris OF a liter |
ar battlefield. A clean towel hangs on a rack |
to his right. bound copy OF TIE Tr bune |
almanac, from 1888 to 1865. swings from |
small chain fastened to stape screwed in |
the side OF his desk, two other bound volumes |
stand on their feet in front OF his hose, and |
two more OF the same kind are fast asleep on
the book-lack in the corner Stray numbers
OF the Almanac peep nom every nook. The
man who would carry OIL Greele s bound file
ofa;manacs would deserve capital punishment
The philosopher could better afiorl t. lose
one oil his legs than to lose his aimanacs. The
room is kept scrupulously clean and neat. A
waste paper basket SquatS between Mr.. Gree
|
and boshy communications f1utter to the
floor instead Of beng tossed into the basket.
Here is an iron garden rake wrapped up in
an Independent. There hangs a pair of
handouts once worn by old John Brown,
and sent Mr.. Greeley by an enthusiastic ad-
mirer OF both Horace and John. A cham
payne basket Fl ed with old scrap-books and
pamphlets, occupies one corner. A dirty bust
of Lincoln, halt hidden iD du ty piles of pa
f0 no on q of |
desk, A pile of election tables dirty ragged
and torn, clipped rom some unknown news
paper, look as If the, had halt mind to
jump down on the old Mans bald head
A certificate OF lite membership in some
Tract or Al clifton Society, and maps oil the
world, New York AID New Jersey hang on
the wall A rare geological specimen OF quartz
rock, weighing about ten pounds, is ready to
roll down high desk TO the floor on the first
alarm. DIRTY pamphlets are as plentiful as
cockroaches.
Pen, ink. paper, scissors, and envelopes are
in unlailine demand. The cry, "Mr. Greeley |
wants writing paper" creates.a commotion
in the cou. ting room, and Mr.. Greeley GETS
paper quicker than hungry fisherman could
skin an eel,
Mr.. Greeley can lay Virginia worm fences
in ink faster than any other editor in New
York city. He uses ountan-pen, present
from some friend. He thinks a great deal of
it, but during an experience OF three years
has failed to learn the simple principle of
suction without getting his mouth full OF ink,
and he generally uses it with an empty re-
ceiver. He makes a dash at the ink-bottle
every twenty seconds, places the third finger
and thumb OF his lief hand on his paper, and
scratches ava, at his wo m fence like one
possessed. He writes marvelousy fast. FIe-
quently the point of his pen Lrlcks through
his sheet. TOR he writes heavy hand, and
snap follows, spreading INK spots over the pa
per, resembling a wood cut portraying the
sparks lIOm blacksmith hammer. Blots like
mashed spiders or crushed huckleberries oc-
casionail, intervene, but the old veteran
dashes them with sand, leaving swearing
compCsitor to scratch Off the soil, and d., out |
the words undeIn cath.
Mr.. Greeleys manuscript, when seen for
the first time, resembles an intricate mass of
lunatic hierogb phics or the tracks of sp-
der suffering rom deLirium tremens But by
those accustomed to his writing, remarka-
BILE exactness is observed. The spelling,
punctuation, accented letters and capitalizing
are perfect. The old type-setters of the office |
prefer his manuscript above that Of any other |
editor, tor the simple reason that he writes |
his article as he wishes it to appear, and
rarely II ever, cuts or sldshes a proof sheet |
and this punctualitl is, in a great measure.
feature OF his lie. He is always on time, and |
never waits Tor anybOdy. He EMPLOYS no |
private secretary. and when he receives let |
ter, answers it on the instant. No matter
how trivial the request, the next outward |
bound mail will carry away one OF his auto
graphs, ii he thinks an answer necessary.
He knows we have entered his room vet |
he coLtinues his writing. The only sound we |
hear within the sanctum is the scrat, h of his |
pen. He has the power of concentrating all |
the strength OF his mind upon the subject |
OF MS editorial, and will pay no attention to /
any question. however important, until he |
finishes his sen ence. Ii the cry OF Fire 7, |
should resound through the building, Greeley
woul. finish his sentence ana ring his bell |
before he would leave his room. !, he sen. |
teLce complete. he places the forefinger of his |
right hand at the end oil the word last writ |
ten, seizes the handle of his pen in his teeth, |
and 'oks his tormentor lu'l in the face.
1t Is glance OF inquiry, and the question
er,intuively conscious OF this fac repeats his
interrogation. Mr.. Greeley divines the ques- |
ton before 1t is finished, and answers il pith- |
LILY and quickly. The pen is then snatched |
from his mouth. deyterousl. Dipped into his |
iDksand. and bis fingers again travel across
bis traverse sheet OF foolscap like a daddy |
long-iegs' caught in storm. If his question: |
e. is importunate, and insists on wasting his |
time, he continues bis writing, never looking
up and either answers absent mindedh. or
i'll low impatient tone, tInged with pecu-
liar boysh nervousness. 1t his visitor is still |
ungentlemanly enough to continue his /
teasing opportunities, storm breaks forth.
and the uncourteous person will trot out OF |
the sanctum with an answe. ringing in his |
ears that should bring afush to his cheek.
10 MT. Greeley time is more valuable than |
money or friendship. When busy. he is no |
respector OF persons. President or hod-ear-
riei, General or bootblack, cler Q, man or ex- /
press driver. authoress Or apple woman-a1I
are treated alike. Eminent men have ,a,t bic
room under the impression that thew baI
been deliberately sighted while Horace still
ela he'd away az has. imky pockets. 1otaIl. IN