Nebraska advertiser., 1868-12-03


A writerin PuckCdis Monthly gives
the following pen-and-ink portrait o.
one Of the most distinguished eolDon
as seen in his private room, preparing
arflb lee for the ~
Mr.. Greely's back wallis lsh
Il slated at bis desk. HIS hqaq q beni
over his writing, and his round snonl-
ders are quite prominent. he ls scrlD-
| bling rapidly. A quire q fo0lscap Oe-
| cupying the only clear space on his
desk, is melting beneath his pen. A
glance at the manuscript reveals two
dozen knOtty figures. You may be
sure OF q leader on the national debt
tO-morrOW morning. The desk ieel
lis q heap Of confusion. Here Is Mr..
/ Greelyis straw hat, there Is bis hand
kerchief. In front Of him il q peck Of
newspaper clippings, not neatly roll
ed up, but loosely spraWled over the
desk. At his left q rickety pair OF
SCISSORS catch a buried nap, Rndat hls
rieh9 a paste pot. and q half broken
box Of waters appear 70 have had 9
rOugh-and-tumble fight. An odd book
ing pa~per-hOlder is just ready to tum-
bel on the floor. An old fashioned
sand box, looking like q dilapidated
h~Our-glass, is half hidden under q
slashed copy Of the New York World.
IA. Greely still sticks 10 waters and
sand, instead of using muciIage and
blotting paper. A small drawer filled
with postage stamps and bright steel
pens, has crawled out on the desk.
Packages offolded missives are tucked
In the pigeon holes, Winking at US
from the back of the desk and scPres
Of half opened letters, mixed With
seedy brown envelopes, fer. lazily
about the table. Old papers hegashed
and mangled abOuthis chair, the deb
ris Of a literary battle field. A clean
towel hangs on q rack at his right. A
bound copy Of the Tribune Almanac,
from 1890 to 1888, swing from q small
chain fastened to astaple screwed into
the side Of his desk; two other bound
volumes on their feet IN front Of his
nose, and two more of the same kind,
are fast asleep on the book rack in the
corner. = = The rOOOm is kept
scrupulOusly clean and neat. A waste
paper basket squats between Mr.. Gree
leYis legs, but one-haf Ofthe torn en-
velOpes and boshy con1mnnicRtiOns
hutter to the foor, instead Of being
tossed into the basket. Pen,
ink, paper, scissors and envelops are
in unfailing demand. The cry, "Mr.
Greeley wants writing paper" creates
a cOmmOtion in the cOunting-rOOm,
and Mr.. Greeley gets paper quicker
than q hungry fisherman coRld skin
All eel.
Mr.. Greeley can lay Virginia worm
fences in ink faster than any other ed
itOr in New York city. He uses a
fountain-pen, a present from some
friend. He thinks q great deal of it
but, during an experience Of three
years, has failed to learn the simple
principle Of suction without getting
his mouth fun offnk, and he generally
uses it with an empty receiver. He
makes a dash at the ink-bOttle every
twenty seconds, places the third finger
and thumb Of his left hand on his pa
per, and scratches away at the worm
fence like one possessed. He writes
marvellOuslv fast FrequeuGy the
point Of his pen pricks through bis
sheet, for he writes aheayy hand, and
a snap follows, spreading inky spots
over the paper, resembling WoOd-cut
pOrtraying the sparks from a black
smiths hammer. Blots, like mashed
spiders or huckelberries occasionally
intervene; bat the old veteran dashes
them with sand, leaving a swearing
compOsitor TO scratch of@the soil, and
dig out the words underneath.