The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-03-13
GEORGE ALFKED TOWNSEND.

Amenity among newspaper-me is so
rare thing that we cheerfully give
Mr.. Don Piatt's sketch of Mr.. George
Alfred Townsend the benefit of hear
ing: s.H
Ihave been, since my stay here on
duty as your correspondent, considera-
name is SO familiar to the readers OF
newspapers throughout the United
States. Ones first surprise on seeing
him Ia his youthful appearance. 1t is
difficult to realize that a man so young
should have such hold on the public
through his pen. The impression popu-
larly gathered from his writing is that
of a man whose convictions come of
experience and study. The conclusion,
| though natural, Is erroneous. We
grow doubtful and forgiving as we
grow older, and pride ourselves, after
| forty, facing our fiercest convictions OF
twenty. The next surprise is to find
80 little of the student and author in
Mr.. Townsend's appearance. Posses
sor of light hair, blue eyes, aqutline
nose, and our national chin, and carry
ing these we'll upon compact, healthy
| looking figure, he is the last in crowd
a stranger would select as the author
and student who lives among books
rather than men, and when you come
| to analyze his writings you lind they
correspond with his appearance. They
deal moro with the outer, active life OF
humanity, than the inner processes OF
thought that come of meditation and
study.
His great charm, aud the one that
makes him so popular, is in his powers
OF description. A great battle, fierce
debate. the pen-picture OF the outer
man, are what we dwell upon and re-
member in his writing. I do not wish
| to be understood as saying this Is all
Lying back OF and sustaining this is a
| fine mental structure that approaches
If it is not, genius.
! He lives within rifle shot of the Capt.
toll, and almost on my first visit the re-
constructed female of African descent
who took my card returned with an
invitation to walk up, and following
the lead OF his voice, l assembled as far
as the stairs went, and found myself in
a small attic room, filled with George
Alfred and no end OF books and papers,
| and a stove. This is his workshop,
and here he pens and throws out the
miraculous quantity of letters that
make him 80 famous over the country
among the readers of newspapers. And
his manner of work is curious. He
takes and reads laboriously and daily
husk of brain called the GLOBE. he
reads the daily papers. He listens to
everybody disposed to talk, and out Of
all this, through powerful memory
come the incidents and illustrations
that overwhelm his enemy.
No one can pursue such career as
this without raising up many enemies
He is young enough to regard them
with exasperating indifference. 1nevel
met with a more industrious, sober
and provident man, nor one having q
| wider circle OF prominent men 1ol
friends and associates than this gentle
man. And it would be impossible fol
Il sensitive mind to have a young love-
ly wife and a sweet little daughter
without being filled with an ambition
to give them an honorable name.
This gentleman has been to me moi
only a study, but has won upon my
liking, by what, I believe, to be his
honest efforts for the right. The mer
he attacks and the measures he disap-
proves 1 have observed are men anC
measures that had better be suppressed
for the good of the country.