New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-07
KIyG11KE on THE Work or AN EDIroR
From his nc,c colrpe on The CrimeG

From his rOtHhfc on me tfidf0
Deriving from nature large gifts ana by clcnm-
stance clothed with vast means OF acting upon inc
y0htions of mon and sometimes even ruIlhg even -
Dclonr AS NAV well be supposed. did not show the
real eagerncss of his nature in the weak, BUSTING
WAY of people TeckOncd for nothing, whose lline u
of scarce any worth; and inGeed he Ead tue out-
ward comrosure, the air oi power not Yet pm Ioin
that becomes IA strong mau Of acton; bnl ~ always
could be seen that his energies were Iathoi com,
pressed than lucd-that the furnace, u 50 one may
sneak lad it's fires banked mp IN tie daytime, yet
i,l vos avays aclow always ready to blaze into ac-
1ion an hour or two before midnight. When already
in his carriage and moving TO the scene OF ms ma
night labors KIND nature used 10 grant him som"
minutes of sleep, upon which, because giving fresh
strength, he used 10 set great value; Dut from the
moment of his entering the editors room until i
or o'clock IN the morning the strain he had To put
Oh his faculties must have been always great. ana
in stirring times almost prodiglons; for. although
of ccu Sc the great bulk of the manifold work re-
quircd for constructing a number OF me Times was
performed by subOId mates and although II rested
with OthcrS-pcrbaps might say with one other
to determine wnat-at least Tor - willie
should be the chosen poIicy OF the journal; ltS
editor had 10 execute the general design ana theSo
were the hours of night when often lie nai 10 de-
cIde-tO decide, oi course, with great SWii'neSS-
bet ween two or more courses of action m0ncu-
touSly different wheE, besides, he must Jnuge thc
appeals brong ht mp to tho paramount ardltcr from
all kinds OF men. from all sorts OF earthly tribunals
when dispatches OF moment, Wh'h leitRI,iiS
frauglt with grave tdngs, when notes hastily
scrlbDlcd in the Lords or the Commons. were from
time to time coming III To confirm or disturb per
haps even to annul-IOrmer rcckoniugs ard these
besides, were the hours whcn-on questions hrW}
oNtru1nE vet so closely. so import UuatelF present
that obey would have to be met before snnrl'e-le
somehow must cause to sprIng mp sudden essays III
yoctiyes and ar-unen,s winch Only strong
power of brain with even much toll could supply
In conversation, one day, a great lea"lng -irucie
writer convc cd idea OF his craft Dy using one 0i
those metaphors which III half a minute or less dd
at once ali the work OF long statements 10
write a leading article" he saId " may take only
from two hOuTS 10 TWO hours ana
hale but then all the rest Of your tine
y0u aIc crouchlng tiger wHtn9, wait
ing, to make your spring. 10 be i0Td OF theso
" crouchmg tigers and before O'Clock IN the
morning-saY winch would spGIng and AT whom
tins was one Of the midnight tasks deY0iVlng on
fine editor But only one out Of many. II nigh
organization aver.ed tO0-anXI0uS hurry, 1t could
nor dispense with the strain put on numbers OF men
VINO by concert much achieve great ana varied Ia
bors within fast narrowing space Oh hours ann
taaly, minutes. And, OF course aDOrs irauSnt Win
great consequences 10 numbers OF mOrtals coud
not 20 on uninterrupted by mOicoiatlOh from Will
ont Because Of some insStant below, great III
name or mighty IN earuoStncot, TIE Jdllltofo
charged to protect great editors tOoprecl0us mo-
ments would from time to time he lmpOItuned 70
take III a card with eager words written M PepciI
and amongst the mlSSlYtS thus pItSScu, thcIc
used to be now and then one winch could nor
be safely dcsplSed, nor even ndeeu WINSTON,
Which of any appeals such as these might
drive its way through all barriers, woula
depend upon the vigilance OF the outPosts ana
the discriminating sasaclty exercised ny an inner
line of sentres on guard but meanwhile comes
a tlmo when the editor sees lald before MN stnp
of newlyprntcd paper, and understands az Il
glance that one of the "crouching tigers mas now
made his spring; for what nc holds IN his fingers IS
a proof of tho leading article one perhaps OF
great moment-lOr which ne gave his bnci order
some three OF four hours before. For the delicate
task men awaiting HIM any other than be would re-
qure to be III Il state OF tranquility; would require
to have ample time. But for hin there are 10 such
indugenccs Whilst sezing the import and range
oil The new creation, and bringing it INTO smooth
harmony with his general desgn-nay, even INTO
conformity with his standard OF literary excellence
Z ham nj
more peremptory, aud the sine drawing nearer and
nearer when his paper mast. must be made up