The Portland daily press., 1881-03-09
Blaine as an Editor.
"reminiscences of the Statesman Journal
.-r ist.
To the Editor of the Press:

To the Editor Of the Press:
The political history of the new Secretary OF
State is well known to the American public,
and its smallest incidents are familiar to his
large following of party friends. Correspon-
dents have written much about his personal
habits and character and the veil has been
lifted as far as propriety would permit, from
his domestic life. But Of Mr.. Blaine as an ed
itor, very little has been said. All recognize
the results Of his labors as journalist, but the
working man, his temperament and method in
the performance of his editorial duties-is
known to comparatively few. Let US indulge
in few recollections of him at this period of
his life. Iuf
Mr.. Blaine's entrance upon journalism was
at Augusta-his wifes native place-in in 1853,
when he became editor and one of the proprie-
tors of the Kennebec Journal, the State paper.
Under his management the paper acquired
greater influence than it had possessed un-
der the lamented Severance. When Hon.
John M. Wood became sole proprietor of the
Portland Advertiser and Henry Carter had
vacated the editorial chair, Mr.. Blaine was in
duced to take the position and he retained his
connection with the paper until the autumn,
l think, of 1860. af-t7s .7 enel
When I returned to my alma mater, to bor-
row a college expression-after an absence OF
several years, found Mr.. Blaine the editor-in-
chief of the Advertiser, and for two years l
was placed in close relations with him. He
was the readiest and most versatile man / ever
saw in an editorial room. He never kept any
body waiting for him, and he was equally ex-
act in requiring that the printers should have
his copy in type and proofs ready at the time
appointed, and he always took care to allow
them plenty of time. The Advertiser was
published at that time in a block on the cor
ner of Middle and Market streets, on the site
now occupied by Messrs. Chadbourn & Ken
dali, but the printing office was in q building
down on Market street, and the two were CON
nected by gallery and passage way through
oroso to the uninitiated. Mr.. Blaine had fine
accommodations provided for him in the su-
perb library of the establishment, but he usu-
ally preferred to do his work up in the "den',
ten-foot room adjoining the composing room.
Here he was strongly ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS inter-
ference. Mr.. Blaine resided at Augusta all
the time of his connection with the Advertiser,
and it was his custom to 60 home on Friday
and return on Monday afternoon. He
sn% MSad dspsoh he directly Drnsrs to the ssv sn
light luncheon of crackers and cheese and
lemonade, or something of that sort; mean
time acquainting himself with the state of
affairs in the office. Luncheon despatched he
would grab a pile Of exchanges and 60 over
their contents with lightning rapidity, tossing
them loosely over his shoulder as fast as he
had exhausted them. Snip-snip-scratch
scratch-scissors and pen worked together for
dear life-scarcely word was spoken in that
little room for hours; and when the editor-in-
chief had finished his task q few directions
were given to his assistant, and with the re-
mark that he should return at such an hour in
the evening he would take his departure. Mr..
Blaine writes graceful, fluent hand, with
faxua dafi a,l rt..fa
ally read it readily, though sometimes q new
compositor would-remonstrate over it. Many
a time has he bounced into the den and flung
out the manuscript for the next days leader,
written on the crown of his hat on board the
cars. My! That was flowing hand then
too f1owing-it was a gushing hand-and the
compositors would frequently gush, also.
L often had occasion to wait on Mr.. Blaine
when he was at work in the library room, and
it was a common thing to find him surrounded
by from six to dozen visitors, talking upon
several different subjects, while the editors
pen travelled rapidly across the paper as il he
was oblivious of their presence. Suddenly he
would interpose q remark in one direction, cor
rect statement made in another discussion,
or help out the memory of third disputant;
and so on, taking part in all that was going
on around him, scarcely looking up from his
paper or arresting the motion Of his pen.
thought Of Napoleon debating to a score OF SEQ
| Mr.. Blaine's wonderful command of Ian
guage is almost proverbial, and nowhere is this
| gift more appreciated than in newspaper Of
! fice He seldom made alterations from copy"
| He seemed to fling his words down like light
| ming, and they struck right every time. He al
| ways, when in town, superintended the 'mak-
| ing Sp'' of the editorial page, and in this me-
chanical process he displayed rare faculty;
phrenologist would say that his 'organ Of size"
was extremely well developed. "There," he
would say to the foreman, "put this article at
the head Of the column, and follow it with
this, and then this" pointing to a third, "will
| Just fill OUT" and he rarely ever erred materi-
| ally. tA 9nl
M Blaine is one Of the most genial and best
tempered men was ever associated with. l
| cannot recall harsh or unkind word from
him during the two years I speak Of; to me
they were very pleasant years. He was equal
| ly affable to all in the establishment. Even
Reuben, the "devil," with his quiet humor,
would sometimes indulge in a joke with the
august head of the establishment and know
that all of the survivors of the old Portland
| Advertiser establishment of twenty-one years
| ago rejoice in tho elevation to high honors of
their former co-laborer, and wish him as thor
ough success as Cabinet Minister as he won
as journalist. Nj.