Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-11-29
GATH.
The Literary Newspaper Man.

hard at work debating a letter to one
OF his stenographers. The great cor
respondent had removed his coat and
was pacing up and down the spacious
library, delivering sentences in a clear,
loud, measured tone, pausing now and
then to spell difficult word, or to in
dictate the proper punctuation of a
clause. This work went on for nearly
two hours. The stenographer' hand
flew over the paper without rest, COW
ering page after page, with his curious
dots, curves and hooks Mr.. Town
send never hesitated and never seemed
at loss for good word. His active,
well drilled intellect ran far in advance
of the writer of shorthand most ac-
celebrated efforts. His graceful periods
were turned over in his mind several
minutes before he gave them to his as
sistant, and a memory, the retentive
faculties of which are marvellous, en-
abled him to pour into the work before
him sparkling stream of anecdote,
news, dialogue and Renaissance.
His mental resources, as he walked
rapidly to and fro with the glow and
excitement of composition Illuminating
his face, seemed ineXhaustible. He had
the force and expression of an orator,
but his chaste language was that of a
discriminating writer. Mr.. Townsend
was writing OF the telegraphers' strike,
and everything that he had read, heard
or knew of the company, the science or
the men identified with it, was sum-
moned into active being by his faithful
memory. The men had his sympathy,
hn
stances of the company's unfair treat
ment OF its employees.
The mans emotions were aroused,
but he repressed them with mastery
self-control, and no inclegant phrase
found its way into the letter under con-
sideratiOn.
In the evening another stenOgrapher
called, and Mr.. Townsend dictated to
him for an hour. Sometimes both of
his shorthand writer's appear at the
same hour and he performs the difficult
mental feat of writing two letters, each
on q different subject, at the same time.
Within the period of two hours Mr..
Townsend can dictate enough matter
TO stenographer to occupy him the
balance OF the day in making tran
script of it, in long hand.
Mr.. Townsend's correspondence is
large, and he is compelled to devote so
much time to study and mingling with
men, that he now writes very little in
his own hand. His letters are usually
sent by mail; occasionally he transmits
one over the wires.
The interval between the morning
and evening calls of the stenographers,
FIDN,-y,cn,,I l. L
the society Of public men, who may
have something to communicate, or
whose opinions Oh current topics are
Wor,h learning.
lie commands the respect of public
mea, and has made the acquaintance
Of every person of note, who has been
before the public, within the last seven
teen years.
He is an exponent of refined journal
ism, and men bring news and Informal
ton to him, knowing that it will not be
diverted to improper ends, and that
their condolences will not be abused.
He stands aloof from personal cOntro-
yersies and seldom makes bitter replies
to attacks on himself ''When | am
moved to say something severe, l gen.
orally take the bad mention to bed
with me and sleep on it," observed
Mr.. Townsend referring to this point.
''And in the morning, sober second
thought tells me that / have been wise
in saying no harsh thing. When | have
written an angry retort, though just
one, | generally regret it."
Mr.. Townsend has a genial, whole
some nature and is disposed to look at
things in their sunniest aspect. He is
an optimist if that term be so restricted
as to mean one who prefers to see good
rather than evil in persons and in their
deeds. He is in cheerful harmony with
the spirit of the age, and while he is
quick to discern and expose real pub
lie abuse, he is not looking for weak
spots in the government, and is OPP
posed by disposition, to the habituaI
fault-tinder. He is hopeful philoso-
pher with the great facts of history
stored accurately and conveniently in his
mind, and ready to foresee from them
something of the happenings of the fu-
ture. He is student of history and
mankind, and never grows weary of
observing the lights and shades of hui
man nature.
He has seen humanity in various as
poets, Tor he has had his own way to
make in life, and has lived, too, in the
most intense and brilliant epoch of the
worlds history.
Mr.. Townsend's father was a country
preacher in Delaware. The family
came originally from Maryland, where
Mr.. Townsend's ancestors have resided
since the sixteenth century. He was
bred on farm, but shortly after he had
entered his teens the family took up
their residence near Philadelphia, and
the future journalist was graduated
from the high school of that city in 1860.
He did some work for number of the
Philadelphia papers, but when the war
broke out he went into the field as a
correspondent of the New Y ork Herald.
In 1862 Mr.. Townsend went abroad to
study military history and war tactics.
He partially supported himself by lee
turing in England on American topics.
He was absent two, years. On his re-