The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-04
GEORGE ALFRED TOWNSEND.
The Work Performed by the Famous Core
spOndent and the Money He Makes.

The Work Performed by the Famous Corre-
spondent and the Money He Makes.
Learder Richardson in Louisville Commercial.
George Alfred Townsend writes on the aver
age four columns of matter a day, and he gets
paid, as a general thing, at the rate of $50 per
column. To hear other correspondents talk
about him, you would think his work WASH
worth ten cents rean; but Townsend must ne
right and they must be wrong, or else he could
not command the place he holds and the prices
he receives Townsend's success is due mainly
to the systematic manner in which he
goes about his work be probably pos
sesses the most valuable and extensive set
of scrap books in the United States In the
room in which he does the bulk of his work he
has the walls lined with these volumes of per-
sonal information. Ever since he has been III
newspaper life he has cut out everything or
personal character out of the periodicals coming
TO his hand, and these slips he has pasted into
books which are subsequently indexed and ar
ranged in order. When Mr.. Townsend wants to
write anything about any man OF general i'm
portance, he merely hunts up the person s
name in his index, and the chances are
that he possesses o pretty clear record,
not only of the doings. but of most OF the
sayings of the man in question. He is thus en-.
abled to familiarize himself with the train of
thought followed by the different people OF
whom he writes and this is of great advantage
to him. Townsend looks up his material IN the
AFTERNOONS and evenings. Before he goes to bed he
maps out what he is to do next morning, ana the
first thing after breakfast he goes into his study
and dictates the letters for the day Leav-
ing his stenographers to write out their
notes, he runs through the morning
papers and then strolls out to the
haGnts of the busy politicians and other people
who have things to say which are worth hearing.
He moves about pretty much all the afternoon,
and far into the evening among the acquaint-
ances he has long established in this pursuit.
Practically, after ii o'clock in the forenoon,
| Townsend is man of leisure. He never takes
q note or jots memorandum Constant train
ing has made hismemory almost, indeliblc,
and when man says anything IN
his hsnring it is about as faithfully recol-
lected as though it had been taken down in
shorthand. Townsend is becoming rather pcrtly
in his personal appearance. He has round
and rather full face, broad through the jaw and
rather ford as to its complexion. small dark
mustache grows upon his upper lip. and is over
Swallowed by a strong nose. His eyes are
grey and his brow is projecting. Townsend's
hair is thick and brown, and he talks with
the decided manner of man whose range oil
information is wide and accurate. Townsends
income is very large have no doubt that il
exceeds $40, 600 year. He writes for a half
dozen papers, and, as have already said, he is
time in the midst of his duties to turn off an &C.
now anil then. Townsend owns the house in
which nhe lives, over in West Thirty fourth
streetaAnd l suppose it must have cost hiis,
somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 000 1t is
large. comfortable mansion, and il is con-
venient to TIE horse railways and elevated sta
tons that hs can reach almost any point in the
city within twenty minutes.