The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-01-20
How Prominent Men Read.


"Do you know there is good
deal of character hown in the way
men read the papers ?" said we'll
known hotel clerk to the reporter.
"Of course, You don't see ii, any
more than an ordinary observer sees
character in the way men eat but
there is, nevertheless. | have seen
ali the prominent men in the coul-
try read the papers tune and again.
and not two in a thousand read
alike. My attention was first called
to the subject some years ago by
Horace Greeley, who was an omnl-
vorous readers of the papers. | have
been constant observer ever since.
Horace was the queerest reader you
ever saw. He would begin at the
first column and read every line
down to the advertisements. Ac-
cording us he read he would crum-
pie the paper up In his hands.
When he got through, the papers
would be rolled up In ball. Alter
he left the hotel III the morning to
90 down town 10 his office all the
papers would be strewn around the
floor like so many paper balls. 1t
used to amuse the guests OF the
house, and was the occasion of many
bottles of wine. Some folks said ii
was affectation, like Greeley's great
white coat; but.I never thought SO.
To me it indicated an unconscious,
sturdy character which looked
straight ahead for results. while pa; =
ing very little attention to details or
circumstances.
"Oh, yes General Grant also had
his peculiarities. He usually read
one paper through and through. He
would stop in the middle Of an edi-
torial and reflect. Grant was a slow
reader, but when he put down a pa
per he could tell you all the news
and discuss a question with great
discrimination He used TO say
that one paper was all he had time
TO read a day. Whatever was worth
reading in his estimation, was worth
digesting and remembering. People
VINO knew Grant will recollect what
AN exhaustive memory he had for
detail. He could relate every cir
cumstance connected with any I'M
portant event that occurred long
before the war. He used to say he
didn't remember all about the
war, but ne knew more than any
one else about the great events Ill
which he had personally figured.
There is no doubt whatever that
General Grants predominant char
acteristic displayed itself in his
manner of reading. He was slow,
patient and painstaking In every
thing, but when he once arrived a,
a conclusion there was no dislodg-
ing him.
Lincoln never cared for the news
Of the day-that is, he never cared
TO read it. He usually had his pri-
vate secretary tell him what was In
the papers. He would read editor
ials. through by the hour. When
he stopped at the hotel he would
read the editorials in every paper
the first thing in the morning He
used to say that mems views wert
all he cared about. 1t made no
difference about the details of how
a thing happened. Ifhe knew the
cause of it, and the bearing it would
have upon matters in general, that
was all he wanted to know.
General Mcclellan was just the
opposite. He cared more about the
circumstances of a good story than
about the result. If he knew that
a certain bill was passed or defeat
ed in Congress he would read all
about its career, and then form his
own Judgment. Mcclellan, of course,
respected the opinions of others, but
he always made it rule to be self
reliant in thought as weel as in ac-
ton. On certain occasion, few
years before the war, Mcclellan and
Greelv were both staying at the ho-
tel. They were fast friends. One
evening the conversation turned
upon the slavery question, and Mr.
Greely who was an ardent admirer
of Wendell Phillips, called General
McClellans attention to an attack
made against his character in lead
ing New York paper. 1t had griev-
ed Horace so that he almost shed
tears. Mcclellan burst into a hear
ty laugh and turning to Mr.. Greeley,
rather pointedly, asked him If be
hadn't experience enough to know
that it matters little what any news
paper said about man. Horace
was shocked at such an unexpected
remark, and couldn't be made to
believe that the General meant it.