The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-13
dor howARp.s WAY.
How the Famous Correspondent Succeeds
in Keeping Young.

in Keeping Young.
Joe Howard, Jr, is remarkable
man. For good many years we have
thought SO. and year by year we be-
come more and more convinced OF it.
AS we figure it. Howard is now turned
of his sixtieth year; for period Of
thirty years he has been the foremost
correspondent in the United States;
his constituency is larger and his work
is better now than ever before, and at
this time. too. we find him, after thirty
years of conspicuous service, as full OF
fire. of enthusiasm and of mettle as he
was when, during the civil war time,
he was frisking hither and thither,
framing the most remarkable special
dispatches ever sent over the wire to
daily journal.
BY those who know Joe Howard he
is heartily beloved. for he is man of
cordial nature, of generous impulses
and of straightforward methods; by
those who are not personally ac-
quainted with him he is very gener-
ally misunderstood, as a writer of his
bold. energetic and slapdash style is
strangely enough) likely to be.
Howard is, to a degree. man of the
world, but without selfishness, with
out meanness and without deceit. He
has made mistakes-sOme serious ones
and he admits them and is sorry for
them; he has been very human, but,
with it all, very humane, and that
kind of humanity is admirable and low
able. We think very highly and very
much of Joe Howard, Jr.
The other evening we were asking
Howard how it was that he contrived
to keep so young. so vigorous and so
buoyant all these years, and he told us
it was all because he had kept on good
terms with himself
"A serious mistake that most men
make" said he, lis in not understand
ing, in not being frank with and in not
being good to themselves. The golden
rule is very lovely and | believe in it,
but | also believe that every man
should know himself and be good to
himself. | have tried to be good to
myself and honest with myself all my
life. Every night before 60 to bed
stand before my mirror and, arranging
the collar of my night-gown, or brush
inc my mustache. or rubbing my old
bald head with bay rum. look at my
self in the mirror and l say: 'Ah,
Joe. old boy, how are you feellngs
You're looking well-not very much
hair. old man--but you're looking fat
and happy. Have you had a good day
of it? Have you been good to your
self? Have you done any thing to be
sorry for?' Then, perhaps, l say in
answer to these questions: No. I've
been only fairly good to myself to-day
and I'm not as comfortable as l ought
to be- Then l say: Come. come,
Joe. old boy, don't get blue-don't feel
dispirited! Brace up and determine
to be more careful hereafter. Don't
let me hear you whining Or complain
only of the bright side of life, and get
up tomorrow fresh and strong for
more good things Or very often Joe
says to me: Yes. I've had a good
time to-day-Ive been good to myself
and feel like fighting cock Then
l say to Joe: That's right, old boy!
That's the way to feel and that's the
way to talk! Now. go to bed and sleep
soundly-no monkey business-good-
night. Joe, pleasant dreamsr Then !
shake hands with myself, turn out the
gas and jump into bed. and. heavens,
how | do sieep-as soundly and as
peacefully as a child! There's moth,
ing like it-there's nothing like being
good to oneself and being on good
terms with oneself Eugene Field,
in Chicago News.