The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1890-12-20

Something About the Most Picturesque Fig
New York Herald.
Although on the road to seventy-two
with only eighteen more years of useful
ness before him, according to his own CON-
putation that man should not lose his
vigor under ninety, Mr.. Dana Is still very
active man in the Office of the Sun. True,
he takes long vacations, runs to Europe
nearly every summer-and j think no one
will deny that be has earned as long va
cations as he chooses to take-but he has
not yet found any one who quite fills his
place at the head of the Suns forces, and
it is cold day of the week when ne does not
get down to the Office on Park row to see
that enough matter is KILLED" to insure q
good paper.
His sanctum is q plain. uncarpeted room,
fore you get to il. He runs up them more
briskly than half of his reporters. On the
walls hang portraits of Abraham Lincoln,
the four Harper brothers, Count Johannes,
Horace Greeley reading the Tribune, and q
fine steel engraving of young girl rapt in
used fireplace-for the room Is heated by
steam--ls covered by brlc-a- brac gathered
from all parts of the world. Among these
are curious device in wood, half lizard,
half frog. which has evidently been used
for an idol ut one time; odd pieces of pot
terry. mostly grotesque; faded chrome of
the Emperor William and medallion bust
of Ben Butler. In the middle of the room
stands large office-desk: Upon one corner
is placed q revolving bookcase within easy
reach of the editors hand. The contents Of
this bookcase consists chiefly of works OF
reference. A copy Of the penal code stands
beside five volumes of botany.
There are two small tables in the editors
and the other stands beside q window
which overlooks City Hall Park and the
municipal buildings. Latterly, Mr.. Dana
has dropped into the habit of working
chiefly at the small table by the window.
From brass-headed nail driven into the
window-casing hang two coats, which show
good deal of wear at the elbows One of
these is heavy and intended for winter use,
and the other is worn in summer.
When MIR. Dana enters the room he takes
his seat in stout Oaken armchair, which
contains a well-wOrn cushion covered with
red leather. Judging from its appearance
this chair has seen long service, but, like
its owner, it is we'll preserved and capable
OF still longer service.
MIR. Dana opens the ball by opening and
reading the mornings mail. He is told
how the Sun ought to be run, what short
comings it has. how good it is. how bad il
is. He enjoys this rubbish very much be-
fore putting it in the waste basket. Some
try to teach them how to conduct their
own business, but Mr. Dana never. He
has too keen sense of kumor to do that.
Then, with the swift glance of the
changes-that is, the leading ones, to.
gether with the New York papers-and
long before you, my dear boy, have begun
to finish with the good things In your Her.
aid, reading them in the easy -going, un.
professional way, he is master Of the news
and the whole news, and he knows just
how the battle is raging, and what troops
to send to this point and to that-for words
are his army. and he marshals them like q
general in time Of battle.
When ready to fire he calls for his stenog.
rapher, and it isn't long before the creative
part of his work is done. You know what
the Dana editorial is-either profound and
scholarly in the extreme. with sentence
here aud there that lives in the mind lone
something epierammatic and witty. with
an edge on it that would make the fortune
of a barber. If he could put it on his razor
He does not touch the pen often, for which
relief the printers give many thanks. fol
his penmanship is as bad as Horace Gree.
ley's-but then genius always has weak
ness.
Sometimes Mr.. Dana goes away when hit
work 10 done. At other times he stays, and
then tell yon the letter-press of his paper
passes in review before a merciless critic
He slaughters matter without remorse, and
with no consideration of the printers bills
Dana was married in 1916, and the next
year ne became city editor OF the Tribune
at $40 a week. A year later he went Il
Europe, served nine months at an expense
of less than $500, and earned enough by biz
correspondence to pay all this and support
his family, and returned to become, first
Mr.. Greeley's principal assistant at $40 q
week, and in 1855 he received Mr.. Greeley
own salary as managing editor. Mr.. Dana
ia himself one of the most interesting char
acters connected with American journal
ism. He seems to have given mp ideall
for practicals. He has laid asid,
the felicities of Brook Farm and turned tt
the cold commerce of money. He has mad,
great success of the Sun. If you read it
as / do, daily, you will find there is n,
grsh, but a vast deal of ''go." Charle
Anderson Dana is sitting before me IL
Harper's Weekly as / write, with hi
scholars cap ON his head and his CROOKED
stick in his hand. There is no mallgnity il
the face; there is no care on that fine, broat
brow, no malice in those gray. laughin,
eyes. But there are resolution and conten {
He has won his fight. He is like his OLE
master. Greeley-a full master at last. HI
depends on no President for Office. He il
the slave of no creditor. The dreams o
youth are ended. The poetry of Brood
Farm has been iced into the prose of th,
New York Sun.
HERE'S A QUEER CASE.