Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-03
HE'S OLD, BUT YOUNG
Editor Dana a Sprightly In
tellectual Athlete at 73
Years of Age.
SIMPLE RULES OF LIFE.
Vacations and the Ability to Control
His Mind Account For
HIS GREAT CAPACITY FOB DOING.
Memories of His Poetic and Intellectual
Life at Brook Farm.
'cRAwFORp's PEN PICTURE OF THE MAN
HIS GREAT CAPACITY FOB DOING.
Memories of His Poetic and Intellectual
Life at Brook Farm.
'CRAWFoRp's PEN PICTURE OF THE MAN
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH, /,

has had over 90 years experience as a man
sger, writer, correspondent and editor. Al
though be is to-day in his 73d year, he is a
active in the pursuit of his pro- 6ssion as i
he had Just entered it He has the vigo
and energy of man in the earliest prim
OF life. Those who are fond of talking o
the strain and overwork found in activ,
journalism should take good look at Mr.
Dana as found him several mornings age
at his desk
The caricaturists who have made his face
hallway familiar to the public, nearly al
wavs represent Nh. Dana with short and
rotund figure and nearly always give his
shoulders a round turn. Mr.. Dana is very
tall, very straight, and while his figure is
well rounded, it is spare for his height
He IS fully 6 feet, and is as straight, not
withstanding his daily hours of desk work
for so years, as an officer in the regular
army. Indeed there are few veteran officers
:: the regular service who carry themselves
as well. And he does not look q day
over so.
Pen Picture of the Great Editor.
His hair, which is slightly thin on top,
cut short, is only now iron gray; his fore
head is high and full; his eyes are dark and
CLEAN with light of mingled shrewdness
and kindness through heavy gold-bowed
spectacleS His nose is large and straight;
the lower part of his face is hidden BY a
sweeping gray mustache and short beard.
His hands are long and muscular. He
works with quickness and an energy diff
cult to describe. As he talked with me
during nv first visit he read proofs almost
as if by magic; the long strips of paper
would run across the top of his desk as he
talked with an even rapidity as if they
were drawn from him by some invisible
piece of machinery. Mr. Dana was willing
10 talk upon almost any subject [ cared to
select If L would avail myself of his occa-
sional intervals of repose, as he was en-
gagged in the active transaction of his duties
Rs editor Few men who have arrived at
the financial success which he has made
would care to devote from five to six hours
day to their business He is the only one
rJf the prominent editors of the New York
newspapers who gives his daily personal
attention to the newspaper controlled by
Iois much to be learned BY study of
cter S2nd career. His perfect health,
Srong Physique and undimmed vitality
the end of FIFTY years prolonged labor
rely shopdd interest every one. Twenty
ears ago III. Ddua D0uguC q County place.
here he spends all of his time with the
exception of his midday work at tine office.
I am sure that if instead of going to his
country hou1eevery day, he should instead
have gone nearly every day to some uptown
club, he would not now be at his post of
duty. His rule of dropping his business
cares when he leaves his Office, and his
living in the country, account for a part of
his freshness.
His Ability to Control His Mind.
His philosophical temperament must also
contribute factor, but l am sure that one
OF the most important elements is his ability
aud capacity 10 turn his mind into other
fields than that of the actual uewpaper busi-
ness 1t is very evident from his methods
OF work, his habits OF study and the general
conduct OF his life, that he is not much of q
believer IN the possibilities of overwork, as
oyerwork is popuiarly understood. 1t is
evident that be finds that there is plenty of
time for many kinds of study, as well as for
doing nothing at all, which he does not by
any means cons der waste of time.
In nv first conversation with Mr.. Dana
went over a number of general subjects for
the, purpose Of finding what would best
pie ase him in the way of topics for discus
sic 4, but L soon found that nearly all were
q ite the same to him. He had none of the
politicians dread of expressing an opinion
uTon any of the so-called delicate topics of
the day. There was only one question which
! asked him which he declined to answer,
and that was whether he would support Mr..
Cleveland in the event of his being nomi-
mated at Chicago. To this he replied thatit
would be time enough to meet that situs-
tion when 1t was before him The talk at
first was about newspapers, naturally. I
submitted for his consideration an idea of
VT Stead, who is one of the most original
journalists In Europe, concerning the future
newspaper Mr.. Stead in a recent article
said that he believed that the time would
come when rich people would leave large
sums to particular newspapers for the pur-
pose of having certain reforms carried out,
or certain scientific investigations conducted
and exploited. Mr. Dana did not think that
the idea practical one. He said that
there would be no way of protecting be-
quest like that; there was nothing perma-
nent enough about the character of the man.
agemeBt of the newspaper. A newspaper
committed to certain views might suddenly
change hands, and so on.
His Ferocity ONLY Literary.
The outside public, who know him as a
C. tic, think of him as an austere, cold |
FLOODED, uncertain tempered man. The re-
verse of this is the truth. His temper is |
kindly; his manners those of philosoph- |
ical man of the world, whom nothing ordi- |
rarv annoys or ruffles. His ferocity is |
purely literary He has keen hatred of |
shans and of humbug. He has seen too |
much, travelled too much and lived too |
much to concern himself greatly about |
trifies
'Mr. Dana, will you kindly outline your
mental habits and the days routine?" /
asked.
mental habits? L don't know as have |
any l suppose must have, for every man |
has them. l never worked at home either |
nt night or morning; never study at home. |
1t is all done here and in the railroad trains. |
7 get down here, take the year through, |
sbout 10 or IL o'clock. The first thing do |
is TO read my letters; then read the news |
papers; cut out anything 1 want; then I |
read the proofs, read them all every day of /
the entire paper-not all with attention, but |
60 through them all 1 don't bother about /
work after get away in the afternoon.
stop usually from to $50 and after that
do not bother myself with it, unless they
send to me
''You have done great deal of outside
work Was that done at your ofice?"
"Ncver. L always had separate Office
for that. When was young fellow made
very laborlous collection of poetry; that
I made in MY home, and when we made the
American Encyclopedias there was a large
Office for that That was large enterprise
and large staff, but the ordinary things we
call work and study are done here
Home Is No Place to Work.
"And then at homer"
cat home? Nothing but get my dinner,