The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-29
AN ACCOMPLISHED CRITIC.
How Mayo W. EazcItine Writes Review
for the New York Sun.
81

How Mayo W. Eazcltine Writes Review
! for the New York Sum.
Especial Correspondence.
! NEW YORK, April 4.-Probably the bes5
known writer of critiques connected viii
| the New York press is MIR. Mayo ". Hazel
tine. For some fifteen years he has fur
nished every Sunday page of reviews Of
the books that are deemed worthy of
specially careful criticism. His authorit,
is accepted by the best literary men O
! New York, and many of his reviews have
attracted attention from the a5lest lii
terateurs of Great Britain. But besides thi.
work Mr.. Hazeltine also writes for The
Sun the greater part of its editorials upoE
European politics, and his pen is in con
slant demand by publishers of weekly re
views and the magazines. He is therefore
very busy writer. Probably the weekly
average of matter which he turns out viii
exceed 1000 words, and in fertility he sur
passes probably any American writer un
less it be George Alfred Townsend and Ole
or two other correspondents
When the character of Mr. Hazeltine's
work is taken into consideration some ide8
of the amount of his labor is received i
is not all of the work Of reviewing simply
to write the critfGue-< A very thorough eX
animation of the book is necessary, and ii
is easy to distinguish between those re
views which are based upon a most cursory
glance Of the pages of a book and those
which result from an exhaustive readin2
of it. Moreover, to review great work
requires not only familiarity with other
literature of a like kind with the book, but
an examination OF the authorities, ana this
of itself takes great deal of time 1t is
comparatively easy to serve as a reviewer
for great monthiy or quarterly, like
Blackwood's or The North American Re
view, but when such work is to be per
formed so as to appear every week it en-
tails an amount Of consecutive labor which
IS little appreciated by those who enjoy II
the comfort of their libraries on SUNDAY
the articles which appear from Mr.. Hazel
tines pen.
Mr.. Hazeltine has been connected with
The Sun for nearly twenty years He is q
Massachusetts man, getting his early
training there and afterward spending sey
eral years in one of the English unversities
and also upon the Continent, where be
made thorough study not only of cor
temporary history but even of medieval
historical lore. The diplomacy of Europe
had singular fascination for him, and be
is esteemed by nnanyas probably the best
informed man in New York city upon thai
subject. When he came to The Sun his
writings attracted immediate attention.
and his personality was recognized by reg
son of the fact that the editor of The Sur
departed from journalistic custom in New
York, which then insisted upon imperson
oil r nd
his initials to some of his reviews. Aftei
a few years work of this sort some of tn,
most popular of his writings were collected
and published in book form.
Mr.. Hazeltine's manner of work may hc
of some interest. He very rarely goes to
The Sun Office, but does his writing in his
apartments on Thirty-fourth street For
some years he lived in a beautiful villa Oh
Staten Island, for his income from his
work enables him to live in luxury. He
begins work at 10 o'clock in the morning.
and from that hour until is not out OF
his library unless his work necessitates .
visit to the Aston library. After spending
some hours of careful reading. in which hc |
makes frequent notes referring to various |
he changes his manner OF |
work by studying the references and map |
ping out his line of treatment This NAV |
so on for two or three days, until he has |
the book at his fingers ends and his treat |
ment Of it thoroughly digested. Then he |
sits down with his stenographer and die |
tates, frequently remaining in his chair |
steadily for four or five hours.
Meanwhile he must furnish each day a, |
editorial upon European politics or some
subject akin thereto. The subject is |
usually suggested to bin, by the cable dis
patches from Europe, but very frequently |
Mr.. Dana, the editor of The Sun, indicates
to him an editorial article. Mr.. Hazeitine
has written some famous editorials for
The Sun. which being impersonal have not
been attributed to Kim. Only few days
ago double loaded editorial appeared at
.acking the British government and insist
ng that 1t had no friendship, but mott
ng but distrust, dislike of America and =
overt desire that American institutions |
should fail. The editorial attracted
great deal Of attention. Il was written by
dr. Hazeltlne. 1t almost e9ualed in in !
1oITance another famous editorial which
appeared in The Sun and which con
AIMED the famous epigran that General
hancock IS good man and weighs 20
pounds. the writer of that editorial was
' Bartlett. although the authorship of il
vas ge orally attributed TO nr. Dana him
elf, : Bartlett was a man of extras--
iinary ability, whose friendship for ",
Dana began in the tine Of the war. ant.
Who contributed frequently some Of the
most striking and sensational editorial u!
erances thar ever appeared in TIE san.
Mr.. HaZeislne Il one of The most delight
I'll OF hosts, and ne has so msuy friend
hat he has abundant opportunity 10 ar
ilar such cl,1rv1. - q conversation
is wcrSer-,- ---.ls- on Lis VI ar N.