The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-10-18

X.
terviewed. If he is engaged when you
enter the room, an attendant will hand
your card to him, and when the mayor
has given attention to those entitled to
see him before you he will call out your
name. If an interviewer, you must be
ready with your questions, for the chief
magistrate of the city is quick In his an
swers and direct in his speech, and al
though ready to give you as much of his
time as you really need he has none to
waste while you are formulating your
queries. If you are slow at taking notes
and have good memory, you will do
we'll to dispense with the former and
depend on the latter; otherwise you will
become hopelessly entangled before you
are half way through with your talk.
If you desire to get the mayors views
at length on an important topic, take a
shorthand reporter with You unless YOU
are yourself master Of stenography, for
his flow of words is extraordinary. and
the sentences roll from his lips clean cut
and clear and without unnecessary
words, so that from longhand notes you
will be sure to make but an unsatisfac-
tory and imperfect report of what he
really says. When you have secured all
the information you desire, he bids you
cheerful, businesslike good day, with
an expressed Willingness to be of service
to you whenever you may again desire
to see him.
Genial Tom Reed.
Ex-Speaker Reed is quite as easy to in
terview as is Mayor Gilroy. He takes
you by the hand, smiles genially into
your face and asks you to be seated.
Then he talks at length and interestingly
upon whatever subject you have como
to see him about. But he is quite likely,
if you begin to take notes, to wave his
hand and say in his inimitable Yankee
accent:
Now, my dear fellow, have not been
talking for publication. ] am only tell
ing these things to you-not the public.
l must give deliberate thought to this
subject before l can talk about it for the
types"
1t is useless to press the matter after
Mr.. Reed has said this, for he is infiex-
ible, but You can always find some cur
rent topic upon which he will submit to
be interviewed, and upon which his opin-
ions will be Of interest to the reading
public. He is deliberate when he talks
to newspaper men, as indeed he is In his
conversation generally although when
he becomes thoroughly interested the
words tumble over each other, so impet-
uously do they come, but so perfect is
his enunciation that it is easier to follow
him than some other men when they are
III e
sees that he is going too fast for you he
will wait.
When you leave him, you are apt to
feel pretty well satisfied with yourself
and the world at large, for he is sure to
have pointed his remarks with half
dozen good stories-"n for publication"
which will have made you laugh until
your sides ache, and at parting he will
bid you farewell with an exquisite cour-
tesy rare to see.
Pleasant to Reporters.
Ex-Postmaster General James meets
you with u smile from behind the mar
BILE parapet in front of his desk at the
Lincoln National bank, of which he is
president, and grasps your hand warmly.
what can tell you about today, my
friend?" he asks. He listens intently to
your questions, and then he gives you all
the information at his command, and if
there are points regarding the subject in
hand upon which he cannot enlighten
you he tries to think of some one to
whom he may direct you for the missing
information. If ii happen that the per-
aon be- ao:io one in the bank, he will in
irodnc'' you IL him and ask that every
laclhiH pc given 10 you.
General ana Congressman Daniel e.
Sici'i"S :",'7h"r pleasant man to inter-
view. especially if yon wish to talk with
him concerning the civil war or the
brave me-! N.,o tool; part therein. He
Teams ii yoa bcnevolently as he leans
sn his crniches, and if tie subject be an
interesting one TO him wakes eloquentas
he talks and emphasizes what he SAYS
with forcible gestures. Isn't that so:"
ne will ask, with crutch uplifted, and
again, Now. what do you think of
that!"
If you are at his New York house OF
Fifth avenue, he is pretty certain to show
you some of the war relics with which