The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-08


men who WELD greater influence upon their
country and their time than these whose
portraits hang where they serve as a con
slant inspiration to the correspondents Of
the press who frequent the lobby. Here
correspondents may sit writing their dis
patches with the eyes Of their editor in
chief looking down upon them.
Men Of Mark.
Fully one-third Of these great men Of the
press, these manipulators Of the greatest
of all modern engines, have had experience
rs Washington correspondents. Whitelaw
Reid. editor of the New York Tribune
used 20 be correspondent here of a Cincin-
natl paper. and later of the very paper Of
which he is now the editor He wrote let
tiers over the signature Of Agate which
attracted a great deal of attention, and
which in time attained a certain authority
a. representing the inside politics and
thoughts Of the capital. 1t is one of the
traditions Of the capital that Mr.. Reid
aimed first OF all in his work at trustworthi-
ness, reliability.
Charles A. Dana, distinguished author
OF the If You see il in The Sun it's so" Tor
was il the almost as distinguished publish
er. William NJ. Laffan, who originated this
famous and useful phrase), has his portrait
here Of course The gallery Of great jour
nalists would not be complete without Mr.
Dana's portrait 1t is modest picture, a
small photograph, hanging in a simple
frame Of black wood. But if you look
closely at il you will see that It is a re-
markable photograph, one Of the finest that
the art is capable of producing. There is
character in a photograph as well as in an
oil painting, and no one understands better
the use Of posing, of light and shade than
Mr.. Paul Dana, who ranks as one Of the
best amateur photographers in the country
and who made this piece with loving skill
and care. Perhaps the modest picture Of
Mr. Dana is more looked at and talked
about than any other in the gallery
The Dashing Pulitzer.
Not far away is the portrait Of Joseph
Pulitzer, who has had the most remarkable
career of all the journalists in the collec-
ton, and this is saying a good deal, for
there are brilliant, erratic, dashing adven-
turous men on these walls Ii is not so
many years since Mr.. Pulitzer was working
as a longshoreman in St. Louis, and work
ing beside colored men at that. He was
young, needy, strong and willing to earn
his living at any honorable employment
His rise from such humble station to the
position of wealth and influence which he
now occupies would make a fine topic for a
spread eagle American speech by one of the
demagogues who draw g, 900 a year on the
floor below. Mr.. Pulitzer was once a Wash
ington correspondent himself and, oddly
enough, was here as the representative Of
the New York Sun.
A Host OF stars.
Other editors whose faces adorn the col
lection, and who have at one time or an
other had experience as workers in the press
galleries Of the capitol, are William Penn
Nixon, who worked like hero to build up
the Chicago Inter Ocean, and to pull 1t
through the ills which infant journals are
heir to, only 20 see control Of the property
eventually pass into other but worthy
hands; Melville f. Stone, who was one 81
the founders Of the Chicago News, man
of wonderful energy and activity, who had
somewhat similar experience and who Is
now the manager Of the Associated Press;
his predecessor in this post, the veteran
William Henry Smith; the celebrated
Moses Handy, dubbed general since he was
promoter Of publicity and a good many
other things at the Worlds fair and who
is now about 70 take 10 the lecture field
and make another fortune for himself. Alu-
rat Halstead, the Field Marshal, brilliant
writer. splendid fellow, cranky but admira-
bic, who believes in a newspaper man
who Is strong enough TO be able 70 sit down
and interview himself out Of his general
store Of knowledge instead Of running after
some man with an accidental reputation
who doesn't know half 50 much-Halstead,
who seems to be the same yesterday, today
and forever, and who writes every day Will
pen (he abhOrs typewriter) as much as
some Woodworking men dictate; Colonel
Jones, formerly Of Florida and 81. Louis,
now editor Of the New York World. a man
who has force mixed with business, and
who gets along in the world all the time
just a. his enemies are predicting he is
about 70 stop; Grady, the eloquent, whose
voice and pen will sing and speak no more,
aad William ". Armstrong, formerly Of
the Cleveland Plain Dealer. who in a mo-
ment o. alteration from the true principles
Of the profession was prevailed upon 10 &C
cept a post0fioe.
OF the Old school.
What an interesting lot II men these
three dozen great editors arei And how
easy 10 would be- 10 write two pages instead
OF two columns about themi First in evezy
eye after the pnrtrait Of Mr. Dana j. that
al Joseph MaGill. the veteran II the Chr
oago Tribune. Mr. Medll g. about 90 but
Ftill able 20 do q first class days work. Tie
f. one Of The old fashioned sort 81 editors,
the sort that haQ their first education ia