Omaha daily bee., 1896-06-19

Slightly At the cnds ana showing througu
the silver streaks traces Of a recent reddish
brown piercing brown eyes cleaning
above well set check boncs-a nose promi-'
ucnt. but not disproportioncd-n mouth
medium and equipped with an almost per-
feet set OF teotli-a small but expressive
china massive forehead and high temples
an expression firm and determined, yet
kindly and sympathetic. His dress, plain
and unobtrusiSe and almost caroless-black
outaway frook coat and vest-trousers OF
small dark stripo-plain white shirt. with
attached cuffs and turned-down collar-a
black shoestring bow that seems always to
have been tied In a ~hurry-heavy top boots
-high-crownol black derby. Until within a
rev years, Mr. Rosewatcr never carried a
watch. lie seldom wears gloves and has a
general dislike to presenting himself at
any place where the formality of special
uross is expected. He clings tenaciously
10 everything that Is old-fashioned and with
diticulty is persuaded to yield to the limo
Nattons OF most modern times. lie persists
III having his principal meal at midday, not
Wlthstandins the fact that his business
DesotS a most provoking irregularity. Al
Though his father was an inyetcrate smoker.
Mr.. RoSewater never touches tobacco In
any form. By no means a total abstaIner,
his indulgence in intoxicating liquors is
only occasional, infrcquently occasional at .
mat, and mover to excess. y free thinker
himself, he accords to every man the widest
latitude of religious freedom. While he has
required Of his own children attendance
upon Sabbath school and study OF the bible.
| do not believe he could tell what are the
religious Ideas of any one of them. so
broad is his conception OF religious tolcrn-
ton that he regards every intrusion OF
religion into politics or business as an in
Vaston of the constitutionally guaranteed
rights of man, to be resented, rcbuked and
resisted with every power at command.
In his office night and day, MI. Rosewater
spends comparatively little time at his
home, although of late years the attraction
or a little granddaughter there has caused
him to tarry longer at meal hours to enjoy
the pleasure of the child's company. AL
ways an early riser, he is in The Bee build
ing daily before S:30-in the summer still
earlier. The first hours of the morning are
devoted to the business office and such other
matters at present. BY 10 he has
found his way to the editorial rooms, where
he exercises personal supervision over every
branch of the work, and particularly over
the editorial page.
All OF his own contributions are written
for him at long hand from his dictation.
IN composing his editorials he Is most
scrupulously careful as to thought and
language. Every word used is weighed and
measured In order that it shall express lust
the shade OF meaning intended. Scarcely
two consecutive sentences appear in point
as originally written. The language is re-
~peatedly modified and rearranged, fresh
comment is inserted that did not at first
oNSbNSb iNSNii, AIN Ituutuly dllt lhS
article is nearly completed the entire matter
is recast, that the sequence may be more
logical and the conclusions more forcibly
A page of manuscript that does
not show alterations and corrections is a
rarity with such laborious and painstaking
effort are Mr.. Rosewater's editorials COM
posed. He Is imbued with the idea that
more is expected of his writing than Of
that of any other member of the staff and
that precision of expression is the all i'm
requirement.
He will say that he puts such minute care
upon his editorial writing only, but 1t Is
a fact that he pursues the same course,
perhaps not to the same degree,
with all his writing. The descriptive letters
and reminiscent sketches written while he
Is travelling away from home are products
Of similarly laborious work, l have known
him to spend an hour to an hour and a half
the headlines for some local
article in which he took peculiar interest, 3
his subordinate editors would be re-|
garded as slow II they needed fifteen minutes
for the task. On the other hand, Mr.. Rose-
has a quickness of grasp that exc
pedites his work in a wonderful manner,
and when, leaving things to the last
he is really pressed for time. he
manages in some uneXplainable way to have
his copy ready at the appointed minute.
It is possible and quite probable that were
he not interrupted while debating he would
be spared a great deal of time and labor,
out as he is regularly called away from his
lesk for a few moments at a time, or broken 49,
n upon for this, that or the other thing,
is literary work necessarily suffers.
Mr.. has frequently said
hat two-thirds of his time is consumed by
ther people, or in attending to the business
Il other people, and the statement is little
( at all exaggerated. His afternoons and
with the exception of the half
lour or so given to passing upon the matter
or the editorial page of The Bee. are as a
ule devoted to visitors who call to consult