The Portland daily press., 1897-10-23
DANA IN HIS OFFICE.


The RecolIections of Former sun" Man.
Edward W. Townsend in New York
Journal.)
In the Sun office Mr.. Dana was always
spoken'of by the members of the staff as
''the chief" and that accurately descrines
his position there. I have often been
asked, ash suppose every man has who
has been on the Sun staff, to what ex-
tent Mr.. Dana personally directed the ed
itorial department of his paper, and that
as newspaper men understand the term
editorial department includes all the
work of getting out the paper, excepting
that alone in the business and mechani-
cal departments. The answer to that has
always been that he personally directed
all the editorial work, by an amount OF
supervision which in late years, in view
of his age AID the enormous amount of
hard work he did outside of the office,
was little less than phenomenal.
Mr.. Dana worked in his Office from 10
in the morning until in the afternoon,
going downstairs at 1 O'Clock for plain
the latter's private office.
Mr.. Mitchell, Mr.. Dana'a closest edi-
torial associate, has described, as printed
in the Journal yesterday, the severity,
the meagerness of the furnishing of "the
chiefs" own editorial Office. 1t was an
interesting place, however; especially
when Mr.. Dana was at work there. Wis.,
h iv,,o Of fo,, Il
er stopped his labors as he talked or
listened.
He had a marvellous facility for absorb
ing the contents of a magazine, a book,
paper, or a batch of copy, even while
talking to visitor, and he would go Wig
orously. at. such work when interrupted in
some other which might require closer
application.
I recall once, having occasion to go in
to his room, that while giving precise
and comprehensive instructions to me he
ran through half dozen magazines,
gathering from them as many ideas for
either Sunday article. an illustration,
Especial" a local inquiry or an edi-
torial, and sending out by messengers d.
rections to his staff for the elaboration Of
his ideas.
The amount of proof he read was an
other amazement l firmly believe that
ded for the Sunday supplements, the edi-
torial page. and even of the special arti-
cles intended for the daily His blue pen
Gil comments on the margin of such
proofs, intended only for the eye of the
writer. were vastly instructive, If not al
ways fiattering.
What has always made the Sun staff
personally devoted to their chief has
been the certainty that they would always
receive Justice tempered with mercy at
his hands. In this regard it is interest
ing to recall a tradition of the Sun office
that Mr. Dana never discharged a man
Not that he did not try; and that is a
story.
There are IA number of unwritten rules
in the Sun office regarding Mr.. Dana's
pet diversions to faulty or in elegant
writing. A slip on one of these rules
which by accident would pass the copy
reader, would cause the only exhibitions
of temper ever made by the ''chief." At
such times he would rush into the local
room with the paper containing the ctfen-
sive sentence in his hand and demand of
the managing editor: Mr.. Lord, who
wrote this?"
Mr.. Lord would inquire and inform
him that the delinquent was, let us say,
Mr.. Jones.
Discharge Mr.. Lones,'' Mr. Dana
would command, and retire I'D.
Enter Mr.. Jones, and to him Mr.. Lord ::
Mr.. Jones, you need not take an assign
ment today, but report for duty tomor-
row as usual" Then for MIR. Jones's
further enlightenment Mr.. Lord would
explain the case.
One of the men now highly respected in
the Sun office was thus discharged"
three times, and Mr.. Dana became very
familiar with his name, so that when,
for the fourth time he WAS told by the
grave and imperturbabIe Mr.. l. ,rd that
Mr.. Jones had written something the
"chief" had inquired about, MIR. Dana
said, with twinkle in his eye: "Well,
tell him this is very we'll written, very
well" Then after pause he added:
Your Judgment as to Jones has turned
out all right and Pm glad he is on the
paper still. But isn't it curious / can
never secure the discharge of Il man?'
He was more prone to praise than
blame. He would frequently go to Mr..
Kellogg. the city editor, and direct that
the writer of an indicated article should
be told that the editor complimented it.
There was penalty attached TO his
praise given in person. Once-if may
be nardoned a personal experienced had
proof returned to me with instruction
to elaborate a brief description l had
written of the dancing of the Sandwich
Island women. A few days after the ar
ticle was printed Mr.. Dana stopped at
my desk and complimented the work.
The instant he had disappeared and was
enoeavor1ng to conquer my bushes, every
reporter IN the Office had picked up his
nat, and twenty of them stood about me,
rather expectantly l thought.
We are waiting,' said one.
T