The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-10-19

Cleveland the epithet of the stuffed
prophet he punctured the pachyder-
matOus covering of that statesman
where all else had failed. 1 have it
from eye witnesses that G. @. roared
and snorted more over the ignOminiouS
title than all else said or done against
him.
Mr. Dana has always been a prodig-
ious reader of the newspapers or ex-
changes. He has an abnormal capaci-
ty for getting the cream of paper at
one scoop, leaving the skinned pro-
duct to others for laborious cOnsunlp-
ton.
His favorite working place was at
one of the windows on the third floor
overlooking City Hall park He had
a sort of shelf or bracket fastened to
the window frame which served him
as desk. Here you could find him in
his working hours, a heap of "eX-
changes" by his side and one of them
in his hand undergoing the process of
being skinned alive A sweeping glance
at the printed page, spaSmod1c move
ment of the scissors hand, and 10! the
pearl of the oyster was rescued and the
shell lies in the heap of ''discards-"
Many gem has been rescued, many an
inspiration found for leader witty and
learned Many a poem worth read
ing from the pen of a poet hitherto
unknown was thus rescued from obllV-
ion.
Whatever it says is read in its own
columns or those of other newspapers,
by all the reading world.
How long this feature (Which is in
deed the distinctive feature of the SUM
will survive after Mr.. Dana's death, it
win be interesting to watch.
There was one thing that was mat
ter of pride with Dana-neVer to be CO.
creed or driven. BOWing gracefully to
the will of a majority was an accom-
pliShment he never seemed able to
learn No party ever enjoyed his aid
or company for any great length OF
time because the moment the party
lines began to draw, that moment Mr..
Dana baked.
In this the Sun, as newspaper. re
1ected his personality, just as it did in
so many other ways. For 80 years the
Sun has been almost continually in the
opposition.
The same quality was largely respon-
sible for the war between the two great
news gathering organizations, the Uni
ted Press and the Associated Press. At
any rate peace would beyond question
have been declared several years ago
but for the Suns persistent activity. 1t
had the losing side The United Press,
though it had at the outset the benefit
of the prestige lent by age and mem
bership of the leading papers of New
York, was not a match for its lofty
western rival, which abandoned the old
proprietary principle and made all its
members cooperative owners. One by
one the United Press papers dropped
away from it and joined the Associated
Press, but the Sun would not give in.
Press until it practically owned the
whole concern. And it kept fighting all
the time.
At last the Sun found itself nearly
alone in the United Press-it was simp-
ly supplying a Geographic news serv-
ice to a constantly decreasing number
of papers scattered over the country.
Nearly all of these papers were of the
second class in their sections, and the
Sun. as the practical owner of the Uni
ted Press was paying out a great deal
of cash and getting very little in re
turn.
1t was decided to let the United Press
go, and last spring that organization
went into bankruptcy.
But the Sun kept on fighting the As
ISOLATED Press just the same 1t has
established its own news service and
stands practically alone among all the
great newspapers of the world in this
respect. News matter that the other
papers syndicate to secure, the Sun gets
for itself by it's own cOrrespondents-it
comes high, but Dana never would have
lxnuckIed down to the Associated Press
if specials cost as much again. Now
that Dana is gone, there may perhaps,
be a change, but up to yesterday a
change was no more to be thought of
than that the Sun would cease to shine.