The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-02
OLD JOURNALIST DEAD
JOSEPH Il. LONG PASSES AWAY All
DEACoNEss HOSPITAL.
Formerly Worker on Indianapolis
Newspapers--An Interesting sketch
of His Career.

Joseph Theodore Long died last night at
$50 o'clock at the Protestant Deaconess's
Hospital. of apoplexy.
Nearly everybody in the city of Indian
apolis seems to have known Joe Long as he
was Familiarity called but few appear to
know anything about him. For many years
he was character about town. He fire.
quently was to be seen of late years in the
Dension Hotel lobby. and doctors row.
along Ohio street, was another of his IA
vorite haunts. No man ever loved to sit
down and talk more than he did He would
discourse by the hour. The word discourse
is the proper term. for Joe Longs talks
were not of the trivial. commonplace kind,
but rather of the sort that college profess
sor or one who takes pride In book knowl-
edge might give. He seemed to have COM
nand of all the knowledge under th4 sun,
and was very choice in his words. Rather
than use a term that did not express the
exact shade of his meaning he would often
pause in a middle of a sentence as II in
argument with himself as to which
of several words was the one he
wished to use. His friends called him
walking encyclopedia, and when any
one had an argument on scientific
or mathematic subjects they would carry
their dispute to Joe Long, who would settle
1t out of hand. Nothing so illustrates his
character as the fact that he disdained the
use Of the English language in keeping his
note books or diaries, whatever they were,
and almost the only effects which his land
lady now has to remember him by is set
or these books written in Greek.
- put, Notwithstanding all his learning, his
HE was largely a failure He not only left
no property behind him, but no loved ones
10 mourn his loss. Perhaps a few OF his
many aequaint >nces will drop a. tear for
lnemorys sake, but the great majority will
simply note his death and have only a mo-
mentary feeling of regret He was genial
man and everyone liked him that met him.
but 1t is doubtful if he had a single conf
Dental friend in the world. Hence 1t is diff
cult to gather much about his past hfe. and
only a glimpse here and there can be given.
He was born in Putnam county, on a
farm, hfty-seven years ago. His father
was Prussian and Joseph was the oldest
of six children, four boys and two girls.
one OF his brothers is dead another is liv-
ing In Missouri and the other is in EN-
poria. Kan His sisters live in Edinburg,
LII. His father made up his mind to give
Joseph fine education, and sent him to the
old Asbury University, now De Paw. AL
though he never graduated from that insti-
tuition, he became addicted to books His
mother died when he was thirteen years of
age, of the same disease that he at last
SuccumDed TO, apoplexy. The loss of his
mother was great blow to him, and he Is
said never to have recovered from it, While
III college, however, he experienced an at
fair of the heart which seems also to have
affected his life. He has often said in late
years that he made the greatest mistake of
the one ] wished he has said to some Of
his friends, but, then l do not think
could take care of a wife, anyway"
After leaving college he entered the ninety
days service in the civil war. and from that
time to this he has resided in Indianapolis
AT the close of the war he became an active
was known as one of the brightest young
men in the city; 1t was at this time that ha
became city editor of the Journal. Among
those who worked under him while he
served in this capacity was Cid Thomp-
son, of the News From the time he left
the Journal his life is largely unknown.
When his father died he was left very little
property, the other children getting the
bulk of the estate. His father had expended
so much in educating him that he con-
sidered Joseph as having already had his
share. but this division of the estate caused
the young man to become estranged from
his brothers and sisters. His father had
thought he had done his part in educating
him and IN turning, him loose upon the
world. But he was wholly without practical
knowledge. and oftentimes he was in sore
straits. once a government appointment
in Utah, but when he found he would have
to leave the city he would not take 1t. AM
other time he seems to have been engaged
as a revenue inspector. Terry Cullen, of
the Denison Hotel, remembers when he held
this position, for he then made his head
quarters in the Grand Hotel lobby. Several
times after being city editor of the Journal
he was re-employed on the paper, but only
for short periods
An instance OF is popularity of character
is shown by the reason which he gave for
throwing up his last position the Jour
nal. He was in very INDECENT circumstances
when he was made a. copyholder in the
proofroom with q salary of $l2 week. At
the end of two weeks he resigned, saying
that he was not given sufficient time at
midnight to eat his lunch. The time allotted
for the purpose was twenty minutes. For
the last few years he has canvaSsed for a
dictionary and wrote insurance He was
also often called upon to make TRANSACTIONS
He had no bad habits except that of stay
ing up the larger part of the night and
sleeping i'm the day. He believed thoroughly
in the necessity of eight hours sleep and
sgoOd food.
For the last four years he has lived with
Mrs. Emma Bergener No. SO West Vermont
street. He had told her once that If any
thing happened to him to notify his niece.
who is Mrs Charles Bridges, of Ash street
Mrs. Bridges has taken charge of the re-
mains and will bury them to-day at Stiles
vile, beside the grave of his mother.