The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-12-16
WHO MR.. HARVEY rs.
Chicago Post.

Chicago Post.
Col. G. b. NJ. Harvey's election to the
presidency of the publishing firm of Harper
& Brothers recalls the days when he was
a humble reporter on a Chicago morning
daily. interviewing distinguished guests at
hotels and burrowing for news tips" Few
of his contemporaries entertained the
thought that the slight reporter with a pair
of keen, searching eyes and a nasal down
East accent would one day be able to buy
up 100000 worth of shares in the Harper
concern, own the North American Review
and, by way of recreation, manage street.
car systems and reorganize the transporta-
ton facilities of havana, the Cuban cap
ital.
Many experiences of Colonel Harvey's ju-
venile reportorial career in this city are
coming to the surface now. Nearly all of
them display the characteristics Of a win
ner." When the late John Ballantyne,
then managing editor of the Morning
News. selected young Harvey to cover an
assignment 1t was with the assurance that
he would land his prize. In fact, he ex-
hlbited such ingenuity that he could i'm
prove upon the old saw Ito make two
blades of grass grow where but one grew
Defore by causing a blade to sprout where
there was nothing. This happy faculty was
Illustrated when he was assigned one day
to Interview one of the Frohmans, stop
ping at the Palmer House, on a theatrical
controversy which excited interest at the
time. With a flourish the young reporter
signed his card Representative of the
Morning News, and sent ii to the theatre
cal managers room. Somewhat discOn-
certed by the answer that Mr.. Frohman
could not be found, young Harvey returned
TO the Office and turned I'm an imaginary in
terVlew with every ear mark of being
genuine. When Frohman was accosted the
following day and confronted by the inter
view, he stared, an expression of anger on
MS race gave way TO one Of amusement,
and he finally looked up with the words:
les mats what l said. What do you
want to know about it?"
Honors have been showered upon Colonel
Harvey thick and fast since his newspaper
work In this city. He enjoyed, however, no
other advantages beyond his own grit and
tunity. Probably his birth had something
to do with his phenomenal success, as he is
a native o., Vermont and claims descent
from a haruy family of Scots. His pencil
ant for newspaper work manifested itself
as soon as he graduated from the Gale
donia county grammar school at the age Of
hfteen and began to surprise the editor of
the local newspapers with scoops and a
vivid style of description. AT the age of
eighteen he obtained a staff position on the
springfield Republican, where he remained
49, yNOAe oh0 ACPoi ulHuSCIl " Tic
broader field of metropolitan journalism.
With becoming modesty he applied for a
Job on a local morning paper. The man
aging editor was q good Judge of men and
accepted him. The selection was a good
one. for young Harvey displayed the mys-
ferrous sixth sense for news and had
likewise an effective manner of relating his
stories which made him an object of envy
on the staff and brought him into close
contact with the late Eugene Field.
Chicago in turn became too small for the
4 Nn rim n0rinnfinna rhf0h D,,1 II.-xv@,,
cherished. After a year in this city he next
bobbed up as a reporter on the New York
World. There was just the fafnteSt sug-
gestiOn of approaching maturity upon Har-
vey's upper lip when at the age of twenty
one he pinned the New York World star
on his breast. He survived the bi-monthy
"shake-ups' which made the World a
source of terror to newspaper men.
After one of these chaotic seasons young
Harvey found himself seated in the chair
of the managing editor, although only
twenty-six years old. After a time there
came another inevitable 'shake-up" and G..
B. NJ. Harvey, with the prefix IN. E."
gracefully coaSted out of a back window.
Then he was submerged for a time In the
whirlpool of metropolitan life. But in 1893
he came to the surface serenely as a pro-
tege of VIM. c. Whitney, the great finan-
cier and member of Cleveland's first Cab
met.
That was the start of a meteoric career.
Whitney allowed the young man to dip into
some of his business enterprises. He tried
his hand In constructing the electrical rail-
way on Staten island and the Atlantic
Coast Electric Railroad in Long Branch
and Asbury Park. He soon became pres
ident of several street-railway companies,
treasurer of the Staten Island Ferry Com
pany and of the General American Reduc-
ton Company and vice president of the Ma
tional Salt Company.
His genius for organization and for car
rying through a business project with the
same tenacious will which made him a sue
cessful newspaper man was a subject of
discussion. He then blossomed out at the
head of the Harvey syndicate and bought
the street ilwa of Havana last year.
Other properties in Cuba were also pur-
chased and developed. While a resident of
New Jersey he was appointed the first COM
missioner of banking and insurance by
Governor Albeit for a period of three
years, hut resigned at the end of a few
months in order to give his entire time to
his editorial work.
When he resigned from the World he was
offered the position of consul general to
Berlin by President Cleveland, but deemed
ii unwise to leave the United States. He is
vice president of and the largest stockhold-
er in the Monmouth Trust and Safe De-
post Company of Asbury Park, n. j., and
of the Lakewood Trust Company of Lake
wood, and a director of the Audit Company
of New York and of the Mechanics and
Traders Bank.
He also became chief owner of the
Newark Daily Advertiser and president of
the company. He is a member of the Ocean
County Hunt and Country Club. of Lake
wood, the Lotos, Lawyers, Reform, Met
ropolitan, Manhattan, Colonial, Rockaway
Hunt, Ardsley. 'Knollwood, Westchester
Golf, Harbor Hill Golf, Deal Golf, Parma
chenee. Democratic, Monmouth, Sons of st.
Patrick and the New England Society. He
married in 1885 Alma A. Parker, of Peach
am, VT.
Although Familiarity known as Colonel
Harvey, he is a nOncombatant" and OBJ
tanned his title at the age of twenty-one
by appointment as aid-de-camp on the
staff of Governor Robert s. Green, of New
Jersey. Many other honors have been Of
| fered to him, but ne is a modest man and
entirely absorbed in his business ventures.
During the early part of the present year
he bought the North American Review
from General Lloyd s. Brice for 500 lGO.
He has brought new life TO this magazine
and mis- accession to the presidency of Har-
per & Brothers yesterday will doubtless
mean not only a continuation of the pros
perity of that house. out its greater in
fiuence in literary and publishing circles.
He succeeds John w. Harper. who ce-
comes first vice president. The purchase
of the controlling stock by Mr.. Harvey
is said to have involved nearly 10000 %.
AS an example of what an American youth
of humble means and few advantages may
attain, the career of Colonel Harvey is of
the highest interest.