The times., 1899-02-09
HENRY GEORGE, THE PRINTER
Noah Brooks Tells How He became
u journalist.

In an article on Henry George in Cali
fornia, Mr.. Noah Brooks tells the read
ers of the February Century how the
political economist became Z newspaper
writer:
In the autumn of 1866 l was the editor
of the Times" a daily newspaper pub
lished in San Francisco. One day, the
foreman OF the composing room, after dis
posing of business concerning which he
had come TO my desk, somewhat hesitat-
ingly told Inc that one OF the compositors
in his department had written several edi-
torial articles, by way of experiment; and
they were very good, so the foreman
thought. But the young printer had de-
stroyed his productions, after passing them
around among his intimates in the office
Would the editor in-chief like TO look at
one of the young mans writings? said
| should be glad to see one and il he sent
me anything worth printing il should be
used and the writer should be paid for it,
A few hours later bundle of sheets of
manila paper was laid on my desk by Mr.
Turrell. the foreman, who with a SMILE
said that the young printer had happened
to have ready an article which he was
willing to submit to my Judgment. read
the paper. al first with preoccupied mind
and in haste, and then with attentiveneSs
and wonder. Considering the source t ON
which it came. the article was TO me re-
markable. | recollect that it was written
in delicate, almost feminine hand, in
lines very far apart, and making alto
gether a bulk which had at first misIed
me as to the actual length of the dis
QUESTION. The article not long and
/ was entitled The Strides of Giant" it
was descriptive of the gradual extension
| of the Asiatic frontiers of Russia the
/ changes that had taken place in the rela-
! tions of the European powers, and the ap-
parent sympathetic approach of the United
| States and Russia toward each other.
| In some doubt as to the originality of
! this paper, sent me by a young and un-
! known printer. ! first looked through the
| American and foreign reviews on my table.
| then. satisfying myself that the article
! had not been ''cribbed" from any of these
| publications, | changed the title TO The
, Two Giants and printed 1t as the leader"
! In the Times of November 30, 1866. Let
me say that when | told my foreman that,
surprised by the excellence of the English
and the erudition exhibited in the article,
| had some doubts concerning the origi-
Dality OF the young printers work, he
warmly replied that the young fellow was
d thoroughly honest man and would no
| more borrow ideas than he would steal.
oh. no: my good friend Turrell would risk
his reputation on the young compostor'
honesty.
The foreman said that, if | were curious
TO the young man. | would find him al
a certain case. so many cases from the en-
trance TO the composing room. | looked
with some interest, and was disappointed
to find that my vigorous and well-informcd
| contributor was a little man, so short
thai he had provided himself with Bit
Of plank ON which he stood at a case toe
tall for him. He was apparently then
about twenty-five years old, but in fact
was ten years older. as he was born In
1881. His auburn hair was thin, and the
youthrulness OF his face was disputed b,
the partial badness of his head; his blue
eyes were llmbent with animation and
certain look of mirthfulness.
Near acquairtance with Henry George
confirmed me in my strong prepossessor
in his favor. He was bright. alert, good.
humored, and full of fun; yet his tall
showed that he WAS a thinker that ht