The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-23

E
One of the pleasures of a reporters
Afe is the opportunity it gives him t
meet and converse with notable men
Robert G. Ingersoll, who died day be
fore yesterday. was one of the mos
agreeable men to interview that can bc
Imagined. That newspaper man whC
was so fortunate as to draw an inter
view with him as an assignment, always
game away with a good story and with
mind stimulated and invigorated by tbs
few minutes pleasant chat with Pope
Bob no matter what his private views
may have been as to the latter's relig-
4ous views.
The writer was told to get an inter
view on expansion from the great ag-
nostic, not long after the fall of Ma
Mia. Ushered into Mr. IngersoH's
room in the hotel, the scribe saw q
portly, benignant looking old gentle
man seated at small card table play
ing solitaire. Mrs. Ingersoll, pleas
ant, motherly looking woman, was
Watching the progress of the game.
N"What can l do for you?" asked Mr.
Ingersoll, scarcely looking up from his
game.
."Oh, a reporter? You want my views
on expansion? Take a seat" And he
hastily mixed up the cards and cleared
the table &i
THE game was going against him, or
expansion would have had to wait" ex-
planned Mrs. Ingersoll with a smile.
'--..Do you know shorthand" No, the
scribe did not.
There are more reporters, l find,
who don't know shorthand than there
are lawyers who don't know law,
grumbled Mr.. IngersolI.
The interviewer suggested that the
thought, after all was the important
thing, and that most public men were
content to let the reporter dress it out
in his own language, if only the views
expressed were accurate.
mo, you don't with me- I won't
have any of your slipshod interviews,
The clothing Of thought is sometimes
as important as the substance under
meath. Give me some paper" And
Pope Bob began to write as fast as
he could scribble
Mr.. Ingersou used to have a pri-
yate secretary who did all this sort of
thing for him." said Mrs. Ingersoll.
But he was shot some years ago in a
so attached to him that he never had
a successor. Since then Mr.. Ingersoll
has written out all his interviews with
his own hand" 1t was true No mat
ter how many reporters pestered him
in the course of a day, he invariably
took time to write out long inter-
view
When the article in question was
completed, it was found to consist of
eli af oh
sentences and striking metaphors SO
characteristic of Ingersolps lectures. II
had been dashed off in moment but
II read like a carefully polished, schol-
arly production.
During the time her husband was en-
gagged in writing, Mrs. Ingersoll acted
as entertainer. She told about, her
travels of the summer. about their quiet
family life at Dobbs Ferry. and ex-
pressed hopes for the success of the
new lecture which Mr. Ingersoll was to
produce shortly.
After a little, several other guests be-
gan TO throng the room. There was
the theatrical manager at whose house
the lecturer was to appear, there were
club men and personal friends who
came to press social attentions upon
him, while in one corner Of the room
sat a feeble old colored man who had
was greeted with a pleasant word on
entering the ROOM bat Mr.. Ingersoli
kept steadily, on with his writing. his
motto being, zone thing at a time. .
Old Ben, the ex1seryant, was received
as cordially as any of the rest. and
Mrs. Ingersoll by her courtesy put him
entirely at his ease. ansas,
The theatrical manager offered Mr..
and Mrs. Ingersoll box at the opera
for the night. t&3
do you want to go. Robert?t' asked
Mrs. IngersolI. 5sT
No answer. The writer kept stead
lly at his work for fully two minutes.
Al last. DO you want to go. mother?''
just as you say" Another pause
OF two or three minutes, No The
answer came so suddenly and decisive
ly that 1t set the room laughing.
Finally the interview" was finished.
put MI. lngersoll would not allow the
scribe to depart without a short visit.
The conversation became general.
somebody, TO draw the agnostic out.
asked MIN what he thought of GER
tam Well-known man thanking provi-
dence for the victory Of Manila. The
answer was characteristics 1T may be
providence, but for my part / think il
was George Dewey and the eight inch
guns"
NlN's7t itAir 1Jit utAtTdIcGt XeGRlllR
on the irreverent made that afternoon
1or Mrs. lngersell seeing the direction
the conversation was taking skilfully
changed the topic for that Of the drama,
anQther of her husbands hobbies on
which he never failed to wax eloquent.
II IS frequently said nowadays that
conversation is q lost art. and that no
person is capable Of carrying on in &C.
tusl lie the wilty epigrammatic con-
yersation found in books. The author
of THAT statement could never have
heard Ingerscll. He talked like book.
vet without the slightest trace Of ped
aptry or unnaturalness. He did not
appear to be talking for effect II was
as natural for him to throw out off,
hand finely wrought simlle or an epi-
grammatic phrase as for most people
10 carry on the chitehat Of the drawine
room There in his little hotel apart-
ment, leaning back in his arm chair he
entertained that little party of friends
toia discourse on the drama that MANY
would have paid dearly TO hear.
A young Hebrew man of letters was
at that time touring America, lecturing
onthe drama. Many had been fasclne