The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-30
THE QUESTION OF FAME.
To BE "Talked OF by the Papers" II
a Passing Publicity.
spectator" in the Outlook.

Spectator" in the Outlook.
The talk drifted naturally to the then
undecided Yale presidency, and the surgeon.
with a "that-settles-it' air, remarked:
There is just one man (naming an eminent
scientific investigator in his own line) whom
the corporation ought to select. Then Yale
would be aswell known in Europe as Is Johns
Hopkins. Why, DR.. Blank is conceded to
come next after Koch and Virchow." The
Spectator held no special brief for Yale.
and did not care to argue the matter even
to suggesting that perhaps the investiga-
lions Of scientist of the standing of the
late Professor Marsh whose discoveries
were ranked so high by Darwin and Hux-
ley, might have done all for Yale's fame
among European scientists which the choice
of an eminent scientist for president could
accomplish. What interested the Specta-
tor was the surgeons point Of view. To him
eminence meant recognized greatness as a
scientific investigator in his own hne.an
eminence that to the general public meant
a name, perhaps not even that. The Spec
tator, as he listened in half inattentiveness
amused himself with contrasting TINS point
of view with Chauncey Depew's character
istic definition of modern fame: TO get
ones self talked about in the newspapers
Certainly the surgeons scientist wop Ia
seldom If ever did the things which make
copy for reporters or display type Tor
headline artists" .
After ali. the Spectator said to himself
later, DR.. Depew's definition OF fame fails
short OF it's own standard unless there goes
the newspapers talking about ones per-
sonality. Nothing Is so tickle as Journalism,
nothing more striking than the unanimity
with which newspapers will cease talking
of the person they have all been talking
about to talk all of them. about somebody
else How slight. again, is the popular i'm
tition is constant! After a presidential
election, for example. the papers are con-
fusingly full of cabinet possibilities" their
pictures and goSsip-how, TO go back TO the
days of go, this one has just started for
Canton, that one has been now closeted
with the President-elect, while some other.
only this morning, received mysterious
summons. AS each Cabinet member Is Of
ficially or semi-officially announced, In what
bold. large type his name and fame are =,
tempted to ask. how many newspaper read
ers, who consider themselves fairly well
po enber ~ Of President McKinleys CABINET
A friend 10 whom the Spectator was talk
ing In this STRAIN objected that IL was unfair
to draw the illustration from politics. since
political fame is proverbiaily ephemeral. Es-
pecially is this true here in America, where
the choice OF politics as a career is so un-
usual, except by the professional politicians
OF our great cities. whose leaders or
..bosses'' are. the friend added. certainly
famous or Infamous enough" The Specta-
name: The Justices OF the United States
Supreme Court the presidents OF ten lead
ing universities and colleges: the presidents
OF the six biggest life insurance companies
OF the country: ten leading lawyers or bank
ers or pastors or artists in as many cities:
ten editors-but here the Spectators friend
| threw up his hands In emphatic protest
| against further multiplication OF wearisome
| detail. Accepting this at least a tacii
| invitation TO generalize. the Spectator point
| ed out that as we must acknowledge, our
American world has grown too big for even
| big men" TO be more than locally conspic-
uous. Millionaires. much as Accommodations
| Of money count for. are not. after all. ex-
| empt from the comparative obscurity attend
Ing modern success. due TO the completeness