The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-06
WARE WAS OVERWORKED
Topeka Man Tells of His Early News
paper Experience
From the Kansas City Times!

IFrOn the Kansas City T1meS.i
Eugene F. Ware and J. w Gleed of
the Topeka law firm of Gleed, Ware &
Gleed, were at the Coates house be
tween trains last night. They were on
their way to Lebanon, Mo-, to try a
case. Mr.. Ware is known all over the
country as poet under his nom de
plume ''Ironquill."
Il used to be a newspaper man., he
said to a reporter for the Times Il
was on the Burlington HaWkeye away
back in '66-'67. That was my first job,
after leaving the army. 1 enlisted the
day we got news of Fort Sumter in the
First Iowa regiment. 1 was just 10
them l belonged to ZOuaVe df1u COM
pany that was famous throughout the
west for fancy drilling-all boys Min
ute war broke out, nothing would do
US, but we must go And such pulling
and using of influence! Every one was
afraid he'd be left out on that first roll
and that the ward be over in sixty
days and he wouldn't get to go. | was
delighted when L was taken. Wen, |
served out that stretch and then L did
three years in the Fourth Iowa cavalry.
And still the war wasn't over. L went
out again as volunteer cavalry ofhcer
and after peace was declared with the
south we We're sent north to fight Sioux
Indians-and we lost fourteen men in
one fight there. Then we were muster
ed out and I went back to Burlington
"a years old and looking for job.
Il contributed an editorial or so to
the HaWkeye, which then was edited by
a Mr.. Beardsley. After him came
Frank Hatton and then Bob Burdette.
you know But they were after my
time. Mr. Beardsley liked my stuff and
offered me SIS a month to go on the
paper regularly and after consideration
I took him up 1 liked the work, too
Pretty soon I evolved an idea Mr.
Beardsley liked-to make running COM
ments on the kilograms we got; for in
stance, How does this strike you?
New York, such a date, and then the
cfr I =
given charge of the Geographic news
and wrote my other stuff beside. used
to show up at l p. m. and work through
till a m. After about seven or eight
months 1 began to feel sick. I didn't
know what l had. I went to DR.. Mas
sau-he'd been surgeon of the Ninth
Iowa-and told him I wanted access to
his medical library. Then l began TO
read up. 1 found 1 had fearful com
plication-heart trouble, consumption,
liver complaint. sciatica, diabetes and
incipient paraplegia- I was alarmed.
went to the doctor and asked advice. He
took note of my symptoms and told me
I was simply overworked. He said all
there was about it I must leave the
paper-or collapse. He said get out in
the open air, and drink, whisky l
mean just over there" jerking his
thumb westward, lever since, having
But that's how 1 started in the neWspa-
per business.
Poetry? I don't talk of my versify-
ing-I don't call it poetry. 1t doesn't
do a lawyers business any good to be
known as a versif1er. Why, one of my
eastern clients-good one, too-got hold
of some of my verses once and had
to go clear to New York and do some of
the tallest talking ever l did to sjuare
myself"
Mr.. Ware is So years old, but he
doesn't look it. He is a tall, straight,
military looking man, with regular fea-
lures and heavy iron-gray nustache-
His eyes are dark and piercing, but
have a merry twinkle when he is about
to reach a pleasantly that is exceed
ingly attractive. He was born in Mas
saehusetts, or at any rate, his family
came from there, and he has the true
Yankee makeup. He votes that way,
too So he'll score zero this year