The Sunday globe., 1901-05-05

Hon. Berah wilkins. state senator I'm
the 63d general assembly of Ohio. and
subsequently member of Congress from
the old Ike Hill district, is bV all odds
the most singularly successful Obioan
who has for half century settled i'm the
National Capital. IL need hardly be
stated that Mr.. wilkins X the publisher
and sole owner Of the Washugton Post.
the leading daily newspaper of the citv
aud adjacent, or rather tributary. terri
tory, Mr.. wilkins, previous To becon-
ing Joint owner with N-Postmaster-
General Frank Hatton of the POSTPAID
no previous newspaper experience. lie
was, however, an able tinancier and
banke in his native Ohio town,
" No busin3 3ss is new TO man of
brains or impossible OF mastery" and
Mr.. wilkins demonstrated the truth OF
this epigram.
The writer served as state officer
when Mr. wilkins was state senator, and
presuming ON the then acquaintance a
call was made on the Washington mag
nate, Tor magnate financially and in
newspap perdom Mr.. wilkins now is. He
received me with hs old and pleasing
smile OF instant recognition, and for
over an hour he INDUCED me with uues-
tions and fascinated me with recitals Of
his Washington experiences. Mr.. Will
kins, although of pleasing, is Of impress
| enced his penetrating but confidence
inviting look, realizes that he is no ordi-
nary or average rich man of assumed or
/ real urbanity, but an intensely y practical
and typlcally successful American fnau-
/ cler. Said he:
How was the Post builtup and made
| such a financial success and influential
national journal 2n
Mr. wilkins closed hls eyes and si-
| lently went over, retrospectively, the
/ work of over ten years, the lines in his
! face deepening and the corners of his
| mouth intermittently twitchng, while
| his fingers unconscously but softly
| drummed on the desk he was partially
| leaning over.
Well, for over six years | never left
the Office of the Post until had counted
the papers which the newsboys sold [
| watched the pennies and confined my
| labors to what you might call the practi-
cal and mechanical end Of publishing a
newspaper. Mr. Hatton wrote very fit,
tie, but he was master OF the literary
end of the concern. His suggestions
were prolific in this respect and his
! Napoleonio IDEAS of expenditure, ETC.,
were to me marvelously visionary, but
we got along famousy well. I soon
mastered every detail and made point
Of directing the policy o. the paper along
lines of independence, honesty, and
Legitimate news, regardless OF cost. To
this policy the success of the Post il ad-
mittedly due" Mr.. wilkins abruptly
changed the subject and talked of his
years of European travel, at intervals
running from six to eight months yearly.
during the past six or seven wears.
From the Carpathean Mountains to
Paris, Monte Carlo, and the Riveria, Mr.,
wilkins related scenes and incidents
which of themselves would make an
intangpIU intRraQfinar M
In Washington among the newspaper
fraternity Mr.. wilkins isaccorded much
more credit in building up the valuable
property he now solely controls than the
gentleman himself claims. His pur-
chase Of the property from Stilson
Hutchins was fine piece of tinancier-
ing, whereby Mr.. wilkins, without risk
TO the individual property Of his assO-
ciates, paid, long before the date fixed
upon for the final payment, the purchase
price. Stock to the amount of the total
sum paid tor the property was issued,
and as the payments were made the
stock was redeemed from the Hutchins
interest, until every dollar was owned
by wilkins & HattOn. At MIR. Hatton's
death his interest was considerably over
100000, all of which Mr.. wilkins paid
his widow when she elected TO withdraw
sonio time after her husbands demise.
The building in which the Post is pub
lished cost Mr.. wilkins Sl25,OO and the
concern to-day do not owe dollarl
This marvellous achievement eXcites ad
lniratiOn when il is recalled that the
Post to-day is too valuable property to
estimate the price at which it could be
purchased, and that from thenewspnper
point Of view Mr.. Viking was rank
outsider in the profession until his pur
chase of the Post Mr.. Wilkins nervous
system needs recuporatiOn but otherwise
he is good for many years of usefulness
10 his splendid properly. He has two
sons IN the Post, and his close applica
ton to the details of great newspape-
Is no longer necessary, hence his we'll
paruaI yapati,ng ~