The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-12
AN AMERICAN IN LONDON.
Something About a Man often Quoted
i'm Literary Columns.

New York Commercial.
Mr.. w. l.. Alden, of London. is an Amer
lean; also a humorist. The latter is the
fact that obtrudes when you meet him. He
does not preface his remarks with say"
or invites You to ''come right in" Further,
you can remain long time in his company
without hearing anything about the Amer
lean" eagle. 1t is strange, and perhaps not
altogether right. An American should have
some respect for the traditions of our
stage.
Then again, his appearance upsets pre-
conceived notions. Who ever saw an Amer
lean with a ruddy, fresh-colored complex
ion, white whiskers of the distinctly Eng
lsh mutton chop pattern, and the light
blue eye peculiar to those born in our own
ATTITUDES? Certainly he is long and loosely
built, like most Americans, particularly
Westerners. But on the whole he is very
English-looking From his writings
one would Judge him to be about forty;
from his looks prematurely white fifty;
and, a matter of fact he is sixty-five,
having been born on Oct. 8, 1887, at twelve
minutes to / o'clock in the afternoon. He
selected that time, he says. because he
thought it would prejudice the doctor
against him II he required his attendance
in the middle of the night. And so he
waited till the doctor, who lunched at a
quarter to /, had had time to get COM
fortably through his meal-he was an
American medico. This consideration for
others Is a marked feature of Mr.. Alden s
character as will be readily seen from the
following anecdote:
Although he now uses a typewriter, he is
extremely proud of his handwriting. 1t
is said to have killed more compositors than
that of any other man, living or dead. He
naturally experienced a good deal of trouble
with printers when he started as journal
let Nv, Nau hlff W. M IN
violence till he became leader writer. He
pretty busy in other directions, and
twenty-five minutes and odd seconds was
the utmost he could allow himself for his
leader of 200 to 1900 words. The night
after his first effort had gone to the COM
posing room he was fired at, and the same
things occurred on subsequent evenings.
Fortunately, his assailants were bad shots.
At the end of the week deputation from
the New York Typographical Union waited
upon him.
He received them courteously, and the
spokesman began. He said that while he
and his union were warm admirers of AL
denis work, yet they felt that a time had
come when something had to be done If
the union and Alden were to continue to ex-
list. Since he had begun Underwriting they
had had eleven widows and forty-three chill
stared them in the face. They uttered no
threats, but
Mr.. Alden was all sympathy and regret.
He could not give up his handwriting-it
give up his work. The deputation saw no
way out of the impasse but lynching. Mr..
Alden regretted the multiplicity of his en-
gagements, and added that an idea had
just occurred to him. He was earning some
So. 600 a year; let the union give him life
pension Of $4,000 and he would never write
another line. Then the deputation with
drew
He is a dreamer of many dreams. Thirty
years ago he dreamt that he saw a strange
contrivance sailing through the air. When
he saw NJ. Santos-Dumont's airship he at
once recognized 1t as the machine OF his
dream.
Mr.. Alden's latest book is founded on one
of his dreams, the first chapter, indeed, be-
ing literal reproduction of ii; and ii is a
horror. An Englshman on horseback is in
a terrified crowd of Greek refugees during
the Heleno-Turkish war. Through the
crowd come rushing the still more terrified
Greek soldiers, trampling down the old and
feeble.
Damned cowards!" he cried out.
Thank God, You are English. Let me
keep with you,'' cries voice by his side.
Looking down he sees beautiful woman
and realizes in fash that he loves her.
Yes, but 1t must be forever" he says.
at shall be-" she replied. the answering
love light in her eyes, and mounts behind
him.
They escape from the crowd, penned in
Turks and in the end stand hand in hand
their mutual love confessed, facing the
muzzles of the Turkish rifles 1t would be
unfair to go further, but one may add that
If the first chapter is CHASTITY and haunt
ing the rest of the hook ig chiefly in Mr.