The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-22
WHITE COMING HOME.
Has Left California and is at
Seattle.

The following is from the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer:
Say. I wish you would have the
water turned off up above" said Viii
liam Allen White. the famous Kansas
V ritter, yesterday. 1t has been raining
ever since we left Los Angeles, and l
am beginning to think 1 am a rain
maker. When we arrived in San Fran
cisco it was raining, but a friend Of
mine told me the weather was beautiful
anxious to get a good view Of Mount
Shasta, but it was raining again when
We got to that point 1 had the COM
fortfng assurance from the porter, how
ever. that a bully view could have
been obtained the day before
At Portland came the deluge- II
was raining everything there-pltcn-
forks, dogs and cats, dry goods and no
the day previous TO my arrival was one
of the most beautiful Of the year. 1
had to take his word for it. Now. here
it is again. My cousin, Mrs. Peterson,
tells me that Thursday was a lovely
day, but look at that" and Mr.. White
pointed out to the dripping streets.
For thirty-fOur years I have lived in
Kansas and my skin has been cracked
by the hot, dry winds, and 1 guess the
Lord is going to get even with me now
by giving me a thorough soaking.
Don't ask me what I think of
Seattle. All western towns look alike.
ana besides 1 am not on a tour OF OD-
servation. I threw down everything in
my office at Emporia in the middle Of
January and jumped to California for
a rest. I was tired, oh, so tired, that
life was a burden Besides getting out
my paper the Gazette, every afternoon,
] ground out magazine stuff until mid
night nearly every night, until I nearly
collapsed.
From my eyebrows down, I feel fit
as fiddle, but from my eyebrows up
am busted community / win not en-
gage in any literary work for a year,
but will devote all my time to the Ga
zette.
You know a man never breaks down
from legitimate work. It is the side is
sues that worry the life out of him and
break him down.
Say, I'd like to meet Ed Cowan, who
wrote that story in Ainslee's Magazine
about James Hamilton Lewis. That was
about the nea test job of taxidermy
have seen in a long time. I read it
three times myself and had it read to
me a couple of times more. I have met
Mr.. Lewis and enjoyed the article the
more because of that fact"
How do you get at such celebrities
as Croker, Platt, Cleveland, Reed and
the others, to get those biographical
sketches?" Mr.. White was asked.
Il go at them just like you are going
at me now" he replied. I get every
thing a man wants to tell about him
self, then I go to his closest friends and
find out things the man himself has
probab forgotten. Next I hunt up a
man who is his most active enemy.
One of those fellows who puts in "a
hours a day remembering things that
the other fellow would like to have for
gotten. Last of all go to a good, fair
man for a general size-up, and then ]
get busy on the story.
4 was born and raised in Kansas.
attended the state university for awhile
but I was not a dazzling success there
and never graduated. I am a good deal
of a Jay, as 1 never had been as far
east as Chicago until 1 was % years
old
Mr.. and Mrs. White arrived in Seattle
| yesterday morning and are visiting Mr.
1 and Mrs. Fred H. Peterson at S04 YesleI
way. Mr.. White and Mrs. Peterson are
! cousins. They will remain in the city
( two or three days and go home by way
! of Salt Lake and Denver. Mr. White
/ said he hoped to be able to get back
/ to work on his paper In about two
weeks, and that he intended to stick
! cloesly to the newspaper business fol
! at least a year.
Il have greatly admired the totem
! pole in Pioneer square" he said, ''an6
I think that is the proper place for it
The Indians life is in that pole. and as
/ Seattle is so closely connected with
Alaska 1t should be given a prominent
/ place in the city.