The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-08

days. But he does not dream often for
good pianists are not very numerous,
according TO his standard. Arthur Hoch-
man. the great Russian musician, the one
and only rival of Paderewski, told me
that Victor's conversation With him on
musical topics and his technical knowl-
edge OF the science OF harmony was one
OF the most pleasant surprises of his
American tour OF books and their con-
tents he can talk Till the COWS come
home. An artist now in Paris told me
that Victor almost gent him crazy giving
him suggestions as to how certain
picture should be painted. Shakespeare.
he thinks, was the greatest poet who ever
lived Carlyle the greatest historian and
Lawrence Sterne the cleverest fanciful
writer OF Montague he is very fond.
l think I could reach a full measure Of
my pride in being a Kansan if l could see
Victor a Congressman and hear him in
conversation with the swell Newspaper
men and statesmen who think they are
something at Washington, on books and
kindred subjects.
With all of thet things he became ac-
quainted while a boy-mostIy before the
age of sixteen when he became a hard
worker.
Since coming into the estate of manhood
he has been studying those things more
necessary to an editorial life. During his
campaign with Mckinley in Ohio he mas
tered the tariff problem; in sc he solved
the money question from Republican
., md fro
tation questions became his study. Dur
ing the war with Spain he applied his
mind to what has developed under the
name of so-called imperialism and l doubt
whether there is man in the state who
foresaw more accurately the results of
the Spanish-American war than he did.
Irrigation is one of his hobbies and he be-
lieves the destiny of western Kansas and
western Oklahoma depends upon the utili-
ZatiOn of water on the surface of the land.
He is passionately fond of studying popu-
lar movements and he can probably give
you a better and more logical theory of
the birth and evolution of the Farmers
Alliance than any man in the state.
He is not a bitter partisan but he is
strict Republican in politics. He begins
his politics in the precinct and holds that
it is the exact spot at which the pulse
of the nation must be felt. He believes
that with no local conditions influencing
it the true trend of political thought and
sentiment can be arrived at by study
of the precinct. He is a hard fighter and
a wise tactician in politics and his meth
and fairness towards the other side. He
thinks it is political capital in the end
for one to be fair with the opposition.
OF recent years he has developed talent
for constructive politics and if he had the
disposition he could set pins and make
which would prove him to
be a dangerous rival at the head of a
machine, because he is resourceful. AS
a matter of fact, his tastes are entirely
in newspaper work. Writing is his pas
sion.
Victo1's most vicious habits are hard
work and a pipe. If the world would
always give him something to do a bag
of tobacco and some books. he would not
be dissatisfied The other habits of mod
ern gentlemen he has not He has no
more idea of the relative value of a blue
chip and white one than the man in
the moon. He always works with his
coat off. He is about fifteen degrees
warmer blooded than the average man
and when summer comes around he is a
sight to see in his sanctum. Coat vest,
galluseS, and, many times the shirt, come
off and the sweat at the roots of his red
hair looks like blood. OF course, with
his experience, he can take any place in
the shop and when somebody gets sick,
he does not hesitate TO add the night TO
the days toll. once he said to me that
It was his wish. should he happen to die.
his tombstone should contain simply this:
Victor Murdoch, a hard worker"
I have never known a harder worker
nor have I ever known man who could
get work more cheerfully out of others.
He has q wonderful influence over en-
ployes and 1 have never known him TO
have an enemy in the office but the tele-
phone. He considers that piece of mechan-
ism the contrivance of an evil spirit. When
a man is planning out nice sentence
and has it about coppered. the telephone
is sure TO ring and down comes the tiny
fabric of ones thought. II rings a little
oftener in the Eagle Office than in any
other newspaper Office in America.
I have never known him TO discharge
a man from the Eagle Office but one and
he came within an ace of hiring him back
again the next dav. although his offense
was serious. If there had been woman
and tears in the affair he would sure do II.
Once. several years ago, during the panic
it became necessary to cut down the Office
force. Two men had TO be discharged
It was IN 10 Victor to do it They soon
appeared in the Office and by way of pre-
hmiuaries he started a conversation with
them. He finally calle5 ne into another
room and said: Il haven't the heart -
do st. You frame uH some gentle way OF
informing them of the situation I came
back 20 the mcn and for some reason
they anticipated my duty and cheerfully
helped me out Of the unpleasant situation
The secret IF his marvellous influence
with his men IS this. that h works with
them on equal footing. lie has never IN
tho slightest degree abused the privilege
he ENJOYS az being The son Of the editor-in-
chief and ov ntr OF the paper. He has never
for a moment thought that h Is anything
more than an employee. working on a sal
airy Ike anybody else about the place.
he is addressed IS Vic" hy every body.
from the devil M and Il anybody
would cal him Mr. Murdoch a large
percentage of force would he liable 10
drop dead from thc shock Of III, surprise.
Some great man has said: If man is
generally addressed by his first name he
is mighty apt to De q good fellow" The
statennrt IS larv trlla IN II. casa .r-,far