Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-22
A NEWSPA. Err VETERAN.
A Deserved Tribute to Thomas +. MUIR
ply Of Augusta.

| years the city eQltOr OF the journal,
and known throughout Maine as one
| Of the most capable tireless and
popular men in the newspaper business,
has severed his connection with this
paper, and will at once assume the
| managing editorship Of the Watervile
Seminal 1t is needless to say that the
Journal regrets to lose such faithful
and efficient worker, and that all with
| whom he has had dealings in the city
| will regret his departure All join in
| wishing him success and happiness in
his new field The following appreci-
ated and well-deserved Write-up of Mr..
| Murphy is taken from a recent issue Of
| the Lewiston Journal.
Hon. Cyrus w. Davis of Waterville,
who recently purchased the Waterville
Seminal, has engaged Mr. Thomas f.
Murphy Of Augusta as its editor. In
this selection of executive officer Maine
newspapermen will agree that Mr..
Davis has shown most excellent judg-
| ment.
| There is in Maine today no better
| allaround newspaperman than this
same Murphy. He has been at the
business long enough to know what the
public likes to read, and beyond that
he knows how to write it, and what Is
still more to the point he does write it.
| There are neWspapermen who know
what should be written, there. are
| ncwspapermen who can write the
| things that should be written but there
| are few newspapcrmen who will put
| in the time and energy that is neces-
sary to write them, day in and day out.
| Murphy is Il man that knows news and
is willing to chase it till he gets it. He
was printer before he was a news
paperman and he learned to follow
copy-even il it went out of the window
and he follows news With the same
pertinacity. The news item that gets
past Mr.. Murphy is a good deal of a
strategist. 1t takes figuring on the
part of the item. Murphy has never
so far as know-won any medals for
early rising, but he evens up on the
other half of the clock, and the news
item that tries to get by with the milk
man is likely to be collared by Murphy
on his way home. Time ceases to be a
factor with Murphy when he's on the
trail of a piece of news.
Under Murphy the Seminal will be-
come an authority on political history.
Nothing has happened within the past
thirty years in the field of Maine
politics which isn't carefully noted in
the mental files of Murphy. There is
not only a note Of the incident but by
Il system of cross-indexing which is the
exclusive property of it's owner he is
able to say just what bearing it had on
every other political incident Of the
time and what is likely to result there
from within the next ten years to come.
Murphy has been doing the State
House for the l<ennebec Journal for
the last year and q half and he will be
sOr"ly missed by the inhabitants of the
old stone structure that Portland so
covets. Murphy is not only one of the
most personally popular men about the
capitol, but he is invaluable. by reason
Of his historical knowledge During
the time that he has been doing the
State House the use of encyclopedias
has been almost given up. Maine State
year books stand with the dust of ages
clinging to them, unused, because it is
SO much easier to TASK Murphy--he
knows" And Murphy does know, and
in the case of the encyclopedia or year
book the printer or the proof reader
might have nodded for the moment.
Every State department has its
stories of Murphy for that mental
encyclopedia has q number Of times
come to the rescue of perplcxcd states
men. You remember what Kiplin@
says
For the Kings must come down an
the Emperors frown
when the Widow at Windsor says
Stop "
well, that's Murphy, with certain
variations. The Hon, Wallace II.
White of Lewiston came very near be
ing appointed an associate justice Of
tie supreme court of Maine, and he
probably would have been if it hadn't
been for that encyclopedia Murphy had
not only read but remembered the
language of the constitution wherein it
says that no member of the legislator
may be appointed to any office created
by the said legislature or to any Office
the cmoluments of which have been
increased by the said legislature. The
statesmen knew this but they had for
gotten that Mr.. White was a member
of the Senate in the legislature that
had Just. increased the salaries of the
supreme court justices. They had for
gotten this but Murphy had not and
when he pointed to the constitution
well, just go back and read those lines
OF 1<ipling.
In securing Murphy as his editor, Mr..
Davis has placed in charge of his news
paper g man who knows a newspapers
every department, and who can on Il
Pinch do anything from sticking type
and making up the forms to cuSsing
the Contrarincss of the lmotypes and
the perVcrsity of the cylinder press
Murphy is Il good reporter, an excellent
desk man. and has the executive ability
which is necessary at the head of
newspaper. Being Irish, he writes tho
best English. For the same reason his
humor which is abundant, is accidental
Mr.. Murphy's Augusta friends are
sincerely sorry at the prospect of his
departure, but he will make friends
quickly and for keeps in Waterville.
He is that kind of man. His ability is
high, his sense of honor is without flaw,
he is the embodiment of good-f fellow
ship, and friends come to such man
without so much as the asking He is