The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-08
Copyright, 1905, by Curtis Brown

Copyright, 1905, by Curtis Brown
n ONDON, Jan. by the purchase
of the staid old Standard and the
IT. hitherto remarkably dull Even
ing Standard, Cyril Arthur Pear
son clinches his hold on the position of
being owner of more newspapers than
any other man in the world. He like
wise has more weekly and monthly
periodicals than any one else. He has
been a daily newspaper man only four
years Che is only thirty-e eight now.
and where he will stop goodness only
knows.
Mr.. Pearson himself doesn't know,
for asked him about it the other day.
He said he had supposed he was con-
tent before the chance to buy the
Standard suddenly popped into his
path. His programme was to work
like a Trojan night and day for sew
eral months to come getting the digni-
fed but somewhat equity old Standard
into greater activity. Then he would
dash off somewhere and play just as
hard as he had worked. Then-well,
then there was no telling what might
happen.
It was in the sanctum of the Stand
ard, a severe and plainly furnished
room, sacred to the memory of line
of distinguished editors, that had a
remarkably frank and interesting in
terview with the new proprietor. His
manner was as jaunty as if he hadn't
a care in the world and never worked
more than two hours day. But there
was no affectation of languor about
this young man to whom Joseph Cham
berlain lately referred as the greatest
hustler he had ever known. He was
simple and direct, knew exactly what
he wanted to say and how to say it
quickest. took along an expert stem
ographer, who said he had won a
medal for speed and could do 200
words a minute. He crept away from
that interview, shaking his head sadly.
He had never heard before, he said,
of man who could talk 800 words a
minute without wasting words.
Had to Count Up on His Fingers
When Mr.. Pearson was asked to say
if he could tell quickly, without stop
ping to count, exactly how many peri
odicals he owned, he said he thought
so, but when he tried to do it he had
W OGSiI COuHttiiS OiI Ills lHSSIS
Lets see,n he said; there are nine
daily newspape four weekly news
papers, and eight-ors is it nine ?-yes,
nine weekly periodicals and six month
ly things. That is the list, believe
twenty eight in all. And then there is
quite a. considerable book publishing
business"
Of the newspapers in the Pearson
list four-the Standard, the Express.
the Evening Standard and the ST.
James Gazette-are among the great
dailies in London. His other papers
are in cities outside of London. Then
there are Pearson's Magazine, which
has one of the largest circulations in
the world: the Royal Magazine, the
Ladies' Magazine, the Rapid Review,
Pearson's Weekly, M. A. P, Home
Notes and all the other things that
their owner had to count up on his fin
gers.
did you ever STOP asked him, ..to
figure out what it costs month to
turn out all these periodicals 2"
That would be interesting, wouldn't
it Must be something enormous.
never figured it out, but will as soon
as have time"
The story of Mr.. Pearson's rise to
sudden power almost takes ones breath
away. 1t is the kind of thing that
happens sometimes in the United
States, but is not supposed to happen
in slower England. 1t began soon after
the Pearson boy had come out of that
historic public school, Winchester,
which inks with Elton as prepara-
tory school for Oxford and Cambridge,
and which does far more to fit boys to
live on other peoples money than to
make their way for themselves.
No boy is SO badly equipped for his
future said Mr.. Pearson, "as the Eng