The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-11
AUTHORS GREET H. NJ. ALDEN.
R~IIEPTION ~ HONOR or THE
EDITOR Of IN iRPERS."
lies az Years Old To-day ami Many Well
I,uOwn writer's Gathered to Meet IIlm
In the Franklin square building Col.
Harvey Makes Inc speech ~ welcome.

There was a notable gathering OF writer's
last night in Harper Brothers big Franklin
Sluarc printing house, when Col. George
Harvey gave a reception in honor of Henry
Mills Alden, the veteran editor of Hdrpers'
Hoga:inc, who to-day enters upon the
SEVENTEEN year of his life.
Among the guests were the presidents
Of great universities, lawyers, doctors,
,errymen and ordinary lay writer's. All
uf them had contributed to the Harper
publications and most of them had in the
course of their literary work come per-
s1nally into contact with the man whose
,a.rcr they honored.
Mr.. Alden, standing in the room where
he has spent thirty-seven years Of his
working lfr, his face lighted with smiles,
greeted each Of the guests a. they entered.
tho reception room, IN the second floor Of
tho printing house, was decorated with
ralm~ and cvcrgreens. There tho tables
had cen spread. Tho place had lost its
l'"ury air and taken on the appearances
uIu".i ~ a hotel dining room. Col. Harvey
presided. In introducing Mr.. Alden he
,.'Drl attention to tho fact that the year
l.G3s was %siugularly productive of genius
10 Np"rict.
~ a herald TO- blaze the way" said Col.
b.r.t,, "thcrc arrived in N" year prcC",b
i., o., Missouri i lV,ty child whom his
r, ''rr, having regard for Biblical titles,
,u.it~urd samuel. Tho other bows
He'd lin sam. subsequently, while
%ir,iur, uu,sihl,, - establish an slibi in
>rrul,, he TOOK q new name. bat only
iruuci FROM on" rcst rncnt 10 another
..,l called himsnlr Marx. And since there
lrl "rn two SamJclo, a. he understood
u. ~" felt that he should represent two
Marks, and - made his full name Marx
Twain.
M uuE Others who were horn IN hat year
o. genius were William Dean Howelis,
d.-criho,, hv Col. Harvey H. Americas
FIRST man ~ letters; Grover Cleveland,
Andrew Carnegie, ). PIER ont Morgan,
ADMIRAL Dewey Thomas Bailey Aldrich
ami VI Alden. Nj. Aldrich aud Mr.. Alden
.,naHu their careers on the same day one in
The STATE % Vermont and the Others across
tho Connecticut River IN New Hampshire.
1T j. the anniversary of the last men
toned" continued Col. Harvey, that we
have gathered this evening To celebrate
" seemed lifting that the homage
due 10 Mr.. Alden should be rendered in
this time honored place. Forty q years
ago he came here az a young man and
began his life work under the direction OF
that prince of publishers, Fletcher Harper;
and Of the fifteen hundred of us who now
work with him under this roof not one, not
even UOHLl u hablC NV ANorNf
was here when he arrived. What in
these long years he has done for you,
how great has been his service to American
literature, how faithful he has been to his
ideals, how helpful, considerate and gentle
10 his friends, you know "a we'll as l; and
many OF you from perhaps longer and more
intimate relationship"
Along with the unfeigned admiration, the
deep respect and the sincere affection OF "A
host of friends, Col. Harvey, addressing
the veteran editor, said he brought this
message:
Tonight you are a young nan in the
'8Os; tomorrow you will have passed under
the wire, and in company with Mr.. Aldrich
will be the first Of that group Of splendid
Americans born 20 years ago to grasp the
hand Of Uncle Mark, who awaits you at the
Pier"
diners arose and drank to his health. Then
the orchestra struck up For He'ssa Jolly
{ God Fellow" and the big crowd joined in.
The editor was plainly affected by the
greeting. He said that the feelings which
the contributors had shown him on that
occasion were the same that he had ex-
perienced always in his long period as
editor.
The full volume of your greeting, the
bOundl ess expression Of your good will"
said he, seems to put my thoughts to Hight.
and leave me simply the man of feeling"
Mr.. Alden paid Col. Harvey a high tribute
for his management of the Harper publica-
tions and thanked him for the reception;
1T seems to me-" said Mr.. Alden, that
Col. Harvey and l must have been IN some
state of previous existence and | must
have been mighty good to him then. He
Is so good to me now"
Mr.. Alden said among other things that
he went to Europe last year Tor the first
time. That was his happy celebration OF
his becoming of age. The editor told of
his reCOllections in entering the office OF
Harper Bros. for the first time forty-three
years ago, and now he had the whole world
at least the part he cared the most Tor
in the old shop with him.
He had spent more than half OF his work.
ing existence in that shop. and now 1t had
been transformed into music, flowers and
Il host Of friends. Verify said he, my
cup runneth over with Joy ana gratl1ca-
ton
Mr.. Alden repeated what Col. Harvey
had said. that Of all the men who were in
the office when he began his career there
not a one was left. He declared that the
plcasantest experiences of his life had been
his associations with the contributors.
This letter was read from Mark Twain:
Alden dear and ancient friend-it is a
solemn moment You have now reached
the age Of discretion. You have been a
long time arriving. Many years ago you
locked me on an article because the sub
lect was too old Later you locked me on
an art icle because the subject was too new;
later still, you locked u @ on an article be-
NdN~f Nllt EuDlNNI II DNN"A y oANA .
Once when | wrote a letter to Queen
Victoria, you did not put it in the respect
able part of the magazine, but inferred 1t in
that potter's field, the Editors Drawer.
A. a result, she never IL. How
often we recall, with regret, that'Napoleon
once shot at a magazine editor and missed
him and killed a publisher. But we re-
member, with charity, that his intentions
were good.
You will reform now, Alden. You will
cease from these economics, and yo will
be~ discharged. But in your retirement you
will carry with you the admiration and
earnest good wishes of the oppressed and
toiling scribes. This will be better than
bread. Let this console you when the
bread fail
You will carry with you another thing.
100 the affection Of the scribes, for they
all love you, in spite OF your crimes. For
you bear a kind heart in you breast, and
the sweet and " inning spirit hat charms
away all hostilities and amin osities and
y axes Of your enemy your friend and KEEPS
hnu 80.
You ave reigned over us thirty-six
years and, please God, you shall reign an
other thirty-six-'and peace to Mohammed
on his golden throne Always yours,