The Washington herald., 1908-06-10
OLD GUARD IN JOURNALISM.
The Good Editor Is In His Prime
Until He Passes Ninety.


Cen Felix Agnus in Baltimore American June ..
In The Washington Herald Of Sunday
was an article occupying most of a page
on the Old Guard Of American journalism.
The word old was used In a purely COM
plImentary sense, indicating numbers OF
years, but not age. No good editor really
begins to get old until he passes ninety
FIVE
We find that the Editor OF the Ameri-
can is given a position OF honor in the
list. and we read the tribute with our
usual blushes What impresses US most
in the prospect that the article invites Is
the sWiftness OF time and the value Of
being interested in ones work. The
forty years have gone by like a success
sion OF pleasant holidays. and there re-
mains a feeling of freshness and en-
thusiasm that makes the thought Of
getting out t0-morrow's Issue just as
keenly the supreme duty Of the hour as
II was when we received three cents for
four pages OF newspaper. II a man takes
his labors as editor and publisher IN the
right spirit, looking at the sunshine Of
life and trying each day TO add to the
worlds stock OF cheerfulness, he finds
that his inkwell Is a fountain OF youth.
And We are obliged TO The Herald for
proving this fact in it's interesting article.
Let Us look at the familiar faces. Here
is Gen. Charles II. Taylor, the wonderful
young man Of the great Boston Globe.
We knew Taylor way back IN the salad
days at Port Hudson. where he was
wounded because he wanted 10 get ahead
OF everybody elsa trait he kept on
showing as an editor. He enlisted when
he was sixteen. and when he went into
journalism after the war he worked for
two dollars q week We fear he Is a
millionaire now. but we forgive him. Here
is the fine, strong face of Capt. Henry
King. editor OF the St Louis Globe
Democrat, a capital journalist; and we re-
member that he served all through the
war and never knew the meaning OF any
thing but duty and hard work. Our
friend. Alden J. Blethen Of the Seattle
Times, has face like that Of a bishop.
We remember very we'll when fire and
other disasters overlook Blethen and
timld people said he was done for That
was about a dozen years ago. To-day he
is In the millionaire class. and he IS as
effective as any young reporter on his
staff. Another old friend is Gen H c.
l Otis. whom We particularly appreciate
because we have both been through two
wars, which are pretty useful preliminary
| training for Journalism. Il IS hard "a
/ think Of Otis being seveney-two. But
what does that signify? He ought 10 be
good for thirty years yet. Then here Is
our very dear old friend. Harvey W
Scott, OF the Portland Oregonian. a paper
/ that stands for everything that IS infiuen-
/ tial and substantial IN the State and along
I the Pacific Coast he made II, and to-day
/ he is its soul and It's moving force. OF
course, the ever-dellghtful Col Henry
! WattersOn must cap this little climax
/ The almanac shows he IS sixty-elght, but
there Is more work in HIN, more fresh
ness, more eloquence. more progress than
/ in any youngster on the Louisville Courier
journal.
/ II we look for the secret OF the OLD
Guards vitality. We find Il easily. There
/ is no rust on any OF them. They imi-
tate their newspapers-they are born new
every day. They drink from the world:
/ perennial spring OF interest and exert fl
/ each days tasks the best they have II
I mind. soul, and estate. We have no pa
/ tience with those who look upon news
paper work as a drain upon life. II 4.
\ the finest possible tonic 20 health develop
ment. and those who put their all into Il
live in the big meaning OF the word aut
laugh at the idea Of ever retiring.
( We salute the Old Guard.