The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-06
Old VAN AS HE is
A Character Study Of Dean Of
Kansas Newspaper Writers.
Knows More About State Politics
Than Any One.
MASTER OF SATIRE.
Hated by the Grafters, Loved by
His Friends.
Inventor Of Many Well known
KansaSisms.
OF SATIRE.


the election and the men who were
elected and the men who failed of cleo
ton. The bitterness of the late fight
within the party reminded an old timer
present of the legislative war and then
some one told story about how Fred
NandegrifI, dean of the Kansas news
paper men, had written a great story
about that miniature South American
revolution.
or two Joined the group while Vans
story was being dilated upon. Said one
of the politicians: why Van came here
just about the time of the legislative
war. That was in 1893. it not?
Yes Well Van came over here to rep
resent the Star, or it might have been
the Times. No. it was the Star
This little retrospect about Vaude-
grift started them off and the politi-
cians and the newspaper boys talked for
en hour or more about their old friend
end comrade, telling story after story
about his peculiarities, his quick tenn
per and his big heart, his courage and
his fairness, his clean cut style of US
ing correct English whsre it woulC do
the most good and occupy tds least
space, his wonderful mem 'ry, his sense
of humor, his cscapades and his acts of
Kindness.
The State Journal man walked
thoughtfully back to his office. Why
not write what he had heard? He wrote
columns every week about men less
worthy and not so we'll known as the
old Brigadier Gerard among Kansas
newspaper men. Van is travelling now
Tor the Santa Fe Magazine. The Earth.
and he comes to Topeka but
about once a month: maybe he won't
see the story. and if he should. the edge
of his anger will have time to wear
away before he can run afoul of the
writer.
Thus unused the newspaper man Of
L.. 20
what he had heard that morning, set
ting down the facts faithfully they
were tod by men who knew. 1t was
delightful task and there was plenty
Of material. For q dozen eventful years
Fred Vandegrift had been part and
parcel of Kansas politics His running
story of important events had much to
do with the course of the men who
shaped those events. The politician
fears ridicule and Van is master of
that weapon. The politician respects
strong English and Van writes like
Chaucer- The politician admires eour-
age and honcrs the one who keeps
faith and Van is about as timid as
bulldog and never broke faith. So he
Iatura1Iy had much to do with the
public affairs of the state during the
period Of his active newspaper life
here.
Some evan" stories.
They tell so many stories on Van that
It is hard to pick from the good ones.
During one of the first legislative ses-
kions he handled he drew up a bill
eDactinc the ter commandments into
law and providing a severe penalty for
any violation. The PopuiistS were in
control then and he had no trouble in
finding member to introduce mis- bill.
The man in charge of the measure
lacked the ability to steer his craft
through that tumultuous house but its
mere presence on the house calendar
attracted attention from all over the
nj fIac ,nOv- xxr,1 1,<ad tn
troduced 1t was flooded with letters of
protest from the four corners of the
egrth in which che injustice of his dras-
lie measure was pointed out in the light
of the nineteenth century. Van chuck
led in his sleep at night, but the Pop
member had Nightmares.
Van was mixed up more or less in
about everything that happened dur
Ing the nineties. His business was to
write politics, but man with Vans
big heart, rich Imagination, sense of
humor and versatility was sure to do
many other things, have a host of
friends and separate adventure for
every friend. The sidelights on Van
y, degrift's work are more interesting
than his daily grind, just like Doyle, in
his story of the Brigadier Gerard who
wrote of the gallant soldiers odd adj
ventures rather than his battles as a
soldier of Napoleon. A man will shut
his teeth and do his duty because it
IS his duty, forgetting himself and his
own inclinations, but it is off duty
that the real man crops out, the man
who is either loved or hated for him
self and what he is.
When Morrill, was governor he had
ideas about the state house lawn and
he sent east for landscape experts TO
come and make it what it should be
Now on some Arbor day. many years
before. Topeka school children had
planted many beautiful elm trees in
the statehouse yard, this eastern ex-
x.,tt
down. 1t most broke Vans heart for
he loved a tree and he worried over it
a good deal. Finally he hit upon a
beautiful plan to get even with Morrill,
so one day when a Scrawny old cotton
wood tree on the ground was broken
down by a housemover who had by
some freak of fortune, secured permits
sion TO move his house across the
statehouse yard, Van saw his oppor-
tunity and seized upon it. He went to
the governor with a moving tale about
the origin of that beautiful tree" that
had been planted by Governor Carney
years before and was known as Car
ney's tree, and how it had been all but
destroyed by vandals. Morrill, was
deeply touched by the Dissertation Of
the tree. as Van knew he would be,
and the governor took part himself in
the ceremonies attendant upon the re-
planting of what Van afterwards
called a "scrawny, ugly old cottonwood
that grew by chance on the lawn
A Master of Satire.
vandegrift, while representing the
Kansas City Star in Kansas, always
spoke what he thought and was never
Handicapped by membership in a mu-
tual admiration society He wrote
more satires than he did tributes of
praise, but that fact made his praise
all the more worth while. He never
belonged to an editorial association
and lodged the formal functions of
that kind and the platform poses. Van
was positively eccentric in his dislike
for some of the customs of his profess
sion, but was the most matter of fact
fellow in the world as general thing.
Got along with everybody. could win a