The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-10-14
LAST HOURS OF
c. HARVEN-ELDER
Written by a Comrade in Memory
Of Bright Soul Which
Passed Along.
Mnrdered al their postsI


The Times can easily buy new print
ing presses; but the terrible breach in
our circle can never be repaired. Most
of tho men Of the Times have been hero
long time. Between them there are
ties that mean more than those Of mere
comradeship in business. Il has been a
big family circle, and the grief wrought
by this terrible murder is as real and
poignant as though the ties that bound
us had been those Of blood.
A. Churchill Harvey Elder, the Young
assistant city editor who died at the
hospital yesterday morning, had been
with us a long time and was the friend
of every man in the local room. He
was the '.well.beloved - among us.
Elder came Of very fine old family
of English extraction, and all of truth
and honor and gentleness and simplicity
that go into the makeup Of a true gen.
tleman were his.
He had been magnifcently educated,
had degree from the University of
Berlin, wore the eolors Of his student
corps on his watch fob, and bore the
scars of his two student duels of which
he used to tell with grin.
But for all that he was the simplest
and most unassuming man on the paper.
He accepted newspaper drudgery and
newspaper honors with the same bov-
ish enthusiasm. No one ever saw him
with a "groueh, - and no one ever
heard lin KNOCK He shranls from
gossip and petty jealousies as though
they were poison.
The last night of his life was one of
his happiest. His faithful, intelligent
service to the Times had been rewarded
bya fiattering promotion, He had been
raised from the ranks to be assistant
city editor, position of honor and re-
sponsibility.
He had only taken his ssdesk'' two
weeks before, and the congratulations
of his friends were still coming in to
him.
The night of his murder his young
mother had come to pay him a visit of
state. She had some reasonable excuse,
but it was plain that she had come to
see him in his new position. Their half.
ashamed pleasure together that evening
over his new position inside the rail
was a touching and a gentle. sweet
thing to see. They were like two
lovers.
AS she left the local room that night,
Elder followed her. to the door, and
both their faces were glowing VITA
pleasure, That was the last time most
of the men on the Times ever saw him.
1T is good memory.
Gontlo, Noble, Faithful.
"Do You know, Harvey, that it is
Just six minutes until four.thirty
o'cloekg" We were sitting in
shadowy corner of the University Club,
Churchill Harvey-Elder and myself,
laughing away the golden hours Of the
last afternoon of Harvey's life. He
sat opposite me in a deep rocker, en-.
ioying fragrant Egyptian tobacco At
my question his fine face, always gentle
and noble, lighted with that rare smile.
which carried with it so much of sweet.
ness and strength.
I Yes, | know" he said, Hand we
will make the Office to the minute. |
never lose track of work time. My idea
of newspaper work is just a matter OF
good faith"
At dinner, a few hours later at
Tony's Spanish kitchen, Harvey said
the same thing to a young reporter
who dined with him. III think Har.
vey was afraid 1 was inclined to loaf
on my job" the youngster said, "and
he hoped to give me boost, although
he wasn't a man to preach. He told
me that faithfulness was the greatest
asset in any man s newspaper career. y
Well, he died true to that ideal The
blasphemous upheaval which destroyed
the Times plant found him at his desk
in the last hour of the night Is watch
on the alert for anything which might
give final touch TO the Times record
of days history
Before we went to the University
Club Friday afternoon we had been at
the studio Of A. H. Moionier. Harvey
was very fond both of Moionier and
the boys of his studio. Besides the
artistic atmosphere of the place held
strong appeal for him. We were there
for perhaps two hours, looking over
some of the newer, better things which
Majonier and Bert Murdoch had been
doing Of late. Louis j. Stellmann was
there also, making some engagements,
and Stellmann and Mojonier gave Har,
vey some new things Of mine in verse
to read. Harvey read it through and
then commenced at the first line and
read IL over again.
Why don't you say something's"
asked Mojonier, who had himself pro.
fessed to like the thing.
uOh talk ABOUT the things i
like" Harvey said, fTbut / read it
twice, and that is my COMMENT
Then, turning to me, he said: ~
like the things do not always under.
stand at first hand and / think most
people do. AS for myself / do not
know whether in the beginning was
trying to write beyond myself or be.
yond the people, Anyhow, Il didn't
seem to stick and when rolled up my
sleeves and became knight of the
shears and the paste pot, / turned my
back upon those dreams and most OF
the things / wrote burned. /"
am not sure he had burned them
all, for only a few days before he had
shown me a little sonnet which he had
written, and which was an exquisite ex.
precision Of nature full of beauty and
richness.
His work as assistant city editor OF
tho Times, HArvey Elder had entered
with enthusiasm but two weeks ago. Ho
felt that II was one Of the steps on his
way OF service, and he Was glad 10
have taken IL. In his heart ho felt
that this feature OF tho work had been
given him because Of his iutaufion IA