The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-10-07
By ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE

once had with him, at a time when
Curtis was slated for a talk. or rather,
lecture.
This was pulled off at meet of an
organization of newspaper people and
writer's to which both belonged, Curtis
developing no success as a platform
speaker owing to his voice, which was
thin in quality, and to a dry, laconic
manner, combination which did not
prove attractive. The substance Of
his address was interesting but It
would have read far more effectively
than it sounded in delivery.
While Curtis was an agreeable man,
after a fashion, he was also very much
Obsesscd with the conviction of his
own importance and caused much
he remained with this group of people
by his pomposity.
There were several young newspa-
per men on deck who wanted to get
special interviews out of Curtis, and.
indeed, other writer's who would have
liked to have talked with him on pro-
fessional subjects, but Curtis refer
red them all to My Secretary.
Brown"
This assumed the proportions OF
such a huge joke and so much good.
natured fun was poked at Curtis, that
he finally became aware of it and de-
cided, evidently, to forget his pose.
After he shook off the incubus OF
greatness, Curtis proved to be most
amusing and entertaining. Before he
descended from his pedestal, he was
voted by everybody, however, tiresome
and impossible.
When Curtis learned that the writer
was from this city, he became very
animated and made many inquiries
about Mr.. Francis A. McNutt, former
ly of Richmond, and later of the Uni
ted States diplomatic service, who has
lived for many years abroad and who
now has his home in Rome.
At the time Curtis was special en-
voy to the Vatican he came in con-
tact with Mr.. McNutt, who at that time
was Chamberlain to Pope Leo XIII
and, Curtis made it evident, he con-
sidered himself affronted by Mr.. Nc
j Mutt in the latter's official capacity.
With his high esteem of his own &C
complishments and appointment as
special envoy, Curtis resented Mr.. Nc
Nuts "stand-in" at the Vatican, chief
| ly because he was merely another
, American and also because, on &C.
count of the latter's closeness to the
Pope, Curtis could not make as much
of his pretentions as he would have
liked. He talked a good deal to the
writer about all this, and the whole
thing was amusing enough.
Curtis, it is said, did good deal
of long distance" writing. as it is
called in newspaper offices. That is
he often wrote of people and events
seemingly at closer range when the
contrary was true.
w. E. Curtis was one of the most
famous newspaper men America haf
ever had and did much to dignity his
calling. He was an able, erudite and
entertaining writer and the newspaper
world sustains an irreparable loss in
his death.
The newspaper man in Get Rich
Quick Wallingford" was one Of those
extraordinary stage pencil pushers'
miliar, but the like of which was never
seen on land nor sea nor yet in news
paper office.
Stage reporters strangely enough at
feet all the gushing enthusiasm of ar
ingenue. They bubble over and tall
breathlessly and run howlingly ou
of the exits in the direction of theil
respective goals in a manner tina
would do honor to debutante at he,
first party. Not that debutantes how
but they often shrek.
Real reporters, especially yount
ones, are SO afraid somebody will fine
out they are novices that they fire
quently take on manner of owlisl
sophistication which might deceiv,
anybody but another reporter.
And the older the reportorial, O
, newspaper brand, the more cast-irol
the countenance, the more deatnly tn,
J demeanor. A newspaper man woul,
sooner commit awful suicide than be
tray emotion or enthusiasm about any
thing. He assidiously cultivates ;
lack lustre manner. Nothing can sur
: prise him. He is terrible cynic. H
doesn't believe in the surety of any
thing except payday. And on SOM
papers is not invariably positive o
that.
For sharpening the wits, if there il
any material to go on, newspaper worl
is incompatible. While it is true tina
there are a good many reporters tina
should be running peanut stands, a
that would be congenial occupation TO
gentlemen or their mental calibre,
is still truer that the majority ar
: clever. shrewd and capable, with tn
foundation of a high school an NOR
often, college education.
A reporter is required to deal witt
all kinds, conditions and classes. Il
: time his experience is like a corrodin
, acid that eats into the plate of hi
spirit and leaves ineffaceable scars
He rubs up against what is sometime
> called the seamy side of life H
, sees all the falsities, the shams, tn
pretenses, the hypocrisies, the near
nesses, the puerilities of life, and hi
!, deductions, if sometimes slightly on
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