Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-12-07
Stir Great Editor Made When
He Dashed Into New York
Described BY Former
!, Associate.
James B. Townsend. In the p%hiiadslph;u
Ledger.

Nttet0rn At once to office. Joseph
Pulit.er has bought the paper" This
4, 1883. while attending the funeral OF
= relative In Rutland. VT. for which
cad duty I had been excused for three
days from my editorial work on the
New York World under the late Will
lam Henry Hurlburt by the then nan
teo. has Joined the majority.
The summons was SO abrupt and so
unlike the comparatively easy going
slower methods of the journalism OF
that day that 1t startled me-. I realized
It once that while the words We're
sendine of the telegram was another's,
n on my Journey on a night train
to New York I tried to recall what I
had heard OF thiS Joseph Pulitzer. and
to paint q mental picture OF what man.
ner Of nan he was.
On arrival at the old World building
on Park Row, in New York city-then
only recently erected-I hardly knew
the place to be the same az that I had
left. after some years service. only
three days earlier. It seemed as IL
completely disarranged everything. and
q passed away, leaving confusion
worse COMPOUNDED.
The atmosphere of the entire build
ing was one Of excitement and sus-
pense. men were hurrying to and fro,
were wildly leaving in droves. and
nothing was as it had been. Joining
the other members Of the old editorial
staff. who were huddled together in
n corner OF the sitting room-all with
anxious and excited expressions l
ttmidly asked what was the matter.
You will know soon enough. young
man." replied Mr.. Speed. 1.-THE new
boss will see you in Ave minutes" and
with an upward glance n ~deprecatory
gesture he added. after us the deluge
prepare to meet thy fate"
with h new chief came and 1 was
summoned into his presence. Well do
! r~ecollect the tall, spare form, neatly
clothed In a frock coat n gray trous-
ers. the h straggly reddish beard. the
tangled mass of reddish hair: IL the
sighted eye glasses that seemed to taFe
my measure in an instant and pierced
into my timid soul.
so this is Mr.. IT," said Mr.. Pulitzer.
Well, sir, you've heard that I am the
new chief Of this newspaper; l Ia
ways I propose to galvanize this force:
are You willing to aid me? Your salary
will remain the Same. and you will fol-
low the same line Of work with sug-
gestlons as to change and Improvement
q Major Hancock. who will be
managing editor after Mr.. Speed
leaves"
To my faltering assurance-for I felt
as II the breath had left me. from the
rapidtty and vigor of Mr.. Pulitzer's
main a member of the stafr-he simply
nodded and said. Good, 1 like YOU. get
ito work. That was all.
This was the beginning of nearly 10
years active service for and with Jo-
sept Pulitzer. and of a warm friend
though n which of late years / could
not cultivate on my part, owing to the
e~xigencies Of business life, his blind
ness. and long absence from New York.
The manner Of my first %acquaint-
ance with n real knowledge of
Joseph Pulitzer has been described.
to indicate the man, tremendous and
almost unique Quickness of action and
force OF character and temperament.
He was. during his active business
career. in very truth a human dyna-
mo. II my long journalistic life and
Intimate acQuaintance-with the more
prominent men Of the period, the three
oraintest that I have known were
James McCosh. the late president of
Princeton. Robert g. Ingersoll and
Joseph Pulitzer.
These all were men not only of sur
passing intellect but Of force, but Mr..
Pulitzer added to the intellectually of
DIR. McCosh and the wide cultivation
and knowledge Of 1ngersoll, all of
which qualities he himself possessed,
An alertness of mind and body that
the other two did not possess.
He seemingly never tired in the
early days OF the Worlds upbuilding.
He reached the office in the morning.
frequently before n of the members
ut his STAFF appeared, and / have often
gone up town with him again at early
morning n after the paper had gone
to press. and the last lingering night
editor and copy reader and reporter
a departed.
appearing most Unexpectedly and at
d times. now arguing with a report
er In the city room on some story
anon dashing into the composing room
to give orders. flashing into the count
ing room n even descending like a
whtrlwind upon the market reporter to
wax warm over some question Of the
number of cattle the said editor had
stated to have arrived from the west
the. previous day.
He loved nothing better than argu-
lnent. which he almost invariably be-
gar himself by some negative or posi-
tive assertion. and during the course of
which he keenly noted his opponents
bearing and manner of speech. while
never losing track for an instant Of
the main theme himself. 1T IL by
Measure q man. note his shortcomings,
his possession or lack Of logic, and,
above all. whether he has the courage
Of his convictions. for M man can
lone work for me with satisfaction to
himself or myself unless he has this