Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-12-07
MANY-SIDED PULITZER
BY ONE WHO KNEW HIM

w A1xN
Tar more than overbalanced by their
successful working out
He was . man extremely impatient OF
contradictions. n during his later
years of blindness to be ~contradicted on
some favorite idea or theory made him
exceedingly irritable. and yet he liked
not The man who always agreed with
him. This was one cause Of his fire.
Quent change Of The paid secretaries.
readers. etc. who attended him ana
VINO. by their presence. conversation
n reading frightened his darkness
SO Tar as u darkness to a man of his
energy. great ambition. and
constant thirst for knowledge. and up
on whom consequently the burden OF
this most terrible OF all human afflic.
lions most heavily ~fell-could be light.
ened.
Some years after I had left the active
service of The World. with personal re.
gret and kind and appreciative words
from Mr.. Pulttxer to better my fortunes.
l was invited to accompany him-and
enls after he had been blind for q time.
on TWO separate long ocean q a.
nus guest, and passed most of the time
IN his soctety-walking with him at
morning and afternoon on deck in all
U the very stormiest of weathcrs. and
talking with or reading To him at az
ternoon or evening.
found in this renewed intimate ac-
Quaintanceship. after q lapse OF some
SIX or seven years. the same intellectual
power. the same great brain, that I had
Known when he was actively in The
world Office. During our CONVERSE
TONS. l marveled constantly to find
THIS virtually totally blind man thor
oughly e~qutpped-and only through the
eyes OF others-to discuss not only the
Ieaoing business. political and social
topics OF the day. but even minor ones
=. wnlcn we both happened to be par
tfcuiarly Interested.
already remarkable knowled9e of art
ana lts history, n could talk most
aoiy upon the characteristics and quail
lties or not only our leading American
sculptors and painters. but Of the old
masters. He was especially fond OF
por.raits or distinguished men,. notably
tnose Dy famous painters. and it is not
generally known that. In his beautiful
New York residence. there is the nu-
cieus or a remarkable collection of great
portraits by great men.
He especially admired the work of
John Sargent, who may be truly called
me modern V~eiasquez." and his am
modern master paint the portraits OF
both Mrs. Pulitzer and himself. 1t may
De noted here that Sargent's bust por-
trait of MI. Pulitzer. shown at the
Winter academy in New York two
years ago. and which has been fire.
time Of his death. Is considered by
some of S%argent's admirers as perhaps
the most sympathetic portrait the ar
fist ever painted. II there be anything
IN telepathy. 1t would seem as IL Mr..
Iuiltzer.s ambition to have his fea-
lures nprnafllnto1 he, ~. .-.-A
traitist influenced the latter SO strong
" that ne produced a most perfect pre-
sentiment. not only OF the mans ap-
~pearance. but almost of his soul seen
through the sightless eyes.
The dead editor was also a great low
CT OF music n n OF unusual taste
ana appreciation: he loved to talk on
music. and nothing 80 soothed him as
It's strains. In his New York. Rar
farpor. and Jekyll island houses he
among his attendants a skilled
pianist. and devoted sometimes several
, MIurs q day to listening to Wagner,
rerred, and other great musicians. He
was a frequent attendant at the opera
ana concerts. although the restlessness
Oh BODY, which increased during his
later years. made 1t difficult for him
lie place. pun
At all times an exceedingly nervo,,.
man, after his blindness he became al
most a monomaniac on the subject of
noise. AS has been told. he had yir-
!uaily sound proof apartments built in
ms city residence, and during the wears
on which he voyaged on ocean steam
ers. and before the launching Of his
own great yacht. the Liberty. three
years ago. he would reserve cabins on
the upper deck, with the proyiso that
the deck should be roped of on the
sue on which were his sleeping rooms
ana covered with cocoa mating.
During these long Il was h;s
custom 20 nave a secretary read to him
every morning the main features from
the news columns OF the latest paners
ooeainable before departure and those
OF What newspapers could be obtained
en- route. and then listen to selections
from TOM the editorial columns Of the same
walked several miles, always with r
companion, during which walks he dis
cused topics Of personal mutual intar-
est. '"'et
After luncheon and a nan another
secretary frequently read to him In
German. and hen after some music
came an hours reading of history. and
again after dinner two or more hours
We're devoted ito the latest fiction-for
a discussion Of the same. 1 we'll re-
member on q memorable voyage to
Genoa In 1906 on the Celtic eadinr to
MN the popular Lady Roses DaIiph-
ter OF Mrs. Humphry Ward and H.,
Keen interest in the plot and clever
lnclslve analysis of Julie L~esninessa'o
character.
He kept himself thoroughly in touch
WITH the religious tendencies of the
yIYnRS NnS s1 rJnnv1,,