Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-24

anA gutu>s>;~e
BY Victor Rosewater

whose Oedtn OCCurIeu idSt WcCh, GIN haFS
the most pleasant recollections of contact with
him at college, out OF which grew personal
friendship that continued down the years. With
Seth Low Columbia inaugurated the most strik-
ingly successful experience of the business man,
rather than theologian or scholar, tor university
executive. He was, it is true, himself an alum
nus of Columbia and thoroughly educated and
cultured man. but his activities had been along
the lines OF trade and commerce. with brief in
curson into politics as reform mayor OF Brook
Ign. He took hold of Columbia after the death
Of President Barnard and reorganized it along
efficiency lines He put steam back of the ma
chnery and inspired the confidence OF the big
men Of New York, who came quickly to the front
with liberal support and before he retired he
removed the campus to its new uptown site and
laid the foundations OF the university as it is to-
day, foremost among Americas agencies OF
higher education.
Seth Low possessed personality which was
the embodiment of dignity and courtesy, little
more reserved and aloof from the student doings
perhaps than would be desirable, but none-the-
less sympathetic and ready to help in every pos
sble way. At the time of my appointment to
the board of regents for the University of Ne
braska he wrote Governor Holcomb an extremely
commendatory letter in my behalf, which |
naturally priced very highly, and later, when he
became intensely interested in the work OF the
National Civic Federation, Of which he was serv-
Ing up 10 MS utdll dS It's pIcoiuCHt, nc doNSu mS
to take place the advisory council, which |
gladly consented to do. | kept meeting him
from time to time at different gatherings OF pub
lie men, always enjoying the same cordial recep-
ton. He to have been at the last Chicago
convention, but was kept away by poor health.
He had been Ill for some time, yet apparently
hopeful OF recovery. for | saw letter written
by him to Chairman Wilcox of the republican
national committee who, by the way, had been
intimately associated with DR.. Low, received on
the very day that the death was chronicled, and
in this letter offering congratulations on the
result in Maine and the growing confidence in
Hughes election was suggestion that he would
have to cast his vote upstate in New York,
where he was, instead of his home in New York
City. With his record of public service and
substantial achievement however, Seth Low has
left little, if any, of his work undone
Another death that stirs memories, though
more in journalistic way, is that of Horace
White, long editor of the New York Evening
Post, from which position he retired but few
years ago. Mr.. White was an authority on bank
ing and finance and lectured on the subjects to
of intimacy with my father. with whom l visited
him occasionally at his office. Horace White.
with Joseph Medill, had been one of the founders
of the Chicago Tribune and was, therefore,
western man transplanted into eastern journal
ISM 1t must have been while he was in active
came acquainted with my father, for I have
among his papers letter written by Horace
White on Tribune Office paper, dated Chicago,
May H. 1867, proposing to pay him SIS month
for Geographic dispatches from Omaha, adding,
This is S. per week more than we pay at any
other point except Washington. Your dispatches
so far are quite satisfactory. II the terms suit
please notify me-"
The terms must have suited, and likewise the
service for there is still another letter from Hor
ace White dated January !, 1871, asking my
father to cover for the Tribune the Nebraska
legislature, and particularly the election of the
United States senator. "As you are a member
of the legislature yourself" he cautions him. lit
is to be supposed that you are under some sort
OF bias with reference to the senatorial cleo
ton, We desire that your dispatches should be
strictly impartial as regards that subject We
will make you fair and reasonable compensa-
ton for the kind of service | have mentioned,
but in the absence OF knowledge as to how much
1t will be necessary for you to do under the in
structions here given, cannot now fix upon the
amount in dollars and cents" Mr.. White used
to take part in the meetings of the American
Economic association, and think it was at one
of these meetings that last talked with him.
The members of the federal farm loan
board who were here the other day getting
lot of fun out OF their trip, because they carry
their sense Of humor along with them, Secretary
McAdoo coming in for most of the "joshing."
"The secretary declared at the start that when
he quit his job at Washington he would retire to
farm" said one of them. Every place we
have been has had the finest farming country in
the world just waiting to be developed and we
have already located the secretary. on farm in
nearly every state in the union"
At Lincoln, so | was told, an enterprising
newsboy caught the secretary for patron.
How much?" asked he.
1.-TWO for five" responded the urchin. And
Mr.. McAdoo thereupon handed him nickel.
"Oh, pshaw!" retorted the newsy there's six
guys in your party"
Whereupon the keeper Of Uncle Sans money
chest hshed out an additional dime and forked
it over.
az would promise Omaha one of the loan
banks" said Herbert Quick, but l am not sure
you are eligible. You see | lived here once and
was almost blown away by a tornado and the
place that gets bank must be tornado proof"
That's where | saw my chance, and came back
quick: Then Omaha's one of the few places
that can qualify, for it has been scientifically es-
tabshed that tornadoes never hit twice in the
same spot, and we've had ours" |