The New York herald., 1922-03-24
Mr.. Mitchell 70 To-day.

MIR. Mitchell 20 To-day.
Mr.. EDWARD p. MITCHELL has GOV.
cred the span OF human life, three
score and ten. allotted by the Psalm
| list. To-day records his SEVENTEEN
year on the trail Of human penetra-
tion into the mysteries Of life. Mr..
MITCHELL is quietly celebrating his
birthday in the bright sunshine OF
Porto Rico. with its soft skies and
mellow atmosphere that make for re-
Taxation and dreamy retrospection.
| Mr.. MITCHELL was born in Bath,
Maine, In 1852, was graduated from
Bowdoin College in 1871 and the
same year began his newspaper
career on the Boston Advertiser.
The half century of his newspaper
work--years that have brought him
great contacts and great triumphs--
will pass in review before him to-
day, together with the childhood and
young manhood, the old Maine home
his father and mother, his brothers
and sisters, the boys and girls Of
his world, and the Thanksgiving din.
ners with turkey. plum pudding and
all that.
Half a century of brilliant contri.
button to American journalism, with
a conscientious appreciation of the
true functions of great newspaper.
molding public thought, shaping
craftsmanship, breathing culture and
| refinement into, the printed word,
constitutes a highly worthwhile life
| achievement.
CHARLES A. DANA, tie editor OF
! THE Sun, had a rare faculty for dis
corning unrecognized genius in the
newspaper men of the country. He
saw in the touch of young MITCHELL,
then an editorial writer on the Lew
iston Journal, the slant of thought,
the method Of expression. the light
and shade, the imagination, the clar-
ity of vision, the exquisite humor and
thorough mastery Of discussion that
would bring added strength to his
already brilliant editorial page.
And so in 1875 Mr.. MITCHELL, then
only twenty-three, took his place with
the most distinguished company Of
e!iL ial writers ever known to any
! - ican newspaper. That was
forty.seven years ago, and in this long
span of unbroken conservation to
THE Sun, which next to his own fam
| lily came to be the love of his life,
he has done as brilliant and beautiful
work as has ever been penned in the
editorial rooms OF any newspaper
anywhere.
Mr.. MrTcHELLs viewpoint has been
broad and big. His work has been
sound. scholarly, faithful, painstak-
ing and imbued always with warm
sense of justice, good taste and good
form. AS editor-in-chief of THF Sun
after Mr.. DANKs death, and chief ed
itorial writer for many years when
Mr.. DANA occupied the distinguished
place as the greatest of American
journalists, Mr.. MIrcHELLs utter.
ances in THE Sun have been a power
and delight in this community and
in the nation.
Notwithstanding his very great
place in the newspaper world Mr.
MITCHELL is little known to the
American people. In his delightful
modesty and delicate sensitiveness
ne has insistently kept himself in the
background of his newspaper and in
the background among men. Except
| for his travels Mr.. MITcHELL's hours
of freedom from the Office of THE SUN
have been spent mainly with his fam
lily and in his library. He has a schol-
arly mind, love of the beautiful in
art and in life, and has heart and
nature that have won the love and
| devotion OF all those associated with
him in his work and in the making
of THE Sun.
| Mr.. MITCHELL Is to-day starting
out afresh on the trail he has so
splendidly illumined for half a CEN
tury, starting out with clear mind
clear vision and with reasonable ex.
pectancy Of another decade at least
OF ripened years to add to the full
and useful and beautiful life ->he
has lived.