Evening star., 1925-08-20

VICTOR f. LAWSON.
| sion had housed only himself and his
servants. One of the disappointments
| of his life was the fact that he hao
| to Graceland Cemetery, no matter
| hinted that this disappointment haC
| much to do with his favorite hobby
which was to provide in Lincoln Park
| a sanitarium for the care Of sick anC
poor children.
| Devoted to Wife.
On Sundays II was his habit to &C
to Graceland Cemetery, no matter
! what the season or the weather, anG
| place a wreath on the grave of his
wife, the most intimate companion o1
| his life.
1t was for her that he built what
was, at the time, the costliest and most
beautiful home In Chicago. And when
she died he preferred to maintain
| that home in the same way-as nearly
| as possible-as before.
There he had one of the most i'm
pressive private libraries in the world
In his newspaper office Mr.. Lawson
always maintained a personal contact
with the members of his large staff.
He was like q father to all on the
staff" Charles Dennis, managing edi
tor, said He was one of the few
great publishers Of the country whose
personal touch was felt by every mem.
Der OF the staff OF the newspaper"
Subject Of Many Anecdotes.
Numerous anecdotes are told of the
tall, slightly bent, brown bearded man
who was so little in the public eye,
despite his great power and influence
When he established his penny news
paper he was handicapped by the fact
that there were few pennies in Chi
cago. People liked the paper, but pen.
MES were scarce. So he secured the
country for pennies and got them into
circulation here. He was said to have
dealt in pennies by the bushel. His
truckloads of pennies started him on
the road to wealth and fame.
AS proof of his sagacity, office as
sociates tell OF q telegraph editor who
during the Democratic convention In
1912, warned other members of the
staff that mfr. Lawson said to give
this fellow Wilson fair DEAL
Mr.. Lawson fought former Sena-
tor William Lorimer in politics and
upon the occasion of a speech by Mr.
other Chicago newspaper. friendly to
the News, called Mr.. Lawson to ask
about the attack. Mr., Lawson urged
that it be used without change. The
next day he answered 1t.
Under great stress. Mr.. Lawson.
true to his newspaper training, was
always calm. He barely escaped death
nine years ago when entering the
office housing the Associated Press in
New York City in company with Mr.
Stone. his lifelong friend, a large
piece of cornice fell. barely missing
them. He suffered injuries from flying
splinters which caused him to limp
thereafter.
Praised by Employe.
The test day of Victor Lawson s
life in recent years." Henry Justin
Smith, former news editor of the
News, said, was the day of the fake
armistice. That was the most trying
day that American afternoon papers
had gone through for decades. The
ordeal lasted two hours. Throughout
it, Mr.. Lawson, who was in the midst
of the excitement, stood like a rock
refusing to be stampeded by rumor or
to permit an extra to be issued on the
strength of a rumor. When, at the
end Of two hours, his judgment was
vindicated, he showed no elation, Just
as he had betrayed neither panic nor
weakness under the strain of wait.
ing"
Mr.. Lawson had been planning a
vacation on his estate at Green Lake,
Wis, once a Summer cottage to
which he had taken his bride on a
honeymoon, but since transformed
into a country villa. But he stayed In
yn 70 OF 20 h,,cf
mostly philanthropic enterprises, and
the trip was never made.
A number of men who have won
fame in newspaper work and in other
professions served on the News un.
der Mr.. lawson; among them, Eu.
gene Field, Slason Thompson, John F.
Ballantyne, DR.. F. w. Reilly, John
T. McClutcheon, George AIDE, George
Harvey, Ray Stannard Baker and
Henry Barrett Chamberlin.
Mr.. Lawson is the second pioneer
Chicago newspaper man to die within
year, John C. Eastman, editor and
owner of the Chicago Daily Journal,
dying suddenly several months ago.
Stone Deeply Grieved.
The Daily News today received the
following message from Mr.. Stone:
Chicago Daily News,
Chicago, ILL.,,
Gentlemen:
II have just learned of Mr.. Law.
sons death and am utterly prostrated
by 1t. For so years or more he and
l were very intimate friends. We
began our acquaintance as school.
mates in the old Chicago High School,
and he joined me in the ownership
and conduct of the Chicago Daily
News when I was 27 years old and he
25. We worked together In the forma-
tive days of the paper for IL years, he
as business manager and I as editor,
and there was never the slightest fric-
ton between US. He was a great and
good man, conscientious, generous and
with an ever-abiding determination to
do his duty as a Christian gentleman.
OF course I am going to Chicago at
once
MELVILLE E. STONE"
Tribute Is Recalled.
Mr.. Lawson's death recalled a
tribute he paid Mr.. Stone in a letter
commemorating Mr.. Stones compile.
ton of 25 years as general manager
of the Associated Press in 1918.
The tribute addressed to INV dear
Mel" spoke Of a more than 40 years
~g. - y