San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-30
BY r. C. p.


By r. C. p.
As i sat opposite DR.. Crane at a
broad flat-topped desk in his commo-
dious study was impressed by the
great breath and depth of his human
sympathy, his anxiety 10 serve his
fellow men. OF course j knew that
originally the church had been his
calling and that as a young man he
had dedicated his life to such ser
vice. But i had felt that possibly il
was either latent literay talent as
sorting itself or n desire to preach
through the press rather than from
the pulpit that switched his course
and converted him into the worlds
foremost newspaper feature writer.
IL was surprising to learn it was
wholly another motive that changed
his career-a sincere sympathy for
human foibles and deep-seated
yearning TO serve mankind.
Early in my life as a preacher"
he told me when i asked him how il
came about, Il learned that people
didn't want to hear long sermons. So
] made mine short. They never ran
over twenty-five minutes. In that
space ] generally tried to develop five
outstanding points. Gradually l dis
covered even this was too much. In
oyerhearing comments about them
after their delivery il became aPpar-
ent to me that most people carried
only one point, never more than two.
The other three were wasted"
DR.. Crane opened a volume of his
II. IL -. . L.. Ill a. IL
me the brevity of his articles.
This set me to thinking" he pro-
ceeded. IF people only seemed TO
grasp one point at a time why not
give it 10 them just that way? But
] found that the clear and concise de-
relopment of one point was not enough
even for a short .twenty-five-minute
sermon. also learned that some let
their attention wander when sitting
through any sermon, no matter how
long or how short. There always
would be a few who would lose some
thing essential. / felt it they could
see this one point briefly stated right
before their eyes in print it would
impress il on their minds as no speak
er could possibly do"
So DR.. Crane resigned his pastorate
in Worcester, Mass, and came TO New
York CITY TO try out his idea. 1t was
bold step. But he was willing to
risk it as be was convinced he had
something serviceable for the world.
Although prior TO that time he had
written considerably for church period
icals be practically was unknown. He
tramped the beaten paths TO editorial
offices, finding it difficult to get
hearing. "a
Finally = syndicate editor thought
he would take chance on "this Crane
stuff" He wasn't at all sure it would
gO-rather doubted il, in faet-and Of
fered DIR. Crane 81 a day TO write six
editorials q week. This wasn't even
a clergman's salary. But il was all
he could get so DIR. Crane accepted il.
his desire 10 serve people by helping
them solve their daily difficulties.
That was less than fifteen years
ago. Today his editorial probably is
the biggest syndicated feature in the
world.
FIRST OFFER REJECTED.
When his reputation had grown so
that his editorials began commanding
some attention DR.. Crane offered his
services exclusively to a prominent |
metropolitan publisher and editor for
$500 a year and was willing TO sign |
a contract for that amount annually |
for life. But the editor did not feel |
DR. Cranes fame or ability warranted |
such a salary and rejected the offer. |
The same editor now is paying many |
times $500 a year for merely certain |
territory rights in DR.. Cranes daily |
editorials.
DR.. Chne's idea took deep hold on |
the public. He was persuaded to |
sign q longtime contract with a syndi- |
cate which issued a blanket service |
consisting Of a number of features, all |
OF which had TO be ordered TO get any |
one Of them. Naturally this had its |
limitations for DR.. Crane. considerably |
the newspaper audience he |
wished 10 reach.
During this period, however, his |
reputation grew tremendously every |
where and he had many imitators. Not |
only did be become widely known from |
one end of the United States TO the |
other, quoted from pulpit and plat |
form, but his editorials found vast |
audiences in many other |
countries. Soon after signing his con-
tract two years ago with the Mcclure |
Syndicate his editorial fea-
fure was placed in over two hundred |
leading American newspapers-includ- |
ing Porto Rico, Honolulu and Manila |
and in England, Canada, France,
Scandinavia, Denmark, Austria, South |
Africa, India, Australia, Japan, Mex
leo and Cuba.
At the time magazines were ex-
plotting him. One featured his photo
graph in colors on its front cover. He |
contributed TO the Century, Atlantic |
American, Golfers, Life, |