The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1930-01-10
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we tell the truth
about many things. sometimes pro-
foundly, sometimes fippantly,
sometimes recklessly.

Here and there over the country
are men whose hearts beat for the
trade union movement, who have done
it yoeman service and who have edg-
ed away into other fields.
There's that man Carl Sandburg,
who spends his time writing pieces
for the Chicago Daily News and
writing books. Once upon a time he
was a labor reporter, turning out
some of the best labor news copy ever
written. One of the great mysteries
of life is the mystery of why Sand
burg didn't keep on writing labor
news until he became famous as a
great labor reporter, which he would
have BEEN
But he went down a different path
and became famous as poet 1t is
pertinent to talk about Sandburg just
now because within the past few
weeks two new books by him have
been announced. Lucky is the man
who gets one onto the book store
counters in season; here is man
who puts two across.
With one of these new books Sand
burg leaps to rare financial heights
The book retails at $25. 1t is called
'Steichen, the Photographer. The
second book is at the other extreme
It's children's book, called "Roota.
baga Country" the third of the Root
abaga series.
Steichen, subject of the deluxe $25
book, filled with famous photographs
Steichen, born in Milwaukee, where
Sandburg once worked and where he
was married, started life cleaning
spittoons at So a week and rose to be
one of the worlds great photograph
ers. Midway in his career he drew
advertising pictures, among which
was the famous picture for the Cas-
caret, "They work while you sleep
poster. He was an army colonel, chief
of the Photographic section of the air
service, during the war.
Sandburg has produced a beautiful
book, filled with fmaous photographs
But his book about Abraham Lincoln
stands firmly as his most magnificent
product.
Once buffeted hard by poverty, Carl
Sandburg still exercises great econ
omy of motion and greater economy
of words. Few men can say as much
in ten words as he packs into them.
He should have stuck to writing labor
news, which he knew how to write
into poetry and drama and romance.
But if he had done that we shouldn't
have had the most wonderful Lin
coin book ever written and we
shouldn't have his volumes of strik-
ing poetry.
Over the country there are many
men who have gone from trade union
ranks into the ranks of America S
remarkable writer's. There is Frank
lyn E. Wolfe, Californian, veteran
and pioneed telegrapher, one of the
fastest men that ever worked a press
wire. Driven into journalism out of
strike that happened many years
ago, Wolfe has done some of the fin
est stunts labor news reporting ever
saw. He's a stunt man who sees ten
jumps ahead Of the other fellow, but
withal a philosopher and a rare joke
ster.
Wolfe today writes one of the best
columns in America, though the tea
table set of New York wouldn't like
that verdict. He draws on a fund of
experience and observation richer
than was possible to philosophers of
earlier and less mobile times. He
writes things that laugh out of his
pages, things that get to the inside
of human beings as they are and
things that have in them the pro-
found wisdom of the ages.
Far away from labor work in his
daily occupation, Wolfe, like Sand
burg, puts into everything he does
the heartbeat of the under dog, the
aspiration of the yearning masses.
Many of his pieces have been carried
by international Labor News Service
during the past year.
Native talent grows richly in trade
union service. 1t feeds upon the
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