Evening star., 1933-09-13
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
Margaret Cermond.


Brown q Co.
Forty-nine years ago this Fall q
young man, fresh from the University
Of Michigan, began q career which
was destined to give him an inside view
Of the world at large during q half
century that has witnessed the most
extraordinary development of any pc
riod Of time in the recorded history
of civilization. That young man was
Willis j. Abbot, now one Of the most
wtdely-known newspaper men in this
country. Just ahead of the flftieth
milestone Of his long and useful career,
he has given to the public this book
OF "reminiscences, collection Of expe-
riences and observations that makes q
worthy record of political history and
that gives an exceptionally vivid analy-
sis Of the characters of the men promi-
nently identified with the era.
Too frail, as a young man, to with
stand the rigors of the Northern cli-
mate. Mr.. Abbot began his profess
sional career In that most exotic and
romantic Of all American cities, New
Orleans. While sitting in the ONCE of
the editor Of the New Orleans
Times Democrat waiting for some
one to tell him what to do, a
door. In the next second q man
in a violent rage, with one hand drip
ping blood, rushed In. In the excite
ment which prevailed for a few min
utes it was learned that the injured
man was a local political boss who had
considerable influence with the paper,
and that he and the editor Of a comic
paper which had savagely criticized
him had Just settled their differences
with pistols. Two shots were fred by
the offending editor, one Of them kill
ing a well-known gambler. and the
other relieving the politician of his
trigger finger. This episode served as
the initiation Of young Abbot into his
new job as q reporter on a newspaper
Such events are few and far be-
tween In these days, and perhaps they
were not so numerous In other parts
OF the country fifty years ago. But in
Louisiana 1t was part Of the regular
routine for the editor of Q paper to
begin his hours Of labor by placing a
revolver ready at hand on his desk.
The owner Of the paper on which Mr..
walked with . limp, the result Of q
bullet implanted In his groin by the
editor Of q rival paper.
From days such as these, when vio-
lence was a part Of the program in
stead OF an extraordinary event. the
author Of this delightfully."- entertaining
volume of "reminiscences carries through
to this present year q survey Of the
world In which he has lived and served
so faithfully. Picturesque indeed are
many OF the characters notable in other
generations but known only as names
to the vast majority Of today's popu-
lation. Lafcadio Hearn, q fellow work
er on the Times-Democrat; Richard
Harding Davis, John Habberton, Ed
ward Townsend. John Hay, Julian
Ralph, Harold Frederick and q host Of
other writers whose experiences as re-
porters led to more notable achieve
ments were among his colleagues and
friends on rival newspapers in the early
days. Presidents and politicians, from
Garfield and Roscoe Conkling to Frank
lin D. Roosevelt, have been among his
acquaintances and friends, and other
notable persons from Jefferson Davis
to Ramsey Macdonald. have figured
in these the contacts with men and
affairs during these fifty years of active
Life.
As New Orleans correspondent for
the New York World this young man
was assigned to visit Jefferson Davis
at his home in Mississippi and get from
the former leader of the fallen Con-
federacy an interview giving his opin-
ion Of the life and service Of Gen. Grant,
who was then dying. A difficult as
simment, indeed. and one which re-
suited In happy acquaintance and an
interview highly characteristic Of the
man whose cause went down In defeat.
In 1886 Mr.. Abbot became q re-
porter on the New York Tribune, under
the editorship Of Whitelaw Reid, and
during the course Of the years has
served on the Chicago Times, the New
York Journal. which later became the
New York American; the New York
Sun and various other publications in
as many capacities. Early in his ca
reer he purchased Kansas City paper,
but after gallant struggle in boom
town after the boom had died the
venture proved financially disastrous.
He was the editor of the Chicago Times
during the Columbian Exposition, keep
ing that post until difficulties arose fol-
lowing the death of its owner, Carter
Henry Harrison, whose term as mayor
Of Chicago was brought to an end by
the bullet Of an assassin. In 1921 Mr..
Abbot became editor Of the Christian
Science Monitor and is still engaged in
an editorial capacity on that paper
Mr.. Abbot has for many years been al
most equally active IL politics He was
for many years diligent worker in the
Democratic party, and has regularly
attended the conventions of the two
major parties since 1880, in which year
he acted as page during the Republican
National Convention in Chicago. An
imposing array of political leaders of
all stripes are presented, and his define
ations Of the characters and tempera-
mentS Of such men as Mark Hanna,
Col. Bob mgersoll, Ben Butler, Rich
ard Croker and q host Of others are
examples Of his unusual ability to
search out the finer as well as the
,baser traits with which the human tribe
IS endowed.
\ In the chapters dealing with his OBJ
servations and experiences as q journal
tst he tells many stories which are old
In most newspaper offices, and as many
which are new. All OF them are keenly
interesting and will be appreciated by
those outside Of the profession as well
as those within It. He fastens upon
specific individuals the somewhat
doubtful honor Of perpetrating some Of
SsAV sAANA AAAuASCA III ny CC1 taul types
Of newspaper men. Notorious among
these is the now almost forgotten occa-
sion Of the story Of the death Of Gen.
w. Ref1ip Thenuz," printed during
the Spanish war, credit for
which Mr.. Abbot bestows upon Arthur
Brisbane.
Also in relating his experiences and
observations as q journalist. Mr.. Abbot
gives the inside story of the methods
and shams employed in yellow Journal
ism and the lengths to which its pro-
ducers will go to maintain low stand
ard. His schooling in this field was
genuine and thorough. His descriptions
Of the methods adopted and the men
who conceived them are extremely in
teresting, and while he does not upheld
or approve, his comments are neither
harsh nor intolerant.
One interesting phase Of the remi-
niscences Is the number Of queer mis-
sions assigned to the author in both
his political and journalistic fields. One