1938-05-10 — Page 18

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, TUESDAY MAY 10, 1838.

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TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1938.

"CONSOLIDATE YOUR GAINS"

un-

THE TORTURED MILLIONAIRE

By JOHN HAMPDEN

HAVE just finished reading the life story of a millionaire with whom no beggar in the gutter would want to change places.

The name of the mil- lionaire was Joseph Pulit zer. His strange life of suffering is told in a fine book, "An Adventure With a Genius," by Alleyne Ire- by land, just published Lovat. Dickson (78. 6d.).

a

man

who

Pulitzer was achieved world fame as a newa- paper publisher.

Afflicted

In His Prime

He was the real founder of modern journalism. His news-

JOSEPH PULITZER

"Retired from the world a blind man . . . nerves wrecked."

must not be opened when Mr. Pulitzer ja asleep."

Onco almonds suddenly dis- appear from the dessert at dinner. The chief steward hesitatingly confesses to an Inquirer that Mr. Pulitzer cannot endure the sound of an almond being snapped in half.

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HE had the greatest difficulty, in sleeping: A curious ceremony was per- formed each day after lunch. Mr. Pulitzer would put on his pyjamas or perhaps merely take off his coat and shoes and lie down.

A secretary, one of the obe- dient throng, would be summon ed to read him some play or book.

then

papera, the St. Louis Post Dia. him. He thought it was in- make the words more and more

digestion.

"Noise-Proof

Bedroom

At intervals inside this shaft drawn across them for the purpose were placed frames with silk threads of absorbing any faint vibrations which might and their way In:

In this bedroom, with its triple- window and its heavy double door closed, Pullizer enjoyed as near ap-

preach to perfect quietness as it was: possible to obtain in New York.

CHOOSING an hotel in which

he could bear to siny was:

a heavy task.

A secretary would inspect half u dozen before settling on one. He would have to spend two or three' hours in cach, finding out certain things, for experience had proved that hotel managers' assurances were

not to be trusted.

He maxt And poi not only- whether there wero any nolsy guests, whether the windows rat-

led, whether the floor creaked

Even the route from the station

and to be carefully considered. A

Irial run was made in a car. If the route followed a tramline, if it went by a noisy spot like a children's play- ground, if it phased-over a rough piece of road, the whole route had to be revised.

ཕ་

At a certain point Pulitzer

"Softly." would say,

Then after a little, "Quite softly." This was a sign that Pulitzer was going off into a doze.

Lulled To Sleep By A Mumble The secretary would

THE extraordinary thing is indistinct until he sank into a

that with his blindness,- kind of mumble. This mumble with his wretched health, willi his- was very difficult to acquire, and Mr. Pallizer was one of the greatest atmost maniacal nervous affcction, new secretaries had agonies in workers the world has ever seen. It developed into the separa- learning it.

He kept five or six secretaries on tion of the retina of both eyes.

The mumbler would keep Mr. the run the whole time. They were Pulitzer retired from the Pulitzer in a state of dozing, the progress of his papers and of necessary to keep him informed of world, a blind man with wreck The secretary could read a novel every world ovent. But they were ed nerves. He lived in strange or whatever he liked so long as also necessary because Mr. Pullt sound proof houses in New he kept up this noise with his zer could not bear to be left to himself for a minute. Some one* York, London, Mentone and in jips-and he might have to do must be talking to him all the time.. his yacht. Many people forgot he was alive.

patch and the New York Work,

An oculist told him that he cried abroad new ideas and new had burst a blood vessel in one principles which outdated the dull columns of their

contem- eye. poraries.

Instead of flattering the poli- ticians they criticised them. They exposed corruption, they fought furious campaigns for public reforms.

~

Pulitzer BUT though

became a millionaire and a world figure through his papers, fate took away with one hand what she gave with the

other.

In the first place, Pulitzer de- veloped a terrible nervous ma- lady which made the alightest sound a torture to him.

In the second place, he became

These affictions struck him in the prime of life.

One day he found he could hardly read the proofs put before

His nervous affliction coloured his whole life.

PICTURE him as he

drifts about the seas at a snail's pace in his yacht Liberty, suffering.

Every noise pierces his inmost being as if with red-hot irona, Meal times are a torture to him.

or

11

it for hours on end,

The slightest change in the pitch of voice, a sneeze cough, would awaken Mr. Pulit- zer with a start, and ΕΠ Fin- pleasant quarter of 办理 hour would follow.

EVERY door in

his

houses in London, New York and Mentone shut automatically and silently and Was draped with heavy curtains to prevent the, slightest noise from filtering through.

Endless Meal

Of Facts

1

way cut off All the seen world from Pulitzer. His secretaries must. be his eyes, must tell him of every- thing. must re-erente the whole world for him.

llo took each of them in furn to talk to him. If they stopped for oven a minute his nerves were- all a-jangle,

And not light talk either. Pulit- zer demanded an endless meal of

chopped fine

the news,

facia. Facts about the arts, the world, poll- tics, plays, and others--anything so- long as they talked.

The pleasant tinkle of a spoon against a saucer makes

His bedroom in New York was him wince like a dog threaten-

unique.

The secretaries would work from ed with a whip,

Although his bedroom appear early in the morning until late at The gurgle of water poured ed to form part of the house it night to prepare for their talks with

their chief.

Such an attitude is not in keep into a glass, the striking of a did not in fact, do so. It stood Some would be reading through

Aroused By Footstep

of conversation,

It was of the most solid con- Some marked passages in maga- struction and had but one win. zines to read out to him. Some would even be reading novels to re- dow, a very large affair COB- late the plot to him. sisting of three casements set

The latest developments in the European sphere leaves the mind groping for the real dis- intentions of the powers, mayed by the inconsistencies of diplomacy and altogether certain of the future trend. But taking the situation ag a whole there are one or two hopeful aspects; indications of a chang- ing mental attitude which may encourage the exponents of peaceful policy. Since the Ger- man occupation of Austria and the delicate balance which re-blind, sulted, there has been a general retrent from violence and an apparently genuine attempt on the part of one "belligerent" nation to reach a compromise S. MOUTRIE & CO., LTD. with a suspected rival. Italy has

signed an agreement with Great ing with what British people match, send a pang right through upon its own foundation and was the mountains of Provy cuttings Britain, and for the first time have been led to expect from his body.

He turns pale and breaks into connected with the main struc- which were sent after him from in years these two nations are Italy, but if Britain can change

ture by some ingenious device America. Some would be picking her tune, so can the fiddlers of a cold perspiration at some sound which isolated it from all vibra- papers to provide him with toples "human items" out of the news- on terms which do not cause

which to most people would

tiona originating there.. misgivings. But the agreement Rome. And if it is less martial,

so much the better. So it is have been scarely audible. was only won at the cost of a

hardly fair to charge the retreat from the moral stand taken by Great Britain, and to diplomats of these two countries many is unsatisfactory for that with inconsistencies when, had

one inside the other, and provid- reason. Yesterday despatches they stubbornly stuck to their

Every one in the yacht must ed with heavy plate glass.

NACH secretary would go discords, someone probably

This triple window was never wear rubber-soled shoes, becauso from Europe told of Lord Huli-

tremblingly on duty to fax having failed to win un-

would have been driven to vio- the scraping of leather sets his opened when Mr. Pulitzer was the task of informing or amusing teeth on edge. The part of the in the room, the ventilation be Mr. Pulitzer. He would wolf up the offered him, They animous recognition at Genevalent measures. for

Granted that there has been deck under which he sleeps is ing secured by means of fans feverishly looked in their pockets Italian Sovereignty in

to Mr. Pulitzer, it is remem- this much progress towards roped off because a solitary foot- situated in a long masonry shaft to see if they could not find another Ethiopia. When

whose interior opening was in cutting to read

Silence. Ther bered that there were many who appeasement, the time has not fall will ruin his night,

Each door which gives access the chimney and whose exterior

"No, no. Don't let us stop talk- would have had Britain go to yet come when British people to the rooms above his cabin has opening was far enough away to ing

reading," Pulitzer would can sit back with folded hands a little brass plate. On the forbid the passage of any sound

must have something cry.

Limc war to prevent the Italian oc-

occupy my mind all the cupation of this territory, the and "let matters take their plate is cut a legend: "This door in the streets.

matter how exhausted I am.”

If he was bored with the attitude of the Government is a course". There are still large

provided he would suddenly little disconcerting. Had the and grave problems to be faced

this?" intervening developments not been known to an observer he must have been dumfounded by this actually astonishing change of polley. And, it must be said, he probably would have been not a little shocked had he been an Englishman. However, the word of the Chamberlain ad- ministration must be taken that the present attitude is for the best. And indeed, if by re- cognising the presence of a stone wall a nation can avoid butting its head against it, the course is probably wise.

Music hath

Sunday Classical Concert,

at Repulse Bay Hotel

Under leadership of

Geo, Pio-Ulski

Programme for Sunday, May 15, 1938.

1 p.m. - 2.30 p.m.

PROGRAMME

1. Turandot. Ouverture

2. Boene de Ballet

3. Un premier bouquet. Waliz

4. Carmen. Selection

5.

Dance Blava

6. The Willow Plate

7. Allegro Vivace

For Reservations

please 'phone 27775

REPULSE

BAY

HOTEL

Weber, .Luigini. Waldteufel.

....Bizet. .Dvorak.

Herbert.

.Lake.

charms

and

那

decided. The Czecho- Slovakian quarrel is only one; the Spanish affair is another; the Polish-Lithuanian dispute and the whole of the Eastern European scene require careful watching. Britain, and other nations who seck to keep the for themselves and for peace

must be alert to others,

what aid they con lend to statesmen everywhere who are trying to extricate their affaira out of the tangle which wars, treaties and, depressions have created. The League of Nations, even Its warmest adherents admit, is virtually In the later developments in | helpless now. It is for in- Europe the immediate effect of dividual Governments to act; this changed British attitude is and they must act without con- aeen. Signor Mussolini is try- fusing issues and, if possible, ing to discourago Herr Hitler without injuring anyone's feel- from any course which will in-ings. If past experience causes a little apprehensiveness on the volve the use of force in part of lesser powers and they correcting 'the Czecho-Slovákian, have some cause for alarm-lt minority trouble; or so des- can only be hoped that their patches indicate. Signor Mus- just claims will be respected. Bollni is apparently offering For if Europe has progressed towards some sort of permanent certain inducements, such 我感 understanding it would be a

diplomatic support for German criminal thing to relax the

THE HONGKONG & SHANGHAI HOTELS, LTD. aims, if Germany steers away

from

efforts which have brought even war in Eastern Europe. these trivial tangible resulta.

GRIN

AND BEAR IT

meal they

to

no

tare Bay:

By Lichtyy God, is there much more of

"Why shouldn't homope? Let him run away from home and i get a flea like any other dog?"

A Patient

Listener

Then the secretary would have to bring his story to a hasty conclusion and retire in disgrace, leaving ar other to take on the Herculean task of amusing Mr. Pulitzer.

If he was interested-his- interest wos endless.

He would patiently listen while some one told him the whole plat of a play

of Shakespeare. When ask they had finished he would them, the plot of another play, and to on, far into the night.

When they had exhausted their repertoire, he would ask them if they had read Shakespeare's sonnets.

SOMET

OMETIMES Mr. Pulitzer": would want to laugh. Then they would get a whole year's fle: of comic papers, read them through in the small hours of the morning and serve up the dish to Mr. Pulitzer next day.

One secretary had a box contain- ing hundreds of funny storide in his cabin. He would take out a hand- ful arid slip them in hi pocket whenever he was summoned to at tend the great man.

But they had to be careful to tell Mr. Pulitzer nothing-that was too funny. In his disordered elsta of nerves loud Inughter ransed him aoulo pain...

(Continued on Pape 5.1

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