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Mr. Dana, of the New York Sun by Eugene Field

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A Denver newspaper team is tricked by a con artist named Cantell Whoppers, who rides on the assertion that he used to work for the famous editor Charles Dana of the New York Sun.

Poet
Eugene Field
Core theme
Art
The PoemFull text

Mr. Dana, of the New York Sun

Eugene Field

Thar showed up out'n Denver in the spring uv '81 A man who'd worked with Dana on the Noo York Sun. His name wuz Cantell Whoppers, 'nd he wuz a sight ter view Ez he walked inter the orfice 'nd inquired fer work ter do. Thar warn't no places vacant then,--fer be it understood, That wuz the time when talent flourished at that altitood; But thar the stranger lingered, tellin' Raymond 'nd the rest Uv what perdigious wonders he could do when at his best, Till finally he stated (quite by chance) that he hed done A heap uv work with Dana on the Noo York Sun. Wall, that wuz quite another thing; we owned that ary cuss Who'd worked f'r Mr. Dana _must_ be good enough fer _us_! And so we tuk the stranger's word 'nd nipped him while we could, For if _we didn't_ take him we knew John Arkins _would_; And Cooper, too, wuz mouzin' round fer enterprise 'nd brains, Whenever them commodities blew in across the plains. At any rate we nailed him, which made ol' Cooper swear And Arkins tear out handfuls uv his copious curly hair; But _we_ set back and cackled, 'nd bed a power uv fun With our man who'd worked with Dana on the Noo York Sun. It made our eyes hang on our cheeks 'nd lower jaws ter drop, Ter hear that feller tellin' how ol' Dana run his shop: It seems that Dana wuz the biggest man you ever saw,-- He lived on human bein's, 'nd preferred to eat 'em raw! If he hed Democratic drugs ter take, before he took 'em, As good old allopathic laws prescribe, he allus shook 'em. The man that could set down 'nd write like Dany never grew, And the sum of human knowledge wuzn't half what Dana knew; The consequence appeared to be that nearly every one Concurred with Mr. Dana of the Noo York Sun. This feller, Cantell Whoppers, never brought an item in,-- He spent his time at Perrin's shakin' poker dice f'r gin. Whatever the assignment, he wuz allus sure to shirk, He wuz very long on likker and all-fired short on work! If any other cuss had played the tricks he dared ter play, The daisies would be bloomin' over his remains to-day; But somehow folks respected him and stood him to the last, Considerin' his superior connections in the past. So, when he bilked at poker, not a sucker drew a gun On the man who 'd worked with Dana on the Noo York Sun. Wall, Dana came ter Denver in the fall uv '83. A very different party from the man we thought ter see,-- A nice 'nd clean old gentleman, so dignerfied 'nd calm, You bet yer life he never did no human bein' harm! A certain hearty manner 'nd a fulness uv the vest Betokened that his sperrits 'nd his victuals wuz the best; His face wuz so benevolent, his smile so sweet 'nd kind, That they seemed to be the reflex uv an honest, healthy mind; And God had set upon his head a crown uv silver hair In promise uv the golden crown He meaneth him to wear. So, uv us boys that met him out'n Denver, there wuz none But fell in love with Dana uv the Noo York Sun. But when he came to Denver in that fall uv '83, His old friend Cantell Whoppers disappeared upon a spree; The very thought uv seein' Dana worked upon him so (They hadn't been together fer a year or two, you know), That he borrered all the stuff he could and started on a bat, And, strange as it may seem, we didn't see him after that. So, when ol' Dana hove in sight, we couldn't understand Why he didn't seem to notice that his crony wa'n't on hand; No casual allusion, not a question, no, not one, For the man who'd "worked with Dana on the Noo York Sun!" We broke it gently to him, but he didn't seem surprised, Thar wuz no big burst uv passion as we fellers had surmised. He said that Whoppers wuz a man he 'd never heerd about, But he mought have carried papers on a Jarsey City route; And then he recollected hearin' Mr. Laffan say That he'd fired a man named Whoppers fur bein' drunk one day, Which, with more likker _underneath_ than money _in_ his vest, Had started on a freight-train fur the great 'nd boundin' West, But further information or statistics he had none Uv the man who'd "worked with Dana on the Noo York Sun." We dropped the matter quietly 'nd never made no fuss,-- When we get played for suckers, why, that's a horse on us!-- But every now 'nd then we Denver fellers have to laff To hear some other paper boast uv havin' on its staff A man who's "worked with Dana," 'nd then we fellers wink And pull our hats down on our eyes 'nd set around 'nd think. It seems like Dana couldn't be as smart as people say, If he educates so many folks 'nd lets 'em get away; And, as for us, in future we'll be very apt to shun The man who "worked with Dana on the Noo York Sun." But bless ye, Mr. Dana! may you live a thousan' years, To sort o' keep things lively in this vale of human tears; An' may _I_ live a thousan', too,--a thousan' less a day, For I shouldn't like to be on earth to hear you'd passed away. And when it comes your time to go you'll need no Latin chaff Nor biographic data put in your epitaph; But one straight line of English and of truth will let folks know The homage 'nd the gratitude 'nd reverence they owe; You'll need no epitaph but this: "Here sleeps the man who run That best 'nd brightest paper, the Noo York Sun."

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Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A Denver newspaper team is tricked by a con artist named Cantell Whoppers, who rides on the assertion that he used to work for the famous editor Charles Dana of the New York Sun. However, when Dana arrives in Denver, he doesn’t recognize Whoppers, leading to the unraveling of the entire scam. The poem concludes with the narrator humorously reflecting on his own naivety while sincerely honoring Dana as one of the greats in American journalism.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Thar showed up out'n Denver in the spring uv '81 / A man who'd worked with Dana on the Noo York Sun.

    Editor's note

    Field sets the scene in frontier vernacular: a stranger named Cantell Whoppers strolls into a Denver newspaper office in 1881 and casually drops the name of Charles Dana, the renowned editor of the New York Sun, as his calling card. That name alone serves as his entire resume.

  2. Wall, that wuz quite another thing; we owned that ary cuss / Who'd worked f'r Mr. Dana _must_ be good enough fer _us_!

    Editor's note

    The Denver staff quickly bring in Whoppers solely based on Dana's name, believing that anyone trained by such a legend has to be skilled. Field illustrates how Dana's reputation was so vast that it acted like a blank check — no additional proof required. Rival editors Cooper and Arkins are furious that they lost this opportunity.

  3. It made our eyes hang on our cheeks 'nd lower jaws ter drop, / Ter hear that feller tellin' how ol' Dana run his shop:

    Editor's note

    Whoppers keeps the staff entertained with outrageous, exaggerated stories about Dana — claiming he was the smartest man alive, that he could practically eat people raw, and that no Democrat could withstand his paper. These tall tales are funny exaggerations, but they also illustrate the process of myth-making: the more grandiose the legend, the simpler it is to take advantage of it.

  4. This feller, Cantell Whoppers, never brought an item in,-- / He spent his time at Perrin's shakin' poker dice f'r gin.

    Editor's note

    The con is fully exposed: Whoppers does no real journalism, instead spending his days gambling and drinking. His name — 'Cantell Whoppers' — is a pun Field set up from the beginning ('can't tell whoppers' or 'tell whoppers'). He isn't fired because his alleged connection to Dana protects him.

  5. Wall, Dana came ter Denver in the fall uv '83. / A very different party from the man we thought ter see,--

    Editor's note

    When the real Dana shows up two years later, he’s nothing like the monster Whoppers painted him to be. Field depicts him as a dignified, kind, silver-haired gentleman — almost saint-like. The difference between the exaggerated tales of Dana and the real man is the poem's main comic and moral turning point.

  6. But when he came to Denver in that fall uv '83, / His old friend Cantell Whoppers disappeared upon a spree;

    Editor's note

    Whoppers disappears right when his lie is on the verge of being revealed. His vanishing act is its own punchline — he can't confront the person he's been pretending to connect with. The con only succeeds from afar.

  7. We broke it gently to him, but he didn't seem surprised, / Thar wuz no big burst uv passion as we fellers had surmised.

    Editor's note

    Dana hardly shows any reaction. He vaguely remembers a Mr. Laffan who once fired a drunk named Whoppers from a paper-delivery route in Jersey City — a far cry from the senior editorial position Whoppers had boasted about. The complete and deadpan deflation makes it funnier than any dramatic confrontation could have been.

  8. We dropped the matter quietly 'nd never made no fuss,-- / When we get played for suckers, why, that's a horse on us!--

    Editor's note

    The narrator brushes off the embarrassment with a tough exterior and some self-deprecating humor. The takeaway: always question anyone who starts with a well-known name. The staff now share a knowing wink every time another paper boasts about hiring a Dana alumnus.

  9. But bless ye, Mr. Dana! may you live a thousan' years, / To sort o' keep things lively in this vale of human tears;

    Editor's note

    The final stanza shifts from humor to authentic affection. Field distinguishes the true Dana from the deceit that occurred in his name and provides a warm, heartfelt tribute. The suggested epitaph — that Dana ran 'that best 'nd brightest paper' — is straightforward and sincere, hitting an emotional peak after eight stanzas filled with laughter.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is warm, funny, and self-mocking throughout. Field writes in a relaxed Western style that feels loose and conversational, like a campfire story shared by someone who knows he’s the punchline. There's no bitterness here — even the con man is met with a mix of amusement and exasperation instead of disdain. The final stanza takes a genuinely tender turn, which resonates perfectly because the humor has prevented it from coming off as overly sentimental.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The name 'Dana'
Dana's name symbolizes journalistic excellence to the point where it overshadows all other credentials. It illustrates how reputation can turn into a form of currency that others might try to imitate.
Cantell Whoppers
The name is a comic signal that's hiding in plain sight — "can tell whoppers" or just "tell whoppers." He embodies the common figure of a fraud who leeches off the reputation of a prestigious institution.
Dana's silver hair and crown
Field describes Dana's white hair as the crown that God gifted him, with a golden crown awaiting him in heaven. This imagery elevates Dana to a near-saintly status, standing in stark contrast to the grotesque monster that Whoppers had depicted.
The epitaph
The proposed gravestone inscription—a simple, unadorned line in English—captures the belief that true greatness doesn't require decoration or embellishment, which contradicts everything Whoppers stood for.
Poker dice for gin
Whoppers gambling and drinking at Perrin's saloon instead of working shows the fraudster's empty character: all image, no depth.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Charles Anderson Dana (1819–1897) was a major figure in American journalism, best known for his role as the editor of the New York Sun from 1868 until his passing. The Sun gained a reputation for its sharp writing and literary excellence, making it a prestigious place for talented writers. In the early 1880s, Eugene Field penned a poem while working as a columnist for the Denver Tribune, during a time when Western newspapers were fiercely vying for skilled journalists. The poem reflects a true cultural reality: Dana's reputation was so strong that his name held significant influence, even in the frontier regions. Field, celebrated for his wit and humor, is perhaps most recognized today for children's poetry like "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod," yet he spent a considerable portion of his career crafting clever and humorous newspaper columns targeted at adult readers in the American West.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

Was Cantell Whoppers a real person?

Almost certainly not. The name is a playful pun — 'can tell whoppers' — and Field created him as a comedic character: the fraud who relies on a borrowed reputation. There’s no historical evidence of a real Cantell Whoppers ever working at the New York Sun.

Why is the poem written in dialect? Is it hard to read?

Field writes in a stylized Western frontier dialect, using 'uv' for 'of,' 'thar' for 'there,' and 'wuz' for 'was.' This style was a common comedic approach in 19th-century American literature—think Mark Twain. After reading a couple of stanzas aloud, you'll find that your ear adjusts, and it starts to flow naturally. The dialect adds to the humor: it makes clear that this is a tall tale recounted by a regular working journalist, not a refined literary figure.

What is the New York Sun, and why did it matter so much?

The New York Sun, led by Charles Dana, became renowned for its exceptional prose in American journalism. Dana emphasized clear and vivid writing, bringing in skilled writers. Having a job there was a true badge of honor — akin to having a byline at a leading magazine today. This reputation is why simply stating that one had worked there was sufficient for Whoppers to secure a job without any additional inquiries.

What does 'that's a horse on us' mean in stanza eight?

It's a 19th-century American idiom that means 'the joke's on us' or 'we got played.' A 'horse on someone' referred to a prank or trick played at their expense. Field uses this phrase to illustrate the narrator's acceptance of the embarrassment with a sense of humor instead of anger.

Why does the poem end with such a sincere tribute to Dana after all the comedy?

Field emphasizes that the satire aims at gullibility and fraud, not Dana himself. The heartfelt final stanza distinguishes the real person from the myth that Whoppers took advantage of. This structure gives the poem an emotional arc: eight stanzas filled with humor followed by one stanza of sincere emotion, which resonates more deeply due to the contrast.

What is the poem's meter and form?

Each stanza consists of ten lines written in loose anapestic verse — a lively rhythm characterized by two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one. The lines are lengthy, and the rhyme scheme primarily follows couplets (AABBCCDDEE). This structure is a great fit for the tall-tale storytelling style: it flows quickly and resembles spoken language.

Who are Raymond, Cooper, and Arkins mentioned in stanza two?

These were actual figures from Denver's newspapers. Henry H. Tammen and Frederick Bonfils hadn't arrived yet; instead, the rival Field names—such as John Arkins from the Rocky Mountain News and others—were the true competing editors in the early 1880s Denver press. By using their real names, Field was sharing an inside joke with his local readers.

What does the poem say about fame and reputation?

At its core, the poem explores how a strong reputation can be exploited by someone with only a slight link to it. Dana's name carried such weight that it overshadowed all usual scrutiny. Field's message is subtle yet unmistakable: even the most well-deserved fame can be faked, and wise individuals should remain wary of those who flaunt another's achievements.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Field, Eugene. "Mr. Dana, of the New York Sun." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/mr-dana-of-the-new-york-sun-eugene-field/.

APA

Field, E. (n.d.). Mr. dana, of the new york sun. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/mr-dana-of-the-new-york-sun-eugene-field/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

1 pt

In 'Mr. Dana, of the New York Sun,' Eugene Field employs the mock-heroic machinery of frontier dialect, comic escalation, and ironic deflation to satirize the power of institutional reputation, arguing that borrowed prestige, unchecked by …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
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