hiː wʌz dᵻskɹˈaɪbd baɪ ɐ kəntˈɛmpɚɹˌɛɹi, pˈʌblɪʃɚ wˈɪljəm dʒˈɔːɹdʒ bɹˈuːs, æz "ɐ tˈɔːl, bɹˈɔːdʃˈoʊldɚd, dˈɑːɹkbˈɪɹdᵻd mˈæn, ɐ pˈɑːzᵻtˌɪv kˈæɹɪktɚ hˌuː spˈoʊk hɪz mˈaɪnd fɹˈiːli ænd hˌuː kˈɔːld ɐ spˈeɪd ɐ spˈeɪd."
He was described by a contemporary, publisher William George Bruce, as "a tall, broad-shouldered, dark-bearded man, a positive character who spoke his mind freely and who called a spade a spade."