Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-04-25
"REMINISCENCES OF THEN HERALD.

ces Of early times in New York. They are by
| the editor, Morgan Bates, Esq, are of his own
knowledge and of course interesting:
How BENNETT STARTED THE New YORK
HERALD.-As James Gordon Bennett is the
confidential counsellor and adviser of the Pre-
sident of the United States, and his is the ac-
credited organ of the Administration in the
city OF New York, it may not be uninterestIng
to our readers to know how and under what
circumstances paper was started which has
| attained so great notoriety and wields such a
powerful influence over certain class of the
whole community.
We are cognzant of some facts connected
with its early history, which came under our
immediate observation at the time, and which
are probably known only to Horace Greeley,
Gordon Bennett, and ourselves. We violate
no confidence in placing them on record as
matter of history, and as tending to illustrate
the fact that that which is conceived in sin and
brought forth in iniquity will grow and flourish
only in a congenial atmosphere Of pollution
and infamy.
In 1884, Just after Horace Greeley & Co. had
started the New Yorker, in the old yellow two
story building which then stood on the south
west corner of Nassau and Liberty streets,
there stalked in the Office one day lank,
hard -visaged, squint-eyed, villainous- looking
man, who appeared as if he had just escaped
from or was about to be sent to the peniten-
tiary, and introduced himself to Mr.. Greeley
as James Gordon Bennett, late editor of a
Philadelphia paper the Pennsylvania, we
think, though we may be mistaken in the
name.) He stated that he had called to hold
consultation with Mr.. Greeley relative to the
expediency Of starting cheap daily in New
York. AS Mr.. Greeley was busily engaged at
the time, Mr.. Bennett did not fully unfold his
plans, but promised to call again. The next
day he spread out his programme.
The main feature of which was paper de-
h;.rb n, l,,,<@ h.
Quoted with such consummate ability and tact
that it would sstake' with all classes. He
said he had one thousand dollars to invest in
the enterprise, but as that sum was not suffi-
cient to insure success he wished apartner who
could furnish like amount. and asked Mr..
Greeley to join him. Greeley listened pa
tiently to all his plans, and then, in his blunt,
off hand way, told him that such paper might
pay if a man could be found to conduct it who
combined the requisite talent and meanness-
and fatty refused to have anything to do with
it. And this is the reason why Bennett has
hated Greeley ever since.
At this time there was printer in Ann
street named Anderson, who was a general
jobber and newspaper printer, but who did not
publish on his own account. Bennett procur
ed Introduction to him, and by fair pro-
misses and false pretences induced him to en-
ter into the scheme-and the New York Her
aid was ushered into being.
ceived him with regard TO funds--not one pen
ny of the thousand dollars ever having been
paid overland that he would have to bear the
whole pecunary burden until the paper should
work its way up to self sustaining point. He
expended large sum of money TO keep it
alive, until, just as it began to be remunera-
tive, the great fire of 1884 occurred in Ann
street. which made such terrible havoc among
the printers, and Anderson lost presses, type,
and everything, with little insurance.
His friends. who had faith in the ultimate sue
cess Of the Herald, aided him to procure po-
wer press and other materials; but Bennett,
meantime, made clandestine arrangements
with another printer, and the Herald appeared
the next morning with James Gordon Ben
nett as editor and proprietor. He refused to
recognize Anderson at all, or to pay him
penny for his interest in the paper, or for the
large sums which he had advanced to sustain
it. Anderson took the matter SO deeply to
heart that he died in short time, and there
it ended.
About this time Ellen Jewett, a beautiful
and celebrated courtesan, was murdered at the
house of Rosna Townsend, in Thomas street,
by young man named Robinson, who was
clerk for Joseph Hoxie, and through whose in
1uence he was acquitted. The murder was
devil-send for Bennett-(he never had God
send.) He procured, or pretended he had,
list Of the names of all those who lodged at
Mrs. Townsend's house that night, some seven
ty men, most of whom were married, and occu-
pied high positions in society-and threatened
to expose them in the columns of his paper.
This ruse brought to his Golfers untold
amount of black Email; and before the affair
was ended he had made money enough to buy
a printing office and set up business on his own
account.
1t is not our purpose to follow him any fur
ther in his course of infamy, our object being
only to show how the New York Herald was
started. Pecnnarly he has met with unbound
ed success-the success of infamy and crime.
But he has not reached his present position
without stripes. We have had the pleasure
of seeing him twice cowhided on the public
street, kicked down three flights of stairs by
his jeurneymen printers, and cuffed and spit
upon by the late Thomas Hamblin-sall of
which he submitted to with the abect humi-
lity of coward.
Such is faint outline of James Gordon Ben
nett, the editor of the New York Herald and
bosom friend of the President of the United
States.
The Pope of Rome is now in his sixty y-eighth
year, and even should he be obliged to flee
from the Eternal City, he will have quite e.
nough to maintain himself comfortably for the
remainder of his life. 1t appears that ssPeter
Pence contributions have already amounted
to about one hundred and sixty thousand dol
lars, Of which sum Ireland has contributed
eighty thousand dollars, as much as all the
other countries of Europe put together. Be-
sides this, it is currently reported that the
Pope has no less than twelve million dollars,