Delaware State journal and statesman., 1869-06-25
"reminiscences of Henry ]. Raymond.

Mr.. Raymond was personally exceedingly
popular with the employees of the Times.
HIS well-kn0wn sense OF equity and Justice
made him the person TO whom all-high and
low-appealed when ever they felt agrieved
Employees of the press room, the composing
room, the proof room, The stereotyping
room, equally with the editors and reporters
came to him whenever they felt aggrived by
the action of the individual under whose es-
pecial supervision they were. Whatever his
decision was in the matter, for or against the
applicant, was received as final, and uniyer-
sally accepted as just. In no one was the
spirit OF fair play so strikingly manifest.
He was sent before the day of the tele-
graph, to Boston, TO report a speech of Dan
iel Webster, then in the height of his popu-
larlty. Rival city journals also despatched
their reporters, each selecting for the pur
pose two OF their best short hand writer's 10
work against Mr. Raymond. The speech
was delivered, and proved 10 be one OF Mr..
Webster's greatest achievements. The sew
eral New York reporters took the night boat
to return to New York, and all, save Mr.
Raymond, gave themselves up TO such en-
joyment during the evening as the boat al
torded. MIR. X. sat quietly in the back cab.
in, and was observed TO be writing furious
ly. Presently one of the reporters had his
suspicious arouse d, and setting out on an
exploring expedit ION, found that MIR. Ray
mond had ON board small printing office,
fully equipped. His manuscript was taken
page by page by the compositors set up I'M
mediately, and on the arrival of the boat in
New York, at O'Clock in the morning, Mr..
Raymond's report, making several columns
OF the Tribune, was all in type. These col
umns were put into the forms at once, and
the readers Of that journal were, at @ A. M,
served with a full report OF Daniel Webster's
speech, delivered in Boston on the previous
evening. This, at that time was one OF the
greatest journalistic leats on record, and SO
completely astonished and nstOunded the
1ribune's rivals that they never published
the reports furnished by their short-hand
writers, but acknowledged themselves lairly
beaten.
Another instance, when he captured 10.
comotve which had been chartered by a III
val, and by its aid succeeded not only in
"beatng" that rival, but all others, was an
anecdote he was l0nd of repeating.
Mr. Raymond became personally very
much attached TO his employees, and II was
with the greatest reluctance that lie parted
with one, no matter what the occasion. MIR.
Raymond spoke in the most feeling manner
of Mr.. Seymour's withdrawal, and while his
heart swelled and tears choked his utterance
he declared that no one of his associates
should leave the paper save OF his own yoll
ton. His remarks on this occasion were
characterized by depth of feeling which
none OF us had expected, and endeared him
TO us more than ever.
MIR. Raymond was a man who never liked
to say mo, and as consequence lie was
one of the "best bored men" in New York.
The number OF applicants for favors, polil-
cal, social, and pecuniary, was immense.
HIS pensioners were not only those who nc-
cepted money, but included many who as
pired TO journalism, and who flooded him
with crude essays and dreamy editorials
How many of these were licked into shape
by the associate editors of the paper none
but they know, and how many OF these I'M
beetle effusions were paid ior and never used
not even the cashier oil the establishment
could say, for many were charged 10 Mr.
RS private account.
1t is well-knOwn fact throughout the
whole profession of journalism, that the
Times remunerales It's employees better than
any other paper in the country, and conse-
quently had lis pick of editorial and repor-
torial talent. MIR. Raymonds idea was that
a feao of the best writers were better than
many OF inferior capacity. Hence, while the
list OF employees on the Times was generally
smaller than that OF some other New York
morning journals, its salary list was consid.
erably heavier. In addition to this, the
sense of security in their positions made the
Times attractive 10 all journalists.
MIR. Raymond retired from the political
field on the expiration Of his term IN Con
gress. During the past year, in consequence
of the protracted illness OF his financial part.
ner, Mr.. George Jones, Mr.. Raymond was
called upon to supervise the financial as well
as editorial department of the Times This
double duty was exceedingly onerous and no
doubt hastened the death oil one of the ablest
and most courteous o New York journalists
Henry j, Raymond.