Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-06-13
Death of James Gordon Bennett.

Death Of James Gordon Bennett.
James Gordon Bennett, the veteran
editor and founder of the New York
Herald, died at New York on Saturday,
June /, in the T7th year of his age.
Mr.. Bennett had for several days been
in an unconcious state, aud was sustain
ed only by the free administering of
stimulents. He passed Friday night
TRANQUILITY, and was thought to be bet
ter on the morning of Saturday, but in
the afternoon sank rapidly. His end
was painless. When his last hour ar
rived he sank to sleep in death calrsly
and peaceably, and his soul passed away
without struggle.
Five years ago Mr.. Bennett entirely
withdrew from the active management
of the Herald, but, althou IN infrm, his
general health had been remarkably
good, while his fne intellect remained
unimpaired, and his interest in events
of the day continued undated up to
the moment of his fatal illness.
James Gordon Bennett was born in
1896, in Scotland. He received strict
classical and ecclesiastical education at
the Roman Catholic Seminary at Aber-
deem, and was intended for the clergy.
In April, 1919, however, abandoning ali
ideas of joining the priesthood, lie came
to America and commenced work as a
school-teacher at Halifax, Nova Scotia
Thence he moved to Boston. 1t was
with difficulty that he secured the
means of existence indeed, report has
it that only his finding a silver quarter
in one of the walks on the Common, at
Boston, saved him from starvation or
suicide. In the fall of 1919 he became
a proof.reader in the publishing house
OF Wells & Lilly. In 1922 he removed
to New York. In New York he was
identified most closely with the old
Courier and Enquirer, then the leading
journal of the country. Half of its
ma ter and all of its spice flowed from
the facile pen of theneedy young Scotch
man. 1t was him VINO inaugurated the
Washington correspondence, giving it
lively personal and social tone, which
was generation in advance of his
time.
After troubled life, during which he
appeared as writing master, lecturer
on political economy, and an instructor
in shorthand, and after one or two en-
beavers to start party organ, NOTABLY
the Pennsylvanidn, at Philadelphia,-Mr.
Bennett founded and started, in Nav,
1885, the New York Herald 1t is cur
rently reported that, had his then editor
possessed dlscernment sufficient to see
how valuable an assistant he had, the
Herald would never have been started.
A difference of 81 a week-no small
w L
ana contemplated matrimony-lost a
good sub editor to the Courier and revo-
lutionized American journalism. The
Herald was first issued in cellar in Ann
street, the editors desk consisting of
board placed on two flour barrels. Adj
vertlsements were written out for the
patrons of the new paper by its in
defatigable editor. Exhaustion seemed
to him an imposibility. Besides his Of
flee work. from six to eight columns of
matter of the most widely varied char
acter flowed from his pen daily. AS a
paragraphlst he was without peer or rival
III his day; he was prompt to size upon
the popular side of every question, and
utterly regardless of clamor or consist
ency In its advocacy or opposition. A
fortunate contract with popular physi-
clan hoated the Herald over the finan.
cial difficulties which invariably attend
the starting of a new paper 1t became
fashionable to decry the Herald, which
was the first step toward reading it. In
its columns appeared the first CONNER
cial article ever published in America.
Wilhelm that era of wild cat-drew an
immense number of readers. The great
fire in New York in, 1885, afforded Mr..
Bennett an unusual opportunity, of
which he profted to the full. His his
tory after lS40-when the Herald be-
came power in the lands the history
of the Herald. His motto was, "News,
news, news" and carrier-pigeon, pony
express, telegraph wire, steam yacht,
all were pressed into the service. Since
1867, Mr.. Bennett lived in complete re.
tirement at his country-seat at Ford
ham, occasionally-and only occasion
ally-directing the course Of his paper
by telegraph.