The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1873-02-08
JOURNALISM IN NEW YORK.

>AAo"S3>~.
is left alone to tell the tale Of old-time
journalism in New York. He, of all
his fellow-etlitors of the great metropo-
lis, has passed the period Of middle age.
Though years apart, he is as blythe aud
nimble as the youngest of thcm, and
has performed, with the Sun, a feat in
modern newspaper practise that enti-
ties him to the stage horns laid down
at his death by Mr.. Bennett. Mr.. DAM,
is no less writer and scholar than an
editor, as witness his sketch Of Mr..
Greeley, which tor thorough character
drawing is unsurpassed. In word,
Mr.. Dana is tifty-three, is as vigorous,
slncWy and lives as q young buck of
thirty-tlve or forty. His professional
associates were boys when he was man.
aging editor of the Tribune. Mauton
Marble was at college at Rochester and
Whitclaw Reid was going to school in
Ohio. Young Bennett and Bunby
were wearing short jackets. Nordhoff
was ''roughing it,' Il mere lad, and
God alone can tell us what Jennings
was doing, or what Godl<ins was $;
albeit, neither could have been much
more than a gesling in those days.
They We're rough-and-tumblc days, sure
enough, oven for New York.
There was no Central Park. Madison
Square was "out of town. Franconi's
circus, surnamed "Iippodromc,"
sprawled its ugly wooden towers, min
Gratis and ''sido shOws'' over the ground
now occupied by the Fifth Avenue
Hotel. Miss Flora M'Flimsy of the
opposite square had not come into be-
ing; nay, Madison Square itself existed
in Il city ordinance merely, and was a
wrctcEcd waste or common, whore the
boys akated and played "shinny."
Halpinc and Arnold and Wil]ecn, with
the Bohemians, had not appeared upon
tho stage. The elder IIarpers stood in
the shoes now Worn by their sons, who
Werc off ut boarding school. George
lsiply was as larlsy as John Hay is.
De1nlonico's down town was the only
Delmonic Tho warfare between
the newspapers constituted the most
exciting topic of tho time. Bcnuctt
was "Jack kctch," Raymond was "thc
little villain," and Greeley was by
turns All n"inccndiary," q "whitc-livcrcd
Ioltroon' and a s'frco-Iovcr." ParlSc
Goodwin and Charles A. Dana wcrc
editors, respectively both
scholars and both, as writer's, superior
to all the rest, except Greeley, WHO as Il
editor, never had superior.
The situation is changed completely.
Bennett, Raymond and Greeley arc
dead. Dana and Goodwin, both about
of an age, stand ut the head at the head
of New York journalism while Reid.
Marble and Jennings, all young mon,
wear the purple of tho now era. viii
it be an era Of reforms?
There are signs that it will DC. Mar
bic is 4 rcclrsc. Reid is essentially a
man OF the world. Jennings is an
iItglisimar. One would think that
these three, led by two ripe scholars
and gentlemen like Goodwin and Dana,
would alter tho character of the old
ls1l NsAilttiS lll oilc ItsSlD(Nt, NJ
and that if they have need to be per-
sonal they will bc wittiiy so, and not
hrutally and dirtily personal; the which
will he an advance. There never will
be an end to the personalities Of journ-
alisn. But there is already an end of
tho efficacy of filth. In this, as in other
things, there are fashions. What i'll
thing, for example, can be said person.
ally injurious to Reid, Marble, Bunby,
Jennings and the rest, all hard work
ing, pains-taking men, without vices or
pcculiararitice, who do not invite.
attack L? On the whole, tho newspaper
prospect in Now York is very good.
There will be perhaps less of what we
call "character" in New York Journal
ism, moro usefulness, honesty and
culture; and as the New York dailica,
like the Now York millincrs, set the
fashion, these excellent qualities will
aihusc themselves over the rountry.-
Cpu,iCy-.JotnY:0i.