Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-03-20
The Man Horace Greeley.


the New York Tribune tribute of affec-
ton to the memory of Horace Greeley,
in which he narrates number OF interest
ing "reminiscences. He writes:
It was Mr. Greeley's misfortune, not
his fault, that lie lived during a period
when all opinion seemed to take parti-
san form, among people who are only
now learning to appreciate that moral and
intellectual liberality which can broadly
entertain and discuss all questions re-
lating to the well being Or the education
of our race. He has been called Fouri-
erite, long after he discovered the unprac-
teal character of Fourier's system;
Spiritualist, when, after having honestly
examined, he rejected the Spiritualistic
theories; a Free lover, while foremost in
defending the sanctity of Marriage; Veg
etarian, because of a brief experiment
which satisfied him that his constitution,
at least, could not be supported upon
vegetable diet; and-absurdest of ALL to
those who knew him nearly-he has been
charged with vain and purposed eccen-
tricity of dress and manners, because Ma
ture, in making him up, omitted that
form of vanity which expends itself upon
external graces.
My own intercourse with him, though
often interrupted by absence or diver
gence Of labor, was frank at the start,
and grew closer and more precious with
every year. In all my experience of men,
have never found one whose primitive
impulses revealed themselves with such
marvellous purity and sincerity. His ma
ture often seemed to me as crystal clear
as that of a child. In my younger and
more sensitive days he often gave me a
transient wound; but such wounds healed
without scar, and I always found, after
ward, that they came from the lance of
physician, not from the knife of an enemy.
| first saw Mr.. Greeley in June, 1874,
when was boy of nineteen. applied
to him for an engagement to write letters
to the Tribune from Germany. His reply
was terse enough. 'No descriptive let
ters!' he said; II am sick of them When
you have been there long enough to know
something. send to me, and, if there is
anything in your letters, [ will publish
them" [ waited nearly a year, and then
sent seventeen letters, which were pub
lshed They were shallow enough, [
suspect, but what might they not have
been without his warming?
Towards the end of 1847, while | was
engaged in the unfortunate enterprise of
trying to establish weekly paper in
PhHnixville, Penn. wrote to him-fore-
seeing the failure of my hopes-asking
his assistance in procuring literary work
in New York. He advised me las sus-
pect he has advised thousands of young
men) to stay in the country. But had
stayed in the country, and year too
long so another month found me in New
York, in his office, with my story of dis
appointment, and my repeated request for
his favorable influence. 81 think you are
mistaken" he said but l will bear you
in mind, if L hear of any chance"
Six weeks afterwards, to my great sur
prise (for | supposed he had quite forgot
ten me), he sent for me and offered me a
place on the Tribune. [ worked hard and
necessarily during the summer of 1S4S,
hearing never a word of commentator
or encouragement but one day in Octo-
Der he suddenly came to my desk, laid his
hand upon my shoulder, and said: "You
have been faithful; but now you need
TEST. Take weeks holiday, and go into
New England" I obeyed, and found,
on my return, that he had ordered my
salary to be increased.
l think none of his associates, at that
time, ever wrote a line which he did not
critically read. His comments sometimes
seemed rough, but they were always
wholesome and almost invariably
just. Once he called me into his
room, pointed to poem of mine which
had just appeared in a literary magazine,
and abruptly asked: "Why did you pub
lish that gassy stuff?' My Indignation
was even greater than my establishment.
Iretorted, fiercely: "Mr Greeley, should
feel hurt by your question, if l had any
respect whatever for your Judgment in
regard to poetry!" He smiled sad, for
giving smile, and said nothing. Years
afterwards, | saw that he was right: the
poem was only piece of sounding rhet
oric, for which "gassy" was perhaps
coarse but certainly not an inappropriate
epithet. In this, as in other respects, the
discipline to which he subjected me was
excellent: if not the result Of his intellect
ual perception, it manifested an instinct
even more remarkable.
Two pictures, equally illustrative OF the
man, remain with me from that first year.
One, an afternoon in the little editorial
office under the roof: Mr.. Greeley, bend
ing over the yellow transfer paper on
which the telegraphic dispatches were
written. The light from the window
fell upon the top of his bald head, which
presented its full circumference to me
as he leaned down. l was looking at it.
vacantly, when / saw fiery scarlet flush
rise from his neck and temples like
wave and flood the white crown. The
next moment be rose, threw back his