New-York tribune., 1878-01-17
A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.

y,
The WockIy RcpuJiicda and the son acquired the
trade of printer in the Office Of that Journal. The
business was moderately prosperous, and it WAS
firmly established when, i'll 1914, TIE Daily
Republican was first issued under the editorial
care of young Mr. Bowics, who then
only eighteen years of age. The enterprise, though
not without some bOldnCss, was undertaken at
fortunate moment. 1ke Republican then had 10
competitor i'll Western Massachusetts; Springfield,
through its railway cOnvcnences was RAPIDLY ad-
vancng in population and production; ii was within
easy distance OF many thriving communities. and
considerable sales could be made upon the railway
trains. Mr. Bowles knew very well that If he could
, print better newspaper than any i'll Boston, he
could receive much of the patronage then extended
in his region to The Boston Journal, Ifd,tNT,
AMI HcraM. He acted promptly and cncreetically
upon the idea, and gave his readers paper al
most in every respect as carefully, literally ana
ably made M rs if it had been designed for cir
culaion in a city with population of half million
He spared neither money palms. arrangeda good
domestic correspondence received full Geographic
dispatches; employed several writer's of aclnow
ledged ability; and above all, took particular pains
with his reports of local intelligence which he
made uncommonly various and extensive. for
they covered The whole area of Western Massa-
chusetts, with the borders Of several adjoining
States. His endeayOr was to put The HepUJtcda
upon level, as nearly circumstances would per
nltt with the metropolitan newspapers. Few daily
Journals have shown better evidence of patient III
dustry than his. To the people of hs Vicinage 1t
must have been, under his clever management. i'll
valuable. It's literature always respectable It's
editorials were timely and careful and the moral
tone of the columns strictly adapted TO the fam
| lily circle The UookIy RcpWbliodn contained good
digest of Ncw-Engand news, which secured for Ii
circulation III all parts of the country in whcn were
emigrants from that quarter.
Mir. Bowles was ambitious and aimed at something
more than journalism, not alwaysto the adyan-
are of his paper. lie sought to make the RcpnblcGH
/ political power, not only in the neighborhcod Of
! his Office. but even throughout the Union Unques
| ticnably he succeeded in attracting great deal Of
attention. His criticisms of public men and meas
ures were constantly quoted not always with appro-
! baton. He had clever correspondent in
| Boston ("WarringtOn' y, who sent him all the
floating gossip in party circles and The Republican
| was naturally sought for these vivaclOus letters
| There is always some jealousy existing between
| Eastern and Western Massachusetts,, and Mr. Bowes
| thought that political enthusiasm, Ike charity,
should begin at home. Ho was, or sought TO be- en-
tirely Independent, and he had sharp eye for any
new movement of the party sort. He was
/
was the Wing party in Massachusetts. and
| when men met in Boston 10 consider what should
| take its place Mr.. B0wcs was usually among them.
! He never made the bunder Of being hopclcssly be-
! hind the times, and he was never 20 welded TO any
party as 90 jeOpardiZc his personal interests by fight
ing its battles after it had ceased to exist. Any
support which he gave 10 "A political measure, was
extended upon condition that he might with
draw it whenever he saw fit and the probability
always was that sooner or later he would see
lit to do 40. lie sometimes occupied well
defined and positive position as in his support OF the
! Liberal Republican movement Of 1872. lie gave 10
| hir Greeley, and to the views of Southern policy
upon which Mr.. Greoey's canvass was based, vIg-
! OTOus championship. lie sald that u - IN" people
of the two sections had fallen in with Mr. Greeley
idea and acted upon il, we should have saved great
many millions in money. great many more millions
IN property destroyed in subsequent military opera
! fions aud some hundred thousands Of lives" OF
| tho Liberal candidate Mr.. Bowles always spoke
| with respect and kindness. lie ~ not an or
dinary candidate" said The Republican, "nor is this
| an ordinary canvass. Let him speak and write
| and travel as the spirit moves HIM. Wherever he
g0es the voters will at least have chance 10 com
pare his nobr, kindly face with Nasts brutal carica-
lures. and 10 discover that IN lia one respect At
any rate, they have bcru grossly deceived ANA lied
| to-" When the Liberal defeat came, he still said
that the result marked stage IN the political rev
oution that was in'progrcss." and thar the Repub-
lican party, then constituted, must give way " to
new instrumentalitics and fresher organizations"
| Mr. Bowle,s ambition and enterprise had led him,
in 1857. to Boston, Several newspapers were strug-
Cling for life. 1t was proposed to mite Tie AHaS.
| Tbe Bee and THE 7rurcIier in single association
based on the plan of The TRIBUNE and to publish
journal in all respects worthy of commercial and
literary Boston. The design carried into effect
in April of that year, Mr. Bowlcs being cditor-in-
chief and Richard Worthington business manager.
II was described in those days spOiled copy Of
The TRlBUNf.r 1t was like Mr.. Greeley's newspaper
in form and general makeup, and there were many
Jokes in Printing llousc-squarc at tine vet
eran journalists expense when the hlst copy
of 1hs DaiIB IrardlT ~ the new form reached New
York There high authorizations INDUCED III
of its prospects but Mr.. Bowless connection with
the undertaking was short. lie aimed To giyc Dos
ton 2 better newspaper than the city cared for or
would support There were personal mlSundei-
s,1ndincs IN the Office. There was a lack Of capital
fo keen the newspaper up to tic high standard
adoptel and Mr. W0IthlngtOn icil back upon the
Old I1crcIjcr with IT'S old routine of business, and
Mr.. Bowcs returned 10 Springfield, never agam 70
engage III metropolitan journalism. lie wa rI@ht
aud Wi3e. As editor of Ihe Ecpab6eGH, he was Il
noteworthy man. In that capacity hc had earned
fame he had mastered its conditions. ANA he had
passed the time of life wien IL IS c.raH that ones
mental elasticity is still adequate 10 the performance
of new and wholly different tasks.
Another episode in the life of Mr.. Bowlesi is worthy
of record. In SGS. an article appeared in Tie Re
,bIioan in which the character and career of james
Fisk. ir., were subjected to scathing criticism.
When. not long afterward. Mr.. Bowles visited New
York. Colonel Fisk determined to punish him for lis
temerity. Accordingly, the Yankee editor was ar
rested one night at the Fifth Avenue Hotel suit
for libel. and compelled TO remain IN Ludlow Street
.yoiI until morning. This gross outrage upon the
privileges of the press caused intense excitement at
tbe time. and on his return to Springfield
Mr. Bowles received an invitation to public
dinner from Governor Bullock, Governor Cialn, Gen
eral Banks and fifty of the first citzens OF BOSTON
This invitation. with becoming mode'ty, he de-
clined, inasnucb as he did not feel that IA single
NIGHT passed in prison justified him in posing be-