New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-25
MR.. DELANE's LIFE-woRK.


MR. DELANES LIFE-W0RK.
AN INSTANCE OF ENTHUSIASTIC DEVOTION TO JOUR
NAIIsM--A 6RKAT WORK ACCOMPLISHED.
frnoN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRtBuSE.l
LONDON Dec 2-Mr. Delanes death. which took
place Saturday, November %, is an event 10 whleh
no journalist now can be insensible. had IL oc-
CURED a few years ago. the loss would have been
not less monentous TO the public than to the pro-
fession of which he the recognized head bu'
Mr. Delane resigned the editcrship OF 1Ae Times
in 1877; resigned it after long struggle
against a chronic disease of peculiarly
depressing character with which few men would
have contended under such burden OF toll AMI re-
sponsibility Ms lay upon him. He had sustained IT
only too courageously and far beyond the limit
which ordinary prudence and the counses Of friends
would have set. But be probably cared
little for hfe without power. For some
years he must have known very well that
he was riskng his life by continuing at ms
post For Ave and twenty years he had been in the
doctors hands and was. perhaps, as intraetabie
patient as ever vexed the soul of kindly physi-
cian La one respect he and the late Mr.. Raymond
had something in common. Neither of them wonld
ever believe that any stress of work could
be too mrch for them. or that tho VIII
Of resoiute man was not stronger ran
any physical maladv. Both of them paid
the penalty of their mistake by premature death.
RAYMOND a
toward the last did parey a little with his enemy.
He took now and then vacation, and less than
three years ago made trip of some duration to
Continental WATERING place, freeing himself mean
while absolutely from all connection with
the Office. But his earlier vacations were
hardly vacations. except in name. Paying
visit in the extreme north of Scotland some distress
ing blunder would bring him back by express train;
flight of peremptory kilograms from station to
station preceding his arrival. And his Continental
holiday much too late that ii was the direct
cause of his determination to retire altogether from
his post wrote to him on his return 70 ask 1T the
rumors of his resignation, which had begun TO fly
about. were true. This was his answer:
grievc to say that the report YOU mention respect
ing ely entirely vel founded returned irSn
abroad as to leave me no solid hope OF ever
hard work 1t is not perhaps 20 be wondered az
During all that long career have been cheeredby the
Hest ohieatons. Pray ACCEPT large portion for your
SELF and believe me. ever faithfully. ~ w.
/ do not strike out the reference to myself
though. with his invariable kindness he has spoken
asif had been able TO do him some service. and
1t is pleasure to me that he did speak 1 need
not say that The Indebtedness was wholly on my
side save so far as he might choose to consider hin
self under an obligation for the good Will 10 him
and admiration Of his character which cherisL ed.
estimate great public character, yet l cannot but
say how deeply feel Mr.. Delane's loss. Such
quaintance as l had with him not intimate.
have no possible claim to write of h i'm a
friend yet there are few friends whose
death would be more grievous shock. In certain
ways I owed him much. I have had some
personal kindness to thank him for, which shall
never forget. and what owe to him professionally
IL debt of much larger dimensions. i acknowl-
al ~ \ Ohf IN apkn vledg If
and il anybody chooses to think it heghtens my
estimate of his character and capacity and public
services that is only another reason for frankness
IN stating il. But, matter OF fact,
my opinion about Mr.. Delane was formed
md expressed before came under any further obi
cation to him than the lessons l learned from him
IN Journalism, and when had had no personal rela-
tons with HIM of any kind We all knew lately
that he was very i'll. Since the date of that
letter he has lived in seclusion his place
at Ascot Heath. his health steadily failing
He was often too i'll 10 see the friends
who had gone down from London TO call Oh him.
For the first time in his life he had leisure TO enjoy
the domestic pleasures which were dear to him. and
which he had so long sacrificed tn the requirements
of duty. And on Saturday. November %, he
died. There reason to be surprised by the
news of his death. But the surprise is always the
same when ii comes, and it was all the greater to
was sitting in newspaper Office in Edin-
burgh when the message brought in. and
imperative duties kept me in Edinburgh till after
the funeral last Saturday. don't know why touch
on such things. They may serve 10 show that it is
not from indifference neglect that this poor tribute
10 Mr. Delane's memory comes so late. Now pass
10 other matters that have concern for you and
your readers.
The European world has long been agreed in
reckoning The Times the first journal in the orld.
In Europe there has been to dispute its pre-
eminence. whether III England or on the CONT
nent. IL might be hard to say at what date the
paper first acquired an unqucstoned supremacy.
Possibly it was before Mr.. Deanes time. but mat
ter II it that proves not the excellence of The
Times but the inferiority of it's rivals The Times.
as we know it to-day as all Europe knows il, or
knew il down TO bis death, was the creation of Mr..
Delane. Its previous half century Of existence had
given 1t q commercial basis. but il still contend
ing with The Morning Chronicle for a con-
trolling influence in England. Judged by
the modern standard ii neither
very able journal nor a great newspaper. The
leaders of sterling, which gave it the name of the
Thunderer. would now be thought discredtabe to
q provincial penny paper OF the lesser Sort The
profession of journalism did not exist. The meth
DDS OF journalism. as we understand them did not
exist. | don't refer to the transformation which
has occurred In the methods of collecting
news. There was much room for enterprise
before tclceraphs and railways since
perhaps more. But neither The Times
any other journal was organized on the editorial
or on the news side as every important journal is
now organized The making of newspapers was in
its experimental not to say embryonic stage. Per-
laps nobody but journalist can accurately meas
of fha huf fha mi Inc