The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-12-10
SATURDAY MORNING. DECEMBER 10,
DEATH OF COL. JOHN w. FoRNEy

DEATH OF COL. JOHN W. FORNEY.
This community was thrown into deep
gloom last evening when over the wires
flashed to us the sad and startling intelli-
gence that John W. Forney was dead. A
specialize Governor Throckmorton at McKin-
n-y and by him transmitted to us con-
iirmed the sorrowful tidings that made us
feel once again the enormous strength that
death possesses in his remorseless course.
The event occurred yesterday morning, as
our telegram announces, at 3o'clock, in Phil
adelpha The lamented deceased was born
in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, October 10,
1917, and for years has been prominent
character, not only before the American
people but the world, as politician,
journalist, orator and in the belle.
lettres sphere. Down to that out
break OF the civil war he was a staunch
Democrat, of the Jeifersonian stripe, and
it was largely through his influence and
energies that Mr.. Buchanan, of the same
State, was elected to the chief magistracy.
In those days he was power in the land,
and as Secretary of the Senate, prior
to Mr.. BIS. administration he welded
q Warwick potency through the columns of
his papers and his own personality. He
was always a genuine Union man, and
when secession shivered the object of his
warm devotion, he sided with the efforts
that sought to reinstate the severed links,
and feeling thus it was but natural that
when at last the cannons had their bowels
full of wrath to spit forth iron Indignation,
he too should be on fire and censure "the
silkcn dalliance that in the wardrobe lies''
when the clouds. of war were dripping
with his country's blood, But when
that war had smoothed its wrinkled, front, f."
he was the first to protler in good faith the
olive branch, and personally to contribute
to rebuild the wastes that defeat had
brought to us. As jour
nalst Colonel Forney stood pre-
eminent, and enjoyed more than ma
tional reputation. Vigorous in attack, he
was frank in hismethods and as open in the
announcement of his object. He wrote for
the good of his country, State and city. His
language was Of that easy, graceful style
that flowed as freely from his pen as
comes the gently ripping stream,
in all its crystalline purity over its smooth
and settled route. In addition to his daily
journal, the Press, he last year started the
Progress" wherein he could give weekly
vent to the lighter literature and
much, too of higher kind not so
well suited to the real newspaper Among
his works are his Anecdotes of Public
Men, in two volumes, and his Life of Cen
eral w. S. Hancock, and whom he strove
so vigorously to elect written for campaign
purposes during the last Presidential con-
test. The former are noted for be-
ing the most charming biographical
sketches ever passed through a
printing house. His private scrap
book containing copies or clippings from
anything and everything he ever wrote, is
literary curiosity, and will now prove
most valuable relic. In 1872 he passed
through Texas, then just in her throes of
birth as the coming State. In COM
pany with his warm, personal
friend, Colonel Thomas A. Scott his eye
was quick to catch the extraordinary pros
poets that awaited the hand of industry
alone to convert into power that should
so socn astonish the country. In every
way possible he helped onward our great
artery, the Texas & Pacific Railroad, one of
the objects OF his chiefest concern and
constant pride, And it is of peculiar coin
cidence that scarcely had the last nail been
driven in that great artery that bound to-
gether two pulsing oceans, thus realizing
the object of his wishes, than he himself was
called to cross another ocean that knows
no ebbing tide from that inscrutable port
toward which it flows with infnity of forms
in starlcss night forever from human
sight But yet the hand of death
was stayed just long enough to allow
one other gracious line of epitaph
Of Texas contribution. He had Just
inaugurated another enterprise, the Dallas
Il Western Railway, starting from this city
and making for Mexico OF this he was
made President, but few DAYS
ago resigned the position for one who
was citizen of this State and could
give more personal attention to the impor-
tant undertaking. These are few, very
few Of the numberless reasons why Texas
should honor the memory of good man
gone, pure patriot, genial companion
and a sincere and active influential
friend Of this State. But his stirring,
sterling life has found its close. The manly
mien, the always cheerful face, the voice at
once of womanly tenderness and ringing
eloqucnce, the cunning finger from whose
tips dropped Thoughts that breathcd and
words that burned are all now silent
captivcs in the chilly vault
death, when but just in their fullest vigor.
Knowing the nobility of his nature, lis
sweetness, its bravery, its grandeur, as we
did through our personal acquaintance with
him, We think Of him now as saying, as he
himself on one occasion spoke of his be.
loved brother ournalist, Morton McMichacl,
of the Philadelphia North American, whose
eulogy he was delivering before the CITY