, 1884-10-11
A GREAT EDITOR.
Interesting Incidents in the Life Of
Wilbur F. Storey.
His nnuence on Western JournaI-
I.m-Hs Methods as Publisher
and Editor-Personai Traits
The End.


[Chicago Herald
The intellectual death OF Wilbur ]. Store,
which was formally declared la lungs
knicserbockeris court tie other day, tut
soon lie followed by the physical dissolution
OF that unce celebrated journalist Whe.i
the mind is gone to tbs body must sooii 20
also. He is old beyond his year. The iron
will which made him great has lecn broken
The dauntlesa courage, the pride, the daring,
the broad resourceful brain, the powers
which made him hated, feared and admired
all have vanished. leaving behind as liter
ally a piece Of humnn clay Hs IL the vital
sIerk had fed from the old mans heart.
The Wilbur i. Storey whom the people have
known by reputation for II generation exists
no longer. His shattered body only is left,
waiting upon the judgment.
Mr.. Stofey's influence on western Journal
ism has been almost incalculable, When he
appeared In Chicago ~ a publisher and cd
itor, western newspapers were for the most
part reprints Of publications at the enst.
with small resources Mr.. Storey embarked
ON "A system of expenditure heretofore un-
known. or nearly every important feature
OF the blanket journalism Of the day he was
the pioneer. lie led the way in everything.
and not until the mind which never wearied
OF planning great enterprises and authorizing
enormous expenditures failed him did any
other newspaper rival his own. For many
yean he was an interchangeable worker. He
almost lived In his Office. The first man at
work in the morning, he was frequently the
last to leave at night He was IA master Of
the business, and he gave 10 every detail
his personal attention. He organized his staff
for work and not for ornament He was the
sole head. There were chiefs Of departments,
but no one employe could lord it over an
other. Every one could appeal TO the "old
man. - and aboy was quite as apt to be list
ened 10 patiently as an old member Of the
staff.
He would not confer the title OF managing
editor upon any employee until his own failing
health made It absolutely necessary that
there should be an active and responsible
chief. When he started an evening paper In
1876 he attempted 10 manage that also us he
had his morning paper, but finding the task
too onerous he at length In brief notes in
formed the various heads OF departments
that he had appointed a manager for the
evening paper.
After this paper had been running eight-or
ten weeks the business office sent a statement
10 Mr.. Storey showing that the loss conse-
quent upon It's publication had been about
$1,000 n week He summoned the managing
hNAkaA ANA AACNfRA nm III hhAE VIII o1bAs
remark expressive Of disappointment.
That Is not very bad. " said the employee.
81 supposed, Of course, you expected to sink
&lOO,UO o before you got it established"
"Well, l didn't any such d. thing, - re-
piled Mr. Storey. 1t is a good paper and it
ought to pay right away. What will we do
with itr'
Throttle IL, said the manager.
And throttle IL be did the next day.
During all this period Of hard work, ad-
versity and in some sense failure. Mr.. Storey
VIA u man Of simple tastes. He lived at u
hotel, kept no servants, dressed plainly, and
I'm his Office preferred a common pine table
10 the most desk that could be
furnished. He was full Of nervous force,
was exciiable and irritable and apparently
i'll at ease with the world and with himself.
His domestic and business troubles wore ON
him and made him sullen and petulent.
When the great fire swept away the city
II a most crushed him, and for a day or two
he MAS inclined 10 give up the struggle. Tho
disaster had come upon him at a
time when success appeared 10 be
in his grasp and he could not
c ntemplate with hope another combat such
ns that from which he had - recently
emerged. When he was filed with the
gloomiest f~orebodings as to the future he
was handed u telegram from a friend in
Michigan authorizing him to draw for S5O,-
900 and the next day his newspaper reap
peaned. As soon as arrangements could 10
perfected he had new material and presses Mt
hand, and the journal which he then pro-
duccd became the marvel OF the world. So
far as typographical appearance, vigor and
freshness went he never improved upon 1t.
Success was instantaneous.
During the six or eight years Immediately
following the fire Mr., Storey may be said to
to have been in the prime OF a successful
career. He gave his personal attention to
every detail Of the work and by his example
inspired his associates with n real not often
witnessed. He surrounded himself with Il
largo and high-priced staff and exacted from
1t the strietest adherence to certain fixed
principles. Having been happily married he
ceased 10 visit the office nights, but during
the day he was always at his post. No
error OF makeup, no failure to obtaiu
news, no lmperfectly handled subject ever
escaped his notice. 1t used TO be "A trn-
dition Ia the Office that the old man read
nothing but the mistakes. His rules for
making up the paper were 30 exact that it
was almost impossible in the haste OF putting
20 large Il paper together not to make some
uitling violations OF the general scheme. but
lie always called attention TO them and CON
demned them. Nothing was right with him
unless 1t WAS exactly right For a long time
lie was 30 particular about classification that
he would not give his consent to the printing
Of "a dispatch unless It could be put who're il
belonged, Thus, II a casualty came in too
late to 10 with the casualties, but early
enough to be squeezed in on another page
not yet sent to the stereotyper, II was to be
left out He would not have the mmet
OF the paper marred even II certain intelIi-
gence was kept from the reader. Later on
under the advice of employees he changed
this rule 10 some extent.
IL was a common remark with him that
any thing hat was worth printing was worth
telegraphing. do not spend money for
things that are Of no account, he would say,
"but when news Is ON foot and It costs money
10 get IL, pour the money out He wanted
u special telegram about everything OF i'm.
portancc, and some OF his employees, appreci
ating how severe would be his criticism IL nc
special" appeared on certain subjects, fell
into the habit when not sure OF prompt ser.
vice In any one quarter. OF ordering from q
dozen points. In such cases it frequently
happened that three or four long and costly
dispatches would be received on the same
subject, only one Of which would be printed
He never grumbled at that wastefulnes,
when told that . It appeared to be
necessary In order to make sure that thu
paper would not be cleft" The employ.
who would not take the trouble to order a
special ON anything that CHANGED to come III
be despised. While thus lavish in big thing
Mr.. Storey was economical In small things
he would turn down the gas tina be saw