The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-11-06
HIS CAREER AT AN END
Death Of Wilbur F. Storey, Editor
and Owner Of tho Chicago
Times.
4 Biographical Sketch Of the Busy
Life OF the Distinguished
Journalist.

NuUur T.. btoTeN, GultoT anu PROPRIETOR Oh tho
Chicago Times. died Mt his residence on Prairie
avenue. In that city. on the 27th Of October. His
death was not unexpected. as II had become
generally known that hia physical system was
seriously impaired and his mind shattered. For
some time before his death his mind was on
tirey poMerlcss and inactive, and the only EVIL
dcnce OF HE remain nu was shown In reapira-
ton and by his pulse, both of which were faint.
His passing away was PAINLESS.
most widely known residents Of Chicago. His
reputation M a iournalist ranked among tho
foremost. When In his vlgor no Was radical and
aggressive. ana NJ the same time comprehensive
and well poised. 1htsc qualities were reflected
IN the great newspaper which he edited 40 ably
and successfully for 40 many years. He had
qualities which drew To him many strong and
faithful friends, and mt the same time made him
bitter enemies. His influence, and that OF tho
1imes, when hc wa actively ut Its head and
shaped and cnforcr d its policy, were very great
iut few. IL any, journalists In this country have
welded wider Or more potent influence, From
the Chicago Du,lp Ne,rs we CLEAN tho following
biographical sketch Of the deceased journalist:
bury III. a pSt Mas DEF e s.oca
that of the celebrated turist.. He passed the
first ten years Of his Lie on his fathers farm.
attending country school IN the winter only.
mo ch 70 Middlcbnry. he entered the ofiice Of
the Middlebury Flrss Press, 10 learn the
printing business. lie remained there until he
Ing which he attended school: At ~ no had
savcd el,, and with this small amount, added
to $40 which his mother gave him, he went 20
he was said 10 be quiet. retiring. and indus
trons, and rather aversc to society. In New
York no worked ~ compositor on the
so" half and ,nen came Tor we.. In.
Porte, Ind. whore he established Democratic
paper. he undertaking the mechanical part OF ita
management and the celebrated Ned Hannegan
NJ ri nit al MT hainn
THIS enterprise did not succeed, and Mr. Story
purchased q drug store. Failing In this, also.
he established Democratic paper ~ Misha-
and half he went 10 jackson, Mich, and stud.
led law for two years. Al tho end OF that time
he started the jackson Iatttot, and conducted It
Democratic paper already In existence there
After editing the Patriot year and . hall.
he was appointed Postmaster by President
fss saa sf the s sss n so
when he bccame Postmaster, he was again
without an occupation. soon he went again
into the drug business. and dealt also IN grocer
took an active part in politics. and In 1850 was
elected 4 member OF the constitutional conven-
ton Of Michigan by largo majority over Aus
interest in the Detroit Free Press he availcd
himself Of II. and In lsaa removed to Detroit
Before long he became half owner and subsc.
10 Detroit the f,rs Press was a feeble organ
with almost no circulation or influence. In
eight years Mr. Storey paid for the entire concern.
able, prosperous. and influential Democratic or
gan in the Vest For the first six years Mr..
Storey did all the editorial work on the paper
and during the next two years had but single
assistant. He was always the first to reach the
cffice in the morning ana the last to leave IT at
night His remarkable success was due not
alone to his ability a. Journals intellectually
sleaking, but to untirin1 industry. IL VAS not
unusual for Mr., Storey to remain at his ONCE
until the paper went to press, at o'clock In tho
morning. aud then to return at O'Clock to re-
In 1851 Mr.. storey realized that he had built
up the Free Press TO the limit Of prosperity
which its field permitted, and his ambition
70 sr 9,
and several other cities. he decided to come TO
this growing commercial center OF the West,
Al TINT time the Chicago Times had de-
Perforated from being the influential or
gan Of stephen A. Douglas TO = paper OF
almost no influence or standing, and with =
circulation less than .2n. Mr.. storey bought
theinfin.niial journal II subsequently became.
He racticed the same industry and wonderful
application, AMI exerted the Same remarkable
JOURNALISTIC ability by the exercise OF which he
had gained success In Detroit. The rebellion
had lust begun and the time was one Of great
political excitement, Mr.. Storey sent ont nu-
merons special orest ondents with the diIleren,
armies, used the telegraph most literally, and
the Times had ALWAYS the freshest war news,
often outstrpping Its contemporaries in the
completeness and accuracy OF It's accounts q
battles aud operations ut the front The Atti.
tude which the paper took editoriallv during thu
exciting times Of the rebellion WAS such .,
TO give the Lansr an enormous CIR.
rank ,opperhead and ardent rebel sym
pathi1cr. and shaped the policy OF his paycl
accordingly. Numerous threats against his iii,
ny few ys
military order Whatever else may be said o.
the course Of the Times at that time. IL Ger
tainls Was such as was hes. calculates to IN IN
per grew very rapidly into one OF the CREATES
Journals Of the West, and Mr.. Storey wa
Obliged again and again to increase it, publish
Ing fari titles, Tie financial sucscss OF the pApc
was great. and Mr.. storey. AZ was often said
had more money than he knew what TO do with
In 1867 the Times building ON Dearborn stree
the great fre Of 1871, after which Mr.. Store!
built the existing Times building At the corne
OF Firth avenue and Warrington street
done but Comparatively little In tho matter
editing the Times The strain Of hard worl
and close application began 70 tell upon his eys
tenn. and he was Obliged 20 relax his labor \
the spring of issi he took European trip 4
hopes Of regaininH his health. While abroad b
suffered . paralytic stroke. and was almost Inn
mediately brought home. He grew better. Ant
apparent however, that the yiRor OF his min
Was gone. Subsequently he spent per lods Q
greater or less length at Green Lake, WIS., ho
Springs and other health resorts During los
winter he was in Philadelphia undergoing medi
cal treatment From there he returned La
spring in partially demented and phyaicall
weak condition, II has been moro than tw
years since he did any editorial work ON IN
Times, and since his return from PHILADELPHIA
he has not been at the office.
One OF the strange ambitions OF Mr.. Storey
declining years Was TO erect for himself = mAa
nifcent residence. Of proportions and elcgAnc
40 great ~ to entitlc II TO be called palace.
Ii well known, he entered upon this undeTtAh
ing some years Ago. and the mammoth whit
marble edifice. still unfinished. though haytn
eaten up hundreds Of thousands OF dollars
its construction. remains down on Vinccnns
avenue to testify to his strange desire.
In personal appearance Mr.. Storey WAS =
| and always neatly attired. His hair WAS Ahunc
ant and snowy white. His forehead WAS hig
| and his hazel eyes clear and bright. A = joul
| nalist Mr. Storey had clear, concise, and yer
| forcihle style. He was more Of paragraph
! than essayist. In his editorials he often n
| peated the prominent idea again and again. eac
| time with verbiage % forcible vet different tn,
| the effect was like that Of the repeated blows |
1 4 batiering ram. a. many who have fcit q
| force OF them can testify. Even hts encmie
| and they were many. attest to his remarkAb
! ability ~ Journalist.