, 1884-07-10
CALIFORNIA JOURNALISM.
The Lucky Biund-r Made by Ihs
Alta.
San Franciscl Letter.i

tSAn Francisc, letter.
There was no community which gave so
liberal a support TO a good newspaper as the
PFosls OF San Francisco during the first years
of their history. and none which demanded
more of IN editor. A strong Instance was
furnished by perhaps the abiest editor tiis
state has ever So n-James King, OF Will
lam, the founder OF Tn San F. ancisco Belle
Tin. He had tie courage OF his opinions at a
time when the expression of Any opinion hos
tile to the ruling class exposed an
editor to n violent death. From the
outs king mnde war on the strong CT que OF
gamblers and cut-thrcafs which lat taken
possessi' n OF the political machinery in tho
city. They openly stuffed blllot- boxes;
JudR-s were their creatures; they were prnc-
ucaily oinnipotent until this man appeared
and gave n voice to the growing feeling of
resentment against such outrages on law and
Justice. An e~x-convict named Casey, who
had rived a term in Sing SIM, was running
for Office as the candidate OF the gamblers
lie ~ns a notorious bully, a man utterly I'm
tit FOR any office of public trust King ex-
posed his record and warned all good citiz -ns
not to vote for him The result was that
the editor was waylaid in tine street AMI shot
down by Casey before he hal an oppor-
tun:ty to draw a we tpon in self-dstence. A
vigilance committee hanged Casey on the
day and at the hour of Kings funeral.
Many friends Of Casey declared that the
execution was n high handel bit of violence.
Among the newspapers then published in tie
city was The Eerald, s'arted by John
Nugent, u man Who, had had journalistic
training in New York, but wh) was destitute
OF any strong convictions or keen sense 81
public opinion Naturally the newspaper
were expected to take sides in this matter.
Nu@eit sought safety in a mul.itu 10 of cnun.
sellers OF the political class, an his paper
came out on the morning after the hanging
with n "ieaIer' d%enouucing In the strou est
terms the action OF the vigilance Committee,
as a lnwless ~usurpation Of the province of the
courts Among other local Journals was
The Alta, II small andstrIggling aspirant for
popular favor. This came out on the event.
full morning with an e iitorial praising the
work of the vigilance committee AMI dec,ar-
ing It should receive the support of all reputa
Die citizens. Tie Herald on the ny after
the hanging was a large blanket shee;, with
an er tire pags devoted TO the a vertisements
OF aucsi"n ers-an indispensable guide to
the merchant and a Source of great profit to
the newspaper. Tue Alta was q wretchel
little sheet, scarcely larger than an old-fash-
Toned pane of gas. The following day saw
tie position of the two .apers reversed. All
the aucuoheers, as wei as other business
men, transferred their patronage in a boIy
10 the piper which chnmIiJned the cause of
law AID order, and Nugents journal fell
three days from ths position u the leauing
newspaper on the coast TO tLat of q paper
which no one would Luy.
And here comes ia a Tit of the unwritten
histoiy Of the time whici shows tuat LUCK,
rather than any strong convictions, was the
cause of The a ta's unexamp.ed prosperity.
The nj hit of tho Casey nan ing was Que OF
great excitement in The A.ta urice. A couu-
cl of he lruprietors AMI ed tors was held,
and the proos-s1eets of two ediioriais-oue
stron Sly approving the vigilance committee,
the other strongly dc!ouncing it-were suh-
niitted. It wns the decision OF the ma ior.ty
that the latter should be printed, and an
order to this effect was given to the foreman.
t g two editorials had similar heads, and in
the hurry of making up toe Ia, er the fole-
81 an Lfted the wrong article into 'he form
and the mis-, AXE was not detected until the
paper was in tie hands of the public. The
owners rushed down TO the olice prepared to
be met by a storm OF Indignation, but were
amazed TO find that the rejected article la
made a hit ami that they were on the flood
tile to fortune.