Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-02-14
DEATH OF THOMAS CHENERY, NJ. A.

| DEATH OF THOMAS CHENERY, NJ. A
The cable announces the death Of Thomas
Chenery, the Arabian scholar and editor OF
the London Times. He was native of Bar
bados, in the West Indies, and was born in
1896. Going to England in his youth, he
was educated nj Eton and at Cambridge.
He studied law and was admitted TO the
bar. His practice was small and he took no
steps to increase it, taking but little interest
| in the currant affairs Of life and busying
| himself principally in the perusal OF antique
| Arabic parchment manuscripts. In 1868
Bishop Wilberforce procured him the ap-
pointnent Of Lord Almoncr's Professor of
| Arabic al Oxford. He made an excellent
professor, as ne was an authority on the
| subject he undertook to teach, and for ten
wears he held the post with credit and tai
| cni. In The autumn Of 1877, in an uniortu-
nate hour, Mr. Walter, the chief proprietor
| ofthe Times, induced the Professor to re-
sign He did so and was appointed editor
| Of the Times.
From that moment his troubles began.
His life in Oxford had been calm and peace
| full. His career in his new capacity was
! turbulent and unhappy. He succeeded Mr.
Dclane Il man of marvellous ability as a
journalist, of great skill and judgment in
dealing with men, and who had placed the
| Times on the pinnacle Of success rs the lead
! ing, paper Ill Europe. Mr.. Delane was
decided disciplinarian, cXacting implicit
obedience from his staff. When be died the
| whole machine was in admirable working
order Each department was filled by just
the iii man. There were 10 square pegs in
| round holes. Mr. Chenery was q mild,
courteous, pleasant little gentleman, with
| lttlo or no acquaintance with practical
journalism. He had contributed to the
pres; many learned and prosy dissertations
on thc literature OF the Orient. lie had
writer! y few leading articles on Eastern
politics. But ne was utterly unable TO esti-
mate the value OF news. Wher the Times
| lost Nr. Deiauc, the editor, and Mr.. Now
| bray Morris, the manager, It's dccadcnce be-
gan and has continued 10 the present day.
| Il fell of very largely III circulation; II
| los; many OF lis advertisers. The Times,
ii it, good days, gave IN excellent seicc-
ton Of news; its foreign correspondence
WA; always we'll done; its criticism ot art
and letters Vas admirable Mr.. Chenery
found that he had undertaken Il task for
which lie had not the requisite capacity.
Warning and conflicting elements soon
began TO exert themselves through
out the Office. The harmony with which
the work Of bringing out the paper
had been conducted was destroyed and dis
cord reigncd. MIR. Cbencry had not the
master hand capable of controlling insub-
ordination. Where order had formerly
ruled supreme, chaos now prevailed. Sev-
cral of the best writer's left the paper in
disgust.
Mr.. Chcnery was esteemed for bis many
kindly qualities. He was Il member OF the
Athenruln Club and was frequent visitor
at the Reform Club. y learned, scholarly
man of retiring habits, he never should haro
left Oxford with its delightful reposc to take
charge o. Il paper concerning whose man
agcmcnt nc was almost entirely ignorant.
Mr. Chenery received from the Sultan in
1869 tie decoration Second class of the
Imperial Order Of the Medidie. In 1870 he
was appointed one Of the revisers of the
authorized translation of the Old Testament,
ana in 1878 was one Of the delegates to the
Congress fInternationalists. held at Flor
ence He was also honorable secretary to
the Royal Asiatic Society. His reputation
as an Oriental scholar rests chiefly in bis
translation OF THE Assemblies OF Al Harirl,
with Notes, Historical and Grammatical,
published IN 1867.