Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-11-07
Death of w F. Story.

CHICAGO, Oct, gI,-Wilbur +. Storey,
proprietor Of the Chicago Times, died
ut his residence In this city tonight at
1915. He had been incapacitated for
business for the past two years the re-
suit of q stroke of paralysis While in
Europe four or five years ago. Though
feeble. his demise wasnot Immediately
expected till two days ago, when he be-
gan sinking rapidly, he was unconscious
to-day and tonight and sank peaceful
" to rest at the hour named.
The death of Wilbur T: Storey has
been so gradual, so to speak. as to de-
priye it of the character of a startling
sensation. lie has been practically out
of the world for five years, since he left
the Times office to escape the consc-
Quencs 5f overWork, and met a paralyt-
ic stroke in Europe. From that time
she decline of his orc vigorous intel
lect has been constant, though slow.
ct is at least three years since he took
any intelligent part in the conduct of
his newspaper, and for at least q year
he has been a helpless and almost un-
conscious mbecile. The solicitude and
interest Of the people about him kept
this lamentable state Of things from
general knowledge, until it was made
a public scandal by the recent legal pro-
ceedings for the appointment Of a con
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the business and domestic skeleton in
all its CHASTITY reality, and prepared the
world for the news Of his death-less
ed to any who had not been near to
MIN than the Hopeless wreck Of all vi
tai faculties hat preceded it. 1t is nee
essary to go back the better part of a
generation to find Mr.. Storey playing
lhe p5rt of an active and powerful
journalist. He was perhaps the most
remarkable individual of type which
had few representatives in his own
generation, and has fewer still in this.
lie was not a Journalist in the old sense
At all, He had no notion of moulding
OF leading puplic opinion, no OF MAX
ing his newspaper a moral or educa-
tional force. He was a modern Jour
nalist IN the sense that he was a news
getter OF almost miraculous keenness
and energy. This was what gave the
Chicago Times its signal success, enor-
NOUS circulation and extraordinary pop
u%larity. MI. Storey served the news
paper-buying public with single-mlnd-
ed energy and sure fidelity. The very
characteristics Of the Times, Which in
n stage of its history made it often
sive to decent people and hateful to
loyal men, might be traced tothis prin-
ciple. lie found newspaper-buying
peoplcliked filth. andhemadetheT Times
aIeeking sewer of indecent scandals.
lie thought thepeople who bought the
Times sympathized With the Rebellion,
and he made it a virulent copperhead
organ. even at the expense of adver-
Using patronage. Afterward he found
ont that Democrats were not. as . rule.
either newspaper buyers or readers, and
he made The Times independent and
denounced the putrid "reminiscences.
Subordinate to this n great principle
Of pleasing the news-consuming public,
the editorof the Times had certain con-
yictions that kept his paper on the
right side of the great economic uues-
lions Of the day, though it is doubtful
# his advocacy Of them carried much
weight with his readers. More than
any journalist Of his generation, MrSto
,rey was his paper. Its rise, elimination
and decline correspondent withth same
stages of his own life and physical
and mental vigor. 1t has been
us great a wreck as himself for the past
few years, and its future is as uncertain
as +his. would be, in the estimation Of a
ieTcuf believerin post mortem rewards
and punishmentS.- Pioneer Press.
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