The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-04-15
TRAGEDIES OF THE Sane
THIN
Closing Scenes in the Lives or Some
New York Editors.

The first editor of the New York
World, which was started as an ortho-
dox religious paper, was Mr.. Spauld-
ing, a grave, taeiturn man OF large
frame and powerful intellect When
the World fell into financial straits. and
threw religion overheard, about 1868,
Mr.. Spaulding took place upon the
editorial staff of the Times, under Hen
nv j. Raymond, whose first assistant
then was; and there he showed himself
to be the boldest master of political
invective ever known on the American
press. To recruit his health, he made
voyage to New Orleans, but on an
excursion up the Mississippi his boat
met with ill-luck, and he was cast on
deserted bank of land, where be almost
starved to death. The first knew of
his return to New York was at very
late hour Of one night, when, being on
duty in the editorial quarters of the
Times, ''whistle up the pipe from
the publication office, and message
that Mr.. Spaulding had muttered my
name, hurried me downstairs.
found him PROSTATE on his back upon
the stone flooring, and evidently struck
by paralysis. and entirely unconscious.
In few moments he caught my voice,
and began stammering out Latin
words, disjointed quotations from Vir-
gil, Horace, and ais other favorite au-
thors, occasionally pressing his head
with his hands and breaking into sort
of wild laugh. 1t was after midnight
by the city hall clock when ! left his
side, fastened over to the old New
York hospital, then in Broadway, rang
up the young doctor in charge, who
agreed to take him in, returned to the
Times with stretcher, called down
four compositors, who lifted the pros
trate man from the floor, and accom-
panied them back to the hospital,
where / saw him placed safely upon a
cot under Doctors charge. 1t was
half an hour of the time for going to
press when / got back to the editors
sanctum. If the editorial columns Of
next days Times were short or other
wise imperfect the reason is now for
the first time told. Though Mr..
Spaulding was over so years old, he
had been married but few months be-
fore, and in the morning 1 telegraphed {
TO his young wife, then in one of the
towns up the Hudson river, who APP
peared at the hospital in very few
hours. She tended him devotedly dur
ing the days in which he could not be
removed from the cot, and then had
him taken to her fathers country
home, where he soon after bowed his
head in death. In this tragical way
ended the life of the first editor of the
New York World, man of great soul
and honest purpose.
Even more tragical was the closing
scene, in June, 1869, Of the life of Hem
ry j. Raymond himself, the distin-
guished founder and editor of the New
York Times. He had been at the
Times office on the afternoon of the
night in which he was found dead, and
inquired for me; but happened TO be
engaged elsewhere in work which he
had put upon me, writing criticism of
Woolsey's Reform Against Nature,
then just published. Leaving word
that he desired to see me as soon as
possible, ne left the Office in his usual
CHEEKY mood, took dinner at his house
on Ninth street, and then went TO po-
litical meeting. But little is known of
his subsequent movements until after
of that day Dune 49,, when
his wife, who was drawn downstairs by
hearing a noise, found him lying dead
at the door of his house. In the midst
of u great career in the press and in
politics, his life ended in tragedy never
yet cleared up. In the very early
years of my manhood, Mr.. Raymond
had given me my first opportunity on
the press by inviting me to his paper,
and during the ten years that preced-
ed, included, and followed the great
war for abolition (or from 1859 to
1869, when | was his daily associate,
ne proved himself to be the most anna
BILE of men. as he was one of the most
accomplished editors.
But set out TO tell, with the fewest
words, the tragedies of score of New
York editors of my acquaintance.
The tragedy of the death in mad
house of Horace Greeley, the founder |
and editor of the New York Tribune
who has not been shocked by the story
IF itp
The tragedy of the death of the ven
cradle poet, William Cullen Bryant,
editor of the Eveni1ag Pos, who fell be-
ore my eyes under sunstroke in the
Central park five years ago. was told
n this paper Of December 80.
How suddenly and unexpectedly, in
he summer of last year, death struck
ny associate. William o. Bartlett, of
he Sat'1, a man of great mind and great
learf
The tragedy of the death last Sep
ember of the jovial Hugh j. Hastings,
he editor of the Commercial advertiser,
Il this city, was caused through q
hook which he got when his earriage
anne in collision with an express wag-
IN.
How suddenly and grievously in De-
ember last fell William i. Clarke, ed
tor of the New York Star, the good
nd talented man, who had so often
bought it his duty to assail me for the
eeds that | did under the highest
ense of duty.
The managing editor of tile New
'ork Herald during nearly the whole
( the life of the elder Bennett was Mr..
hudson, who came TO tragical end in
he Massachusetts town of Concord, 3
ew years ago, through being crushed
Y railway train.
Time fails me to tell of the lesser
ghts-Chase of the Herald, Ned Sey-
lour and Mills of the Times. Adams
the San, and how many others.
That line of tragedies Of the sane
I'M is enrolled before my eyesl-trag-
lies which have shocked my spirit ev-
~ year since first / stood, as q strip
ng, within the innermcst circles of
le daily press of New York.
The tragedy of poor Doc Wood is the
test on the roll.--John Ss0iRto7s's Pa.
sr.
In the Brotherhood Of Locomotive
ngineers there are now 237 divisions,
the United States, Canada
ld Mexico, With a membership Of | ,
J, 900 TO $4,000 active members. The
lieet of The Brotherhood is the per-
nal elevation. mutual relief and pro- ,
elton Of its members, the rules being ,
specially rigid as to the moral char !
Ter and abstemious habits Of the i
eD,
The value of the willow crop Of wv
" Z. !