Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-03-03

day appears the
line of mockery-''By w. F. Storey
The story Of The Chicago til e, Is worth
telling from first to last 1t cyan tifty-five
years ago in the office of the tad old Free
Press at Mldd ebury. VT, whore Wilbur F.
Storey, a green lad of a dozen years. from
his fathers farm near by, entered upon his
apprenticeship as a printer. AT Il he
struck out Tor himself, and after 'everal
year. Of struggles and adventures in at
tempting to establish newspapers IN var GUS
towns OF Indiana and Michigan. The Patriot,
printed at jackson. in the latter state, sur
vived the lis infant journals are heir to
and lived into success. The editor was APP
pointed postmaster and fortune seemed to
smile upon him. But in 1s49 President Polk
removed him from Office and the future
great editor who hal sold The Patriot,
embarked in business a druggist, sta
toner and grocer He married worthy
lady, joined the church, and his future
seemed likely to be easy-gong. highly g.
spectacle and mo ierately prosperous. In
his drug ore. however. he sold liquor,
causing so much scandal in the church
that he withdrew from the congregl ion and
never rejoined. This injured his social
st anding and bred in hin, di content with
lol. ne TelOTlileu editor Coulu MOI stay
reformed. The IA cnaton of the magic
types was too great and he returned to
newspaperdom. he Detroit Free Press was
then lingering between the sheriff and the
coroner. Storey bought it credit, in
fused some life into ITS columns and in
eight years paid for it and had so 600 in
bank Then he sighed for more worlds tc
conquer He sold The Free Press removed
to Chicago and purchased The Times, which
was then an almost unknown paper with a
crculat ton of only a thousand copies day.
But The Times soon began to flourish, Just as
I he Free Press had done. 1t was bold,
spirited enterprising. That was in 1861,
and the war proved Storey'S opportunity.
Not only did he show his rivals that the
leading journal of rising Chicago must he
something besides a reprint of eastern pa
pers-that it must Luy news literally and
nteliigently he ass allied the war policy
of the administration with such violence
that Gen burnside, in command OF the de.
partment of the northwest, ordered the sup
preston of The Times The morning of
June 3, 1868. odiers took possession of
the office. Three days later President
Lincoln revoked Burnside's orders, but the
notore V Z iven the papr by this temporary
suppression proved of inestin able value
The circulation increa ed with wonderful
rapidity; but Editor Storey made no for
tune All of the papers earnings We're put
back into it in providing news at any cost
Frequently his telegraph bills were $500 a
day He would permit nothing to be sent
by mail. Telegraph everything, were his
orders He wanted a special telegram about
everyt thing of Importance and some of his
employees. fearing his sharp criticism if they
lot foil int bo bab
of ordering specials from half dozen sources
to make sure. Frequently four or five long
reports of an occurrence would come in on
the wires. only one of which could be used,
but ali OF which had to be paid for. He EN-
poyed a large staff, and also hal special cor
respondents on the wing While thus lavish
in large things he was economical in small
things. He would turn down gas that he
saw burning needlessly, and any usefulness
caused HIM gr at indignation.
Storey was an indefatigab.e worker For
year. he SAW his paper to press at 3 o clock
every morning, and by Q would b. in the
counting room, comforting with his business
manager The afternoon he devoted to
conferences and plans respecting editorial
management and speut the night at hard
work at hlS de k. His only pleasures were
those to which assionato. impe.ious ia ures
are always addicted He lived wi hin him
self, having few inlimates. He cultivated
no social relations Heals of Departments
on his paper he woull pass without a nod of
recognition. He sought no fren ships and
avoided no enmities. He energetic
pugnacious-at times violent His paper
was a terror to all involved in vrong-dong
or scania. lie believed the way to reform
men was to expos hen. His paper was
Loo nj,
personal. often cruel He was often threat
ened A variety actress horse hirped him;
a gambler shot at him libe suits came so
regularly that he employed "a lawyer to do
nothing else but attend to them. Yet he
knew no fear His office was II no way
guarded All were free to eut,r without
questioning.
He livei IN his office and for his paper In
all the world there seemed nothing TO him
but The Times Upon it all his resources of
purse mind and body were srent lie
achieved a great success, but not without
adversely. He was more than once threat
ened with bankruptcy bu he had faith in
his policy of greas expendi, ure, and refused
to turn back A costly press, which he had
nearly ruined himself in purchasing broke
down, and sadly crippled him lis build
ing collapse under a heavy snowfall His
domestic troubles wore upon him During
= all this time he lived al hotel kept no ser
wants dressed plainly, and worked upon a
common pine table, In 1870 his tinan ,ial
straits easel little and he was just pre-
pairing TO branch out with new projects for
the paper. He had at last reached the sum-
nit of his am oltion
The grea. fire nearly crushed him. 1t
swept awav the fruits of a lie of toll He
found the Uins OF his office and his presses
but he could fin nothing else. There seemed
to be no p.ac, 10 begia. There as nothing
but ruins. lie was broken down and had
not the courage to begin the battle anew.
A hasty calculation told him tina he could
retire wi about 500. 900 and he was Just
reaching determ nation to do so when a
telegram WAS placed in his hands from a
papermaker in Michigan. 1t read: If $50
600 will do you any good, draw ON me at
sign. ms turned the scales In ninety
minutes the Michigan man was drawn on for
*ooooo at sight In four days Tbs Times
reapreared, published from a shed on the
west side. which still stands In six wsak,