Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-28

4
L! it. And in this
v,prp sroprv paper from day to
day appears the
line of mockerv by W F. Storey"
The story Of The Chicago Times is worth
telling from first to last 1t began fifty-tive
years ago in the office of the ,taid old Free
Press. a. Midd ehury. Vt, where Wilbur F,
Storey, a green lad OF dozen years, from
his fathers farm near by, entered upon hls
apprenticeship as a printer At i he
struck out for himself and after several
years Of struggles and adventures in at
tempting to establish newspapers IN var Ou-
towns OF Indiana and Michigan, The Patriot
printed at Jackson in the latter state sur
vived the IllS infant journals are heir tc
and lived into success. The editor was ap
pointed postmaster and fortune Seemei &c
smile upon him But in lN4J President POib
removed him from offiye and the future
great editor who hal sold The Patriot
embarked in business as druggist, sta
toner and Groc-r He married a worthy
lady, joined the church. and his future
seemed likely to lie easy gong. highly g
spectacle and mo ierately prosperous. II
his drug ore, however he sold liquor
causing 50 much scandal in the churcl
that he withdrew from the congregation anC
never rejolnei lhs injured his sOCIa
standing and bred IN him discomfort witt
his lot The reformed editor could not stay
reformed The fascination Of the magic
types was too great and he returned L
newspaperIonL he Detroit Free Press wa
then lingering between the sheriff and the
coroner Storey bought it on credit, in
fused some ife into is columns and il
eight years paid for it and had so 90 il
bank l hen he sighed for more worlds t.
conquer. He sold The Free Press removed
TO Chicago ami purchased The Times. which
was then an almost unknown paper with I
circula ton of only thousand copies a day
But The Times soon began TO fourth, just
lhe Free Press had done 1t was bold
spirited. enterpriSing. That was in lNfjl
and the war proved StOrey's opportunity
Not on V did he show his rivals that tht
leading journal of rising Chicago must Il
something besides a reprint Of eastern pa
perS-that it must tuy news literally anC
intelIigentlv- he as>alled the war policy
of the administration with such violence
that Gen. burnside in command Of the de
partment Of the nor Invest, ordered the sup
preston of The Times The morning o
June 3 1868, soldiers took possession o,
the office Three days later p esidenr
Lincoln revoked buEn~lIt OTueI~. bul JLt
notorie.y 2 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 tIe paper 5 earnings were pu'
back into it in providing news at any cost
Frequently his telegraph bills were $50 {
day He would permit nothing to be sent
by mail Telegraph everything. were his
n. 81, al Fala oh.
everything Of Importance, and some OF his
employees. feari NJ his sharp CT ticism if they
were left" on anything fell into the habit
Of ordering specials from half a dozen :. urces
to make sure. Frequently four or five long
reports of an occurrence would come in OF
the wires, only one Of which could be used
but all of which hai to be paid for. He EN-
ployed a large taft, and also had special cor
r, spondents on the wing. While thus lavish
in large things he was economical in small
things He would turn down gas that ht
saw burning ueedlessly. and any wastfulnes'
caused him gr, at indignation.
Storey was an indefatigabe worker FOl
year, he saw his paper 10 press at o clocL
every morning, and by would be in tht
counting room, comforting with his business
manager The afternoon he devoted L
conferences and plans respecting editoria
management and >pent the night at hare
work at hl, e,k Hi, only pleasures wer,
those to which pass sionate, imperious natures
are ALWAYS addicted. He lived within him
self having few intimates. He cultivated
no social relations Hea Is of department
on his paper he would pass without nod o
recognition. He sought no friendships ant
avoided no enmities He was energetic
nuynaCiouS-at times violent His pape
was a terror to all involved in wrung-doinl
or scanial He believed the way TO reform
men was TO expos, them. His paper wa
sensat Ional, sometimes salaclous bitterly
personal, often cruel He was often threat
ened. A variety actress horse hipped him
a gam bler shot at him. lhel suits came s
regularly that he employed lawyer 70 d'
nothing else but attend TO them Yet h'
knew no fear His office was in no way
guarded All were free to enter withou
questioning
He livei in his office and for his paper. II
all the world there seemed nothing to hin
but The Times Upon it all his resources o.
nurse mind and body were spent h'
achieved a great success, but not withou
adversitv He was more than once threat
ened with bankruptcy. bu he had faith IL
his policy Of great expenditure, and refused
to turn back a costly press which he hac
nearly ruined himself in purchasing brokt
down, and sadly crippled him His build
ing collapsed under a heavy snowfall Hi
domestic troubles wore upon him During
all this time he lived at a hotel, kept no ser
wants dressed plainly, and worked upon
common pine table in 1870 his tinancia
straits ea,ed little, and he was just pre-
pairing to branch out with new projects fo
the paper. He had at last reached the sum
NIT of his ambition
The great fire nearly crushed him ]
swept away the fruits Of life Of toll H
found the ruins OF his office and his presses
but he could find nothing else There SCENE,
TO be no place to begin. There was nothing
but ruins He was broken down aud nau
not the courage to hegiG the battle anew
A hastv calculation told him tina he could
retire wi h about 500 100 and ne was just
reaching a determ nation to do so when q
telegram was placed IN his hands from {
pspermaker in Michigan. 1t read: IF SO
OOO will do you anv good, draw on me al
sight This turned the scales In ninety
minutes the Michigan man was drawn on toi
$4,000 at sight In four days The Time:
reappenrei, published from a shed on thu
west side which Sti stands. In six week:
he set in motion the first web-Perfectine
press used in Chicago The Times was
marvel of neatne,s ami enterprise, and il
prosperel marvelOusly. For the first tint
Storey ro led in wealth In a year hi
paper, which he had seriously thought o
abandoning, could have been sold TO
81 600 OOO in cash. But the noney came il