Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-04-08
ADMIRAL.
Something About the Inside History
Of the -Four Great Quaker
City Newspapers,
Sketches OF The Private Lives OF Grand
Master Powderly and Vice.
President IIoxie.
The Great Historian Recovering Latest
Political NoveI-C leveiand's Afiic-
tions--A Rare Library.
special correspondence OF tho Gazette.

Special Correspondence OF tho Gazette.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, Apnll.--The most |
newspaper 10 the United |
States celebrated the close OF It's first :
half century Of existence during the past
week. The Public Ledger of this city |
turns into It's owners pocket every year
d cool $500, 600, and it has been doing that
clever thing for the past fifteen years. II
is the property OF Mr.. George Washington
Childs, who has a national reputation as
the accomplished writer Of the best grade
Of obituary poetry IN the world, How he
came to have such reputation is q
curious story, Five OF six years ago, Mr..
Chas. A. Dana, the editor OF the New
York sun, began systematic course OF
abuse OF Mr., Childs, why, no one seems
to know. | once asked the latter about
it, and he assured me that Il was 40 much
of mystery TO him us IL was TO
other people. He said he had
never met Mr.. Dana, and was at
loss TO know why he pursued the course
he does. The Ledger Is a staid old
sheet, largely given over to advertise
ments, and takes little stock In special
dispatches and other expensive things.
II is saying among opposition papers
here that the Ledger never dahbles in
news II pays much attention 10 the
marriages and deaths, and among the
latter prints almost daily choice selec-
tons of doggerel rhyme. These verses
are handed In over the counting room
desk, and are paid for at regular rates.
Mr.. Dana has always Insisted that Mr..
| Childs writes this obituary doggerel, and
the curious part of 1t is that thousands
10. IL, Thn
fact is that Mr.. Childs is one OF the most
modest and sensible men Of which any
city in the world can boast, He bought
the Ledger at sheriff's sale about
twenty years ago and has brought
it up to It's present magnificent
property. One of its founders was
! Mr.. a. S. Abel, the owner OF the Balti-
more Sun, newspaper that has made It's
proprietor q millionaire, and still goes on
in the money-making tenor Of its way.
The two papers are wholly unique in
American Journalism. They are taken
largely for their advertisements, which
ale read by the stald old Philadelphlans
and Baltimorans respectively with as
much relish as other people do news by
telegraph DIR. Childs is a short and
very thick.sei man, with very red face.
He Invariably walks to and from his Of
fee, and Is known to every street urchln
and gamin he meets. He is one Of the
most liberal men, laying awake nights, 1t
Is said, studying how To spend his money
in order that il may benefit some less
fortunate people He can always
be counted upon TO entertain
1 every distinguished person who visits
: the city, and in this way he has managed
to obtain an acquaintance with every dis
3 tinguished foreigner who has visited thii
country in the last quarter Of a century
0 He was the most intimate friend Pieei
. dent Grant had in Philadelphia, and en-
9 tertained the latter and Mrs, Grant OF
o the night before they sailed on their tou
0 around the world.
. GREAT LIBRARY.
a Mr.. Childs owns the largest and rares
0 collections of celebrated manuscripts II
9 the United States, II not In the yBsi;hd
~ Among them is the original Of Lord BY
q ron's "Prison OF Chillou," ThackeraY'l
Q little story, "St Quentin" Charles
y Dickens "David Copperheld" and 'Lit
o tie Dorrit," with the autograph OF tn
. great author, and score or more o.
" equally famous works. These manu-
scripts were given to MIR, Chllds 10y tn
J, writer's themselves as mementoe
\ of their acquaintance with him AM
in appreciation Of his many GOO
n qualities of head and heart. Mrs. Child
= is quite as odd in her way as her dlstin
guished husband. She has never bora
y Mr.. Childs any children, aud therefor
@ spends most of her time doing good deed
IS for other peoples children. She aud he
a husband invariably entertainall the news
O boys, bootblacks and ragamuillns in tn
d city on the Fourth OF July, Christmas ant
o Washington's Birthday. Mrs. Child
+. also entertaiDs good deal during tn
= season, and at a recent tea she gave sh
! set her table with china valued at $50,
II 000 As he has no heir, the question q
d the future owner of his great newspape
e has heen much discussed, but II is gen
d orally understood that son OF Mr. A.
8 Drexel, the well-known banker, IL {
n come into the fat inheritance one Of thes
e days. Ten TO one it viii prove the ruina
h ton of the lad.
n The charities Of Mr. Childs are some
Is thing enormous, There is not worth
Il object going that tile owner Of the Ledge
j. cannot be depended upon 70 aid in It'll
J. more liberal sum than anybody else
It able or willing 10 give. The Irish caus
J, has been helped thousands OF dollars b
him, aud so has nearly every other caus
that has been brought 10 his attentio
luAt WAS III Ill utnNINilH VI dlAls nov
= ever, any scheming person who chance
to read TINS and thinks 10 get some none
IA by writing TO this famous phllanthropis
le might as well save paper and postag,
n Mr.. Childs never gives indiseriminately
d He always let's his right baud know wha
=, his left hand doeth, and is therefore prett
70 well aware Of the thousands OF crank
2. who are continually boring the people O
s. means in this country
"a Quaker City newspaper proprietors hay
le weakness for handsome offices an
le buildings. Nor do they obey the in
!: junction 70 be rich but not gaudy
81 They run, in fact, to the esthetic, and al
o. often gaudy In the extreme Th
~ Ledger, Times and Record are issue
40 from palaces of their own, while Oh
% buildings OF the Press, the Morn
~ American, and Call are not far benin
j0 them. Nearly all Of them nave sanctnm
l. that are fitted mp gorgously In illumine
~ ceilings, carvings and etchings, tapestr
81 brussels and antique bronzts and hun
,r with paintings Of rare value. The neN
h time you see Philadelphia editors meI
NJ toned ia New York, Chicago, or 81
I'd Louis paper, Just bear the above facts /
n mind and then read between the line
~ See bow enyions the sentiment Is? Hoi
n the jealousy Ia the sentence is not eve
! stopped by the period? New York editor
~ can scarcely tell the honest truth aboI
,d Philadelphia affairs, their envy Of Qnak'
e City professional brethren il 50 grea
nv This ~ supposed 10 account for Mr.. Dana
d, treatment OF Mr.. Childs,
" TWO sELF-AiADE MEN.
he One Of the best-known newspaper me
o. In the United States Is Col. Alex X. M
IL