Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-02
GREELEY'S DISCOVERY.
HOW THE TRIBUNE PHILOSOPHER
FOUND AMOS J. CUMMINGS.
Tho Typesetter's First Interview with
the Famous Editor Something Tho
Tribune Had to Take Back-Reading
Dana's Choice Obituaries.

The cleverest newspaper men, when pushed
into the walks of craftsmanship, have rarely
fulfilled the promises of their journalistic ca
reers But 1 look for different result in
Amos J. Cummings case. He has an abund-
ance of that rare mental commodity known
as horse sense There is nothing Of the the
orist about him. He is eninently practical,
earnest, energetic, courageous and honest. l
know of no young man who ever entered
congress with brighter prospects. he was
offered 5000 year-as much as his con-
gressional salary-to write over his own sig
nature one letter a week for newspaper
about the doings of the house.
Cummings name brings to my mind his in
direct connection with the newspaper killing
of a number of American statesmen for
whom the last trump had not been blown-or
played, whichever you prefer When Horace
Greeley, one of the best and profanest of
men, was editohof The Tribune, Amos Cum
mings entered the employ of that newspaper
as typesetter He then lived in Newark.
One afternoon The Evening Telegram pub
hshed a report Of the death of William
Wright, United States senator from New
Jersey. 1t was an event in the political
world, and Greeley wrote an editorial upon
it, 1t fell to Cummings lot to place a por-
ton of the article in type Having just come
from his New Jersey home, he knew that the
report of Senator Wright's death was I'M
true, and SO informed the foreman of the
composing room, who told him that he should
go down stairs and tell the old man"
INTERVIEWING HIS CHIEF.
Cummings, with his sleeves rolled up, and
still wearing his ink smeared apron, walked
into the sanctum of the Sage of Chappa-
qua, and in his blunt way said: Senator
Billy Wright is not dead"
Looking up, Greeley, in his peculiar fall
setto voice, exclaimed: "Who in - are
you."
81 work upstairs in the composing ROOM"
was the quiet answer.
young man." squeaked out Greeley,
you're - fool Go read The Telegram
The young printer said not another word,
but walked upstairs and finished putting In
type the editorial sermon over the living SEN
ator's body. Two days afterward The Trib-
une was obliged to correct its false state
ment of Wright's death.
1t did not take Greeley long to find that
Cummings was not a fool and il was not
very long before the typesetter was city
editor of the great journal. At that time
there were two New York congressman bear
ing the name of James NJ. Humphreys One
was from Buffalo, and Democrat; the other
was from Brooklyn, and q Republican, and
was at one time postmaster Of that city. The
news editor, Otterson, in recording in the
columns of The Tribune their votes on i'm
portant public measures almost invariably
mixed them up in one way or another and
led Mr.. Greeley into mistaken criticism that
filed him with agony.
One night the dear old man walked into
the editorial room and asked is there any
news on which he could make editorial COM
ment. Congressman Humphreys is dead"
answered Cummings.
SIS he!" squcaked Greeley, "I'm - glad
to hear it. Now The Tribune can be right
about his vote What have you got about
him. he continued, turning TO Otterson
The news editor promptly reeled OFF what
he had before him about the Brooklyn Re
publican. Greeley went down stairs and wrote
strong editorial on the subject. The next
morning all the other newspapers contained
particulars of the death of the Buffalo Demo
crat. The Brooklyn Congressman was still
alive When Greeley discovered the error
distance robes the mountain is pale indeed,
beside the sapphire atmosphere Of The Tri-
bune office. After he had become valued
attache of The Sun and one Of its stockhold-
ers, Cummings had the privilege of reading
editorial obituaries Of Daniel Manning and
Henry Watterson, written by the nervous,
forceful pen OF Charles A. Dana. They wers
put in type-at various times. of course-but
were not published because the outstretched
wings of the angel of death were again closed
in each instance and the shadow passed away.
But Cummings thought it a monstrous shame
that men in memory Of whom Charles A.
Dana had poured forth his choicest utter
ances should not hear them while, favored
above all others, they were alive TO enjoy
them Accordingly he had proofs Of both
articles struck and actually read 70 Manning
and Watterson what The Sun had proposed
saying over their biers A man who could
do that viii be able 70 hold his own, think,
even in the American congress.-Cor. Phila-
delphia Press.