The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-10-26
SPOKES FROM THE HUB.
HOW COL. PULslFER LOST THE FOR
TUNE THE HERALD PAID HIM.


Good Luck Came Too Late - Women
Admitted to Mems Clubs-An Instructive
Failure In Business-A Knife Ready for
Coquelin and Hading.
From Our Special corrsspondent.)
Boston, Oct "a.
Apart from all the regulation obituary
praise, am glad to be able to assure all in
terested that the late Col. Royal M. Pulsifer,
who bore great part Of the burden in build
ing up The Boston Herald, was really liked
by the employees Of the paper and was con-
sidered fair and courteous In his dealings
with them So often are newspaper pro-
prietors the subject Of more or less scorn and
dislike on the part of editorial workers, that
proprietor who attains the opposite dis
tinction stands out lustrously among his fell
lows An editor who has been with him for
twenty years declares that in all that period his
communications with Mr. Pulsifer have been
uniformly marked by courtesy and kindness
on the part of the latter. In society too Mr..
Pulsifer had many warm friends.
When his sudden death Saturday became
known the report of suicide was readily &C.
cepted because it was no secret that for the
last few years he had been losing heavily in
stock speculation and doubtful business inter-
ests. But there is no positive proof that his
death was not due to nervous exhaustion or
to an overdose of a sedative taken to secure
sleep.
The cruelest feature of his sudden taking off
was that the next morning brought news of
successful bond negotiations in London
which would in some degree have restored
his fortunes Had the business been trans
acted few hours earlier, the knowledge
might have saved him.
**.
Mr.. Pulsifer's rise to wealth and promi-
nence in Massachusetts, business and social
circles was the result Of his connection with
The Boston Herald. He and E. b. Haskell
took hold of that wonderful enterprise with
Charles H. Andrews not long after 1870
They were poor, but determined ana indus
trious men who had become familiar with the
details of the newspaper business, either in
counting room or editorial floor. They
bought interests cheaply The paper met
with such astonishing success in the next ten
years that there was hardly better paying
property of the kind in the United States.
But just there were the beginnings of the end
for the president of the company.
Haskell and Andrews invested more safely.
The former, for instance, set up his son in the
control of The Minneapolis Tribune. Mr..
Pulsifer, however, wanted to be no ordinary
fnancier. He came out Of the Pacific bank
failure disastrously. He was specializing
soon after in worthless Nantasket lands and
in harbor steamboat stock, which would have
been paying investment if he had not sought
it for other purposes He went to unfortu-
nate lengths in the Bay of Fundy Quarrying
company but his widest ventures were in
the direction of Georgia and Florida railroads
and lands. In spite of the immense profits of
The Herald which were at that time gener-
ally believed to be not less than $500. 600
year, and in spite of the knowledge that the
company was always easily solvent, Mr.. Pull
sifer's credit suffered more and more, till
finally Haskell and Andrews had to take
measures for their own protection.
So was enacted the story of the ideal" of
few months ago by which The Herald pro-
prietors, R. M. Pulsifer & Co., took in new
nIen on a stock corporation basis, kept Pulsi-
fer at his old post nominally, but rated him
at the true value of his diminished holdings,
and saved themselves and the credit of the
concern from further danger. They were
not the more disposed to leniency when they
knew that it had been new practice of Mr..
Pulsifer to ''work" checks; that is, he would
draw check on an account overdrawn if he
could send it far enough so that it would not
have to be cashed before he could make
sufficient deposits Boston people were aware
of the great newspaper mans straits, but they
thought that so far from succumbing to des-
pondency he would build himself up again
and be prosperous.
**a
Col Pulsifer earned that title on the staff
of Governor Alexander H. Rice He earned
the title of Mayor Pulsifer for his liberal and
businessike administration of the affairs of
his chosen city of Newton, Boston's most
beautiful suburb. His summer villa on the
banks of the winding Charles at Auburndale
was one of the most charming and picture
esque residences in New England, and nobody
enjoyed it more than its cultivated owner
Mrs. Pulsifer, lady of rare popularity, and
a manly young son, who was the commander
of the Boston school regiment, are left be-
hind.
"Aren't you going to stay at home this even
ing JackY' "No, dear, shall have to show
my new walking stick at the club tonight"
"Then will meet you there after the theater,
love-" That is the way the wives and sisters
OF the members of the crack Algonquin club
will watch over them after their costly new
building on Commonwealth avenue is opened
Nov. 5, for in it the women are to have a
lunchroom and special entrance of their own
1t will be "just too lovely for anything" as
social exchange. Besides the women need
not be quite SO jealous of the club as rival
The Somerset club extends similar privileges
.**
The assignment of the famous printing
house Of the Rand-Avery company is queer
one The house has always done great
business and has always lacked ready money
and credit As Moses King says: For
forty-six years it has been scramble to
meet the weekly payroll" The firm is solid
today, but needs more capital. 1t is a curious
case of wise and bold publishing combined
with lack Of tact in the minor details of
business
Marie Jansen dazzles the multitude when
in the second act of 'Nadjy," at the Globe,
she bounds upon the stage completely envel-
oped in dark cloak, lined with white fur,
which gives her much-talked of black ballet
costume a striking background as the wrap
slowly slides from her shoulders.
Maude Banks is ambitious enough to take
the great Boston theater for her performances