The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-24
HENRY ". GRADY.
SUDDEN ENDING or a PROMISING
CAREER.
Death Of the Brilliant southern journal
Isl and Orator scenes and Incidents at
Ills Deaih-Bed-Bri,f sketch of His
Life and Career.

His Deaih-Bed-Bri,f Sketch of Iii
Life and Career.
ATLANTA. December y. - iicnry W
/ Grady died of pneumonia nj iWeni
I minutes before : o'clock this morning.
When death came it, coming had bee
| feared hy hose who had watched the cas
closely, but nobody expected il so soon.
PATHETIC SCENE.
} The scene at his home during the las
| hour. was most pathetic. II was short.
after N O'Clock that Dr.. Everett announce,
| that Mr. Grady was sinking rapidly an'
that the end was near. Then II was tina
an the members Of the family and th
relation. gathered about the sick bee
hoping AGAINST hope yet prayin,
/ that The cup might be- taken from them
The friends who had M the doctor
! suggestion LEFT the house few hours pre-
giously were hastily summoned. The sam
question. same answer. mo hope. no, no.
strong mcn wept like children. One bl
one they stole back, gazed for few second
! upon the ashy pale face and came back witt
bowed heads and burdened hearts. Thel
realized for the first time that death WAS in
c,.tible. there was no hope, be was Still
unconscious.
At3:lOhe drew his last breath and his
great heart was still.
sEETCH OF HIS LIFE AND CAREER.
Henry Woodfcn Grady was one OF tine
best known editors in all the south. ant
there wa- NO man connected with the pro
f.-siOn whose prospects. both professional
and political. were brighter. lie was born il
Athens. Georgia. about 1850. and was az the
time of his death about forty years o
age. His father was killed in the Con
ladefate army when young Grady
WAS Only about fourteen years Of age
hui the young man had native grit
u him. and entering the University ol
Georgia at Athens, be- graduated. just about
the close OF the war. nj the head Of his c as
lie afterwards pursued his studies at iu,
uiNcr,iiy Of Virginia, for which institu-
tion Doe always enteriIined the warnesi
affection. and il was there that he delivered
the Grafton of the occasion al the meeting OF
the alumni last June.
BORN JOURNALIST.
Nr. Grady WAS born journalist. y
soon "a. he graduated at the university b.
began his journalistic career, and his first
work of importance was uUne ior the sew
York Herald. on which paper he was ai-
pointed hy Mr.. Eccles Cuihbprt, OF this city
ihe manager Of the southern department Of
the Herald. as correspondent in 1876. He W is
then detailed 90 write up the fam u- EliCr-
tom riots in south Carolina, IN
which. from the phenomenal fuency
of his pen. aud his remarkable pow
on, Of description. added tO the resources
of "a brilliant Imagination upon which be-
never hr-itated o. draw od .fibNUhl. be
made 20 great hit" soon after this he
added greatly t0.his reputation 10y his report
Tor fhe Herald OF tine electoral difficulties IN
Florida during thc memorable Hayes
Tiden presidential contest. and these TWO
strokes OF his genius gave him al once "a
nfiDnai reputation. aud raised him 10 the
front rank in journalism.
Iu- EARLY FAILURES AND srCCE-sEs.
Upon thc reputation thu. gained. Mr.
Grady attempted tO launch two journalistic
ventures. fhe Atlanta Herald aud the At
hua Courier. both of which proved unsuc-
cc.-ni. Nut "a man OF his brilliant genius
Wa. nDt easily put down. Colonel Evan =.
Howell. the real head and front Of Gcorgia
journalism. and the man % whom. above ali
others. lIc success Of the Atlanta tonstiiu-
iion i- duo. soon saw. with his quick. iniui-
tive perception 0i men, that there was
...tua" boo Grady, and appointed him 10 "a
position ON the stan OF The Constitution.
rs iiio There he not only gave satisfaction 10
hi. immediate employer. bat added iO his
reputation 10y CORRESPONDING with various
papers North and West.
HOW HE GAINED MS START.
10 was while on the staff of the Atlanta
Constitution that BE- was offered. and
promptly improved. au opportunity TO gain
"a substantial start in life. During the great
railway specu.nti0n about nine years ago,
inifn.r excitement WAS created over future
railway enterprise IN Georgia, and the
irrespective value of railway stock. The
great contest WAS between the Louisville
and Nashville and the Georgia Central
properties. and in This contest the pro-
posed Georgia Western (nOw the Georgia
pacir) PLAYED no small part. II was very
at the time whether the
Geof.ia Western would be built or not.
\ charter lad been granted for the
road t0 run from Atlanta. 1cOrgia. 10
oxford Or Al gi-tOn, Ala, ana surveys had
some years ntiOre been made. The con
.iucilOn Of iAe road was delayed. however.
and the charter was almost forgotten.
When huilt it was expected 10 prove a
formidable rival both iO the Georgia Ccn-
iui and irr Louisville and Nashville, but
more psYecilllk 10 tie former. Grady went
o. Sew York with II. Victor Newcombc,
then president Of the Louisville and Nash
Vile nud in The capacity Of his private
ectIe.aiy. iie ,olGd onf that 'hc charter
of the Gr1ria Western was 10 DC revived.
and that lis chances Of being built were
very promising. lie. therefore. wrote II up
in DIS vigorous style daily, and. no doubt al
ihe ia.ligYfion Ol NewcOmbe. WAS placed In
300 session Of certain iuoipe ,ac.- viil
which the public was not familiar. by this
means be- was able to predict the
uitl.ae leness of the road, and
hi. predictions were aue, wards nilly
verified by the resignation OF senator NOV
Goforuori Gordon irom the United states
senate lo take lhe presidency os the new
r0id and ibe subsequent ~ npiniWent 10y
Governor C0lqultt, tD OH the vacancy thus
cr.ni.d. % .I.nyemor Joseph l.. Brown,
an event which. 10 VIII hc remcnl. .cc..e.'',
created a. 0cyiaud gensafion not only IN
Gporeil. iut throughout lhe routu az Tue
time. Al any rate the revival Of the road
caused very considerable depression and
glciliaiion IN southern r;,.i.''.-t STOCKS ana
GRADY, .eil- on ihe inside track with New
comhe iu back him. aiIue IL successful yl..
tune, which netied him about $4,000.
BUYS AZ INTEREST ~ IIIE CONSTITUTION.
Iia was now practically independent. and
purchased am mteres; in the Constitution.
becoming ore 0i the joint owners of the
paper with Nts-rs. Howell and llemphill.
All,r this bis fame ana future was secured,
for le was able 10 indulge at leisure in his
literary pursuits. while being GER
tain o. an ample competence llom
lte rapidly increasing business Of
the paper with which he was so intimately
lie did nothing of any special
consequence. however, beyond a Kind OF
rowing and general correspondence for his
paper with an occasional contribution TO
10, editorial columns. until the Charleston
earthquake. Here be went a. c0rrespor-
dent both Of tire Constitution and ihe
New York World. and his bril-
liant and sensational articles on that
memorable catastrophe gave him renewed
rppute and fame. iIis accounts wsle puDl
llshcd I'm both papers over his own sigma
tufe. and excited favorable comment
wherever read. ~ an illustration Of his
facility In writing, ON this Oc-
easion he failed 10 arrive IN Charleston
until quite late and sometime after dark.
But darkuc-. and latcness were nothing
fO Grady. ln brief conversation with Il
friend WHO had seen the sights and
scene. OF tne catastrophe. De al once took IN
the whole situation. and in less tRan hour
had written most graphic account oi the
entire disaster, and the appearance of
lha then apuarenty ruined clty-1n dc-