The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-01-09

i;:s and the most charming of men.
Leaving college he established paper
at Rome. Later in connection with
Mr.. Aston North Carolina stock) he
established the Atlanta Herald 1t
was brilliant paper but was not a
financial success. Our readers will re-
member that Mr.. Aston was shot in
the Capitol by State Treasurer Cox.
Upon the failure of the Herald, Mr..
Grady went to New York. He was
without money and went there look
ing for something to do. He went
into the Office ofthe New York Her
| alt and asked for position.
"What can you dor" asked the
Managing Editor, when Mr.. Grady
asked for a position. "Anything,"
was the reply of the young Georgian,
conscious of his powers and conscious
of ability to do any kind of work that
was to be done in a great newspaper
Office. The editor asked him where
he was from. and learning that he was
from Georgia, said: "Do you know
anything about Georgia politics?"
Now if there was any subject which he
knew all about it was Georgia politics
and he said so. "Then sit down"
said the managing editor, "and write
me an article on Georgia politics"
He sat down and dashed off an article
of the brightest matter showing thor
ough insight into the situation in
Georgia and thorough knowledge of
the leaders in that State. He was al
ways facile writer and all his articles
were printed without erasing or re-
writing. The article was put into the
pigeon-hole, and Mr.. Grady took his
departure. He left the Office, SO he
said, very respondent, thinking the
article might be published after sew
eral weeks, but fearing that it would
never see the light. What was his
surprise and joy to see it in the Her.
ald the next morning. He went
down to the Office and was engaged as
correspondent for Georgia and the
South. In this capacity he wrote let
tiers upon Southern topics of such
brilliancy as have never been surpass-
ed, if equalled, in the history of Amer
ican journalism. They gained for him
wide reputation, and made him a
great favorite in Georgia. The public
men of that State recognized his abil-
ity and saw how much he might do to
develop the resources and advance the
prosperity and fame of Georgia if at
the head of great State paper. The
late Alexander H. Stephens interested
himself in Mr.. Grady and assisted to
get him on the staff Of the Constita-
tion. From the day he went to At
lanta on the staff of the Constitution
until his death his best energies and
his great abilities were directed to-
wards making it a great paper, and a
powerful factor in developing the re-
sources of Georgia. 1t became the
most successful of Southern newspa-
pers, and is to-day competitor with
the great papers Of the North. To
have achieved this unprecedented sue
cess in journalism were honor enough
to win in a lifetime. He was con-
fessedly the Gamaliel of Southern
journalism, and the best Of it all was
that he was, as was said of Horace
Greeley after his death, ga journalist
because he had something to say
which he believed mankind would be
better for knowing; not because he
wanted something for himself which
journalism might secure for him."
He was Saul, and stood head and
shoulders above all his fellows as an
orator as we'll as an editor. We can
not dwell upon his reputation as an
orator, or recount the scenes of his
successes. We had heard him only in
impromptu efforts and in short intro
ductory speeches where he easily sur
passed any man whom we ever heard.
He had fine physique, big, round.
open, manly face, was thick-set, was
pleasing in style, and had a winning
and captivating voice. He could rival
Senator Vance in telling an anecdote
He could equal Senator Ransom in a
polished, graceful grafton. He could
put Governor Fowle to his best in hi:
classical illustrations. He could equa
Waddell in his elegant flights. In q
word he had more talent as public
speaker than any man we ever knew
and added to that he had HEART
SOUL, FIRE-the essentials OF true ora
tory. We recall four speeches which
gave him greatest reputation. Ont
was in Texas at college commence
ment, we think; another at the New
York banquet on 1.-The New South; ;
the third at the University of Virginia
and the last-(alas! his last worls)--
at the Boston banquet just two week
ago. These speeches, as well a!
others he has made, deserve to live
The last one-published in last week
Chr0niele-is emphasized by his un
timely death. In it he had so abb,
and eloquently defended the Soutl
and so convincingly plead for unitet
country based upon mutual con6denc
and sympathy that, in view Of hi
death, his words seem to have beef
touched by patriotism and devoui
ness akin to inspiration. His broa'
catholicity and his great patriotism
bridged all sectional lines and he stoo'
before the country the most eloquep
, advocate OF "Union of Hearts" a
, we'll as "Union of Hands" AS tn
t coming greatest leader Of the South
. he sounded the key note of sublime.
patriotism. Less profound than Dar
: iel Webster, his burning words fo- th
E perpetuity Of the Union, with mutu;
S trust and no sectional antagonist