The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-09-04

among others by James Watson Webb,
of The Courier and Enquirer, and DR.. P.
S. Townsend, of The Evening Star.
These rencounters created much excite
ment, to which Bennett added by giving
detailed versions of mis- own, with start
ling head lines and satiric comment,
turning the assailants, of course, into
ridicule. So determined was he toprint
all the news that he never omitted news
that Immediately involved himself.
| Thomas Hamblin, the favorite actor
and manager, and Bennett came into
| collision III the autumn of 1886. Hamb-
lin and his wife had separated, their
quarrel making great scandal in theat-
ric and other circles, the public taking
sides The Journalist befriended her.
| When the Bowery theatre, of which the
actor was manager, burned down, a COM
plimentary benefit Wa rendered him.
Bennett opposed it violently, and so pro-
voked the anger of the big and muscular
player that the latter attacked him saw
agely one night in his Office The police
interfered in time to prevent serious con-
sequences, and The Herald furnished the
next morning q highly ornamented ac-
count of the affair from its point Of
view 1t was readable, if not truthful,
readableness being with Bennett of
prime Importance always. At the close
he said that he cared very little about
the assault-he had received no special
injury-but he did object to Hamblin's
picking up a silver dollar that lay on
| the counter and carrying it off in his
| pocket. This was pure invention, as the
journalist privately admitted. His OBJ
ject was, he said, to distract public at
| tention, and he had succeeded. The
community was so anxious to know
whether the actor really had OF had not
stolen the coin that they ceased to dis
| cuss the main fact. This he called his
knowledge of human nature. 1t was
rather shrewd and very like Bennett.
Notwithstanding the great circulation
and prosperity of The Herald it was
bitterly hated by very large and infu-
entail class. It's methods were certainly
not all that might have been desired,
and appealed to the ordinary rather than
to the cultured mind. Those who ranked
themselves as the best people would not
look at it; they considered it horribly
vulgar and in every way abominable.
But Bennett was Indifferent to the chest
people," he cared only far the average
reader. He was eninently all individ.
ual, though not perhaps of an immacu-
late pattern, and ruggedly Independent.
Much of this feeling ceased with the
breaking out of the civil war, and had
become extinct long before his death.
The advantage of longevity attended
him; he survived the animosities he had
aroused by lasting nearly seventy-seven
years. The old crop of his enemies had
been gathered to their fathers, and a new
crop had not been made.
Whatever the opinion held of him as
iournalist-and his ways melted criti-
not censurable. He was strictly moral,
having no vices, and being entirely do
nestle. Having been married at 45 he
printed long accounts of his marriage in
The Herald, as he did of most of his per-
sonal matters, and having had two
children he spent most of the time not
claimed by editorial duties at home in
the bosom of his family. He had no
sort of liking for society i'll any &C
cepted sense, but he had a few init
mates and cloaved to them; but
even home was subordinated to his
newspaper, to which indeed everything
was No man has ever lived more
! for and b. and through his profession;
it was the aim and end of his existence.
The fact that he had built up the great
est newspaper in the world amply re-
warded him for his thirty-tive years of
untiring labor, for his conservation to
his purpose. News was the one thing
desirable with him. Other things were
of small moment in his eyes. Opinion,
criticism, learning, eloquence, brilliancy,
had no charm for him, and The Herald
has never been conspicuous for any of
these. People might speak of its news,
but not of its presentation, nor of its edi-
torials or reviews.
Bennett had many peculiarities, some
of which were essentially adverse to
| good journalism. One of these was dis
IruSJ VI every DOuJ Ill LIS selNlCe, Ulle IT,
suit being that each employee was made
to feel insecure of his place. Any one
having charge of department might
| suddenly be removed to another depart
ment, irrespective of his competence
and fidelity. The reason for this-if it
can be supposed to have any reason
was the belief that any permanence
might beget corruption. Changes were
constantly making to an extent that
seems like sarcasm upon enlightened
management. Herald men We're, as a
rule, allowed little freedom and no in
dividuality. Consequently they were,
as BODY. mediocre and without any
feeling OF pride in or loyalty to the pa
per. They were generally inferior in
mind and attachments to the members
of any other staff of journal of like
rank. For nearly eighteen years The
Herald has been conducted by the
younger Bennett, as he was formerly
called. 1t has both gained and lost I'M
der him Gt no longer leads in circula-
tom; but do not intend to speak of
| IL IL 81.