Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-06-25

LII is something or coincidence that two
men who were conspicuous in the field of
newspaper activity at the same time should,
in their days of retirement from editorial
work, have turned to fiction writing. Mr..
Louis j. Jennings was the managing editor
of the New York Times when Mr.. Thomas
B. Connery held the same post in The Her
aid office. Both of them were trained
newspaper men. Connery was less known
personally than Mr.. Jennings, for he ad-
hered to the traditions of The Herald of
flee and kept his personality from public
view. Jennings was aggressive, impetuous
and had at that day fine enthusiasm for
editorial writing as we'll as for the purely
news getting function of his profession. Mr..
Jennings two novels were suggested to
some extent by his experiences as news
paper man, and now Mr.. Connery's stories
are inspired in the same way. His first
novel was born of his experience while
serving in an official capacity in the City
of Mexico and some of the most thrilling
incidents are thinly disguised history. If,
in his forthcoming story, Mr.. Connery
shall create plot and draw his characters
from circumstances and from men, as
suggested by his recollections, he certainly
will have very rich field wherein to work.
Those who know Mr.. Connery will not
be surprised to hear that he has taken I'D
the pen of a romancer. His first newspaper
work suggested descriptive power as well
as a capacity for analysis and sense Of
humor, and these are qualities which 90
far to make the successful writer of fiction.
His first story indicated also that he had
creative power, and if as his friends say, he
has determined to take up the writing of
fiction as a vocation we may look for an
important addition to the best of ro-
mances.
Mr. Connery, in his career, suggests the
story of the majority of those who began
life as newspaper workers. After he fin
ished his schooling in New York he was
employed by the elder Bennett as a re-
porter, and his work was so good that he
was speedily promoted. In the very i'm
portant political events which occurred in
Washington Immediately after the close Of
the war Mr.. Connery found himself placed
by Mr.. Bennett, with instructions to report
fairly and impartially those exciting
scenes.
His work was so we'll done that, after the
retirement of Frederick Hudson from the
managing EDITORS chair of The Herald, Mr..
Connery was promoted to that important
post. In that capacity he served The
Herald for some ten years, and many of the
most important journalistic achievements
occurred during his management He re-
ceived a salary of 1000, which was a very
large one for that time, and even today is
equaled by only three managing editors of
New York newspapers.
Why he quilted The Herald has always
been a matter of surmise. He was true to
the traditions of the paper when he left it,
and would say nothing even to intimate
friends of the reason which led to his re-
tirement. His friends believe that the
reason was wholly amicable, and that he
is now the recipient of a retiring salary, in
accordance with the policy of the elder
Bennett.
After he gave up active work Mr.. Con-
merry spent some time in travel, and did
some literary work of casual sort. But
he found his leisure irksome and during
the administration of President Cleveland
he was appointed secretary of legation
under the minister to the republic of Mex
ico There he saw much which he deter
mined to utilize in the way of literature,
and he came home with voluminous notes.
Mr.. Connery is now about fifty-five years
of age, a time of life which is usually re-
garded as too advanced for the production
of really good romances or imaginative
works. Thackery used to say that no man
ought to write a novel after he is fifty
years of age. But Charles Dudley War
ner, Froude, the historian, and Louis J. Jen-
nings published their first works of fiction
after they had passed the fiftieth milepost,
and Mr.. Connery's first novel indicates that
his powers now really in their prime.
E. j. EDWARDS.