The morning call., 1892-12-29
DEATH. OF LORING PICKERING.

Il
senior proprietor of THE CALL. He
breathed his last at his residence in this
city yesterday morning. : Up to within
six days of the late election he occupied
his editorial desk without days lntermis-
sion for a long period, and performed sur
prising amount Of work. Early in Noyem-
| Der be felt the need of rest and retired TO
| his country seat in Niles, intending to be
absent only a few days. But he did not
rally from bis weariness. and in time a
complication Of maiadies developed which
on Saturday last assumed form which
forbade; hope. of his. recovery. When in
| formed of his real condition he replied that
he had lived his life and was. prepared 10
die:
It would: indeed be difficult to find any
one WHO had more faithfully fulfilled the
duties Of: long and active life than Loring
Pickering. He was in his eighty first year
when he breathed his last. With the excep-
ton of brief period in his youth. which he
devoted; to mercantile pursuits, his career
was given to the newspaper business; first
in St. Louis, then in Sacramento, and last in
this city,. He had made profound study
of the profession of journalism, and had
reached conclusions which combined the
highest sense of principle with hard conf
mon sense. He had come TO embody the
application of practical wisdom to the task
of guiding the evolution of public opin-
ion.. he -steadfasily .fefused to support
a policy which did not command the ap-
proval OF his conscience. Henever allowed
himself to be swayed by considerations of
self-interest or party allegiance or pecuniary
Inducements He said that which be be-
-lieved to be true.
The hold which he had upon the public
mind was due TO the universal belief that
he was honest; that when he advocated a
measure of policy he did so because. he. be-
lieved it was the best thing for the public
interest, and not because Of any advantage.
direct or indirect, immediate or remote,
which it might confer upon himself or his
paper This reputation, combined with
general acquescencein his sagacious fore
sight, acquired for him the influence which
he possessed. A long observation of his
course led TO general conviction that his
forecast of the future was reliable He
had gauged Tie public mind thoroughly,
and he copid form shrewder guess than
most men Il ow it would be affected by given
factors. He very seldom made a mistake
as to the result of a coming election or the
effect OF an unexpected event. He pos
sessed a surprising knowledge of men. OF
two generations of actors in public affairs
he had taken an accurate measure, and a
retentiye memory enabled him to put a
correct construction upon their conduct.
10 one better than he knew that men are
mposite-part evil and part good. 1t was
his gift to discriminate between those in
whom the evil was more active than the
good and those. in whom the good predom-
mated.
Personally, he was kindly man. In his
| later years be. preferred the quiet OF his
home to the turmoil of society. but those
who met him socially always liked him aud
spoke tenderiy Of him. He was eminentIy
consderate of the feelings of those with
whom he was thrown into contact Hardly
any one can say:that they heard him use
harsh Language even when The occasion
might have warranted its use, and in his
behavior he was always Thoughtful. Under
a grave face be carried genial heart. The
profession will mourn him, both because Ire
was,its senior member on this coast and be-
cause he set an example of probity which
none Of his survivors can afford to neglect.
In commenting upon the character of the
service LUring Pickering has rendered this
community the conditions under which lie
has labOred should be con siGered These
conditions were exceptional. They were
an outgrowth of the development of the
State and city. They called fer ability of
high order. Integrity Of the sternest charae-
ter and a courage that survives repeated
disappointments. The quality of heart and
mind that sustain a worker in a field where
there is but measurable appreciation of
the highest effort, is rare gift. This Mr.
Pickering possessed in a marked degree.
he had profound and abiding faith in the
people.
+ He lad a profound belief also in the
moral law. That good should result from
good teaching was but another form of ex-
preston in the belief Of the law of cause
and effect. Viewed from the standpoint of
lifetime it was slow process by which he
stamped his character upon the journal TO
which his later years were devoted. A
community largely given to personal self
seeking was slow to believe that there was
higher motive in any: work performed
ameng them. But a clear perception of this
fact caused no faltering in the good work.
Since Mr. Pickering assumed control of The
CALL, in 1869, there has been no period in
which his great influence on the public
mind has not been admitted. The belief he
had in the people inspired like belief in
him. This confidence has been one Of the
main supports of this journal in the yicissI-
tudes Of newsI aper life. Men who did not
agree with all his teachings realized the in
tegrity of his purpose One crisis after an
other passed. and as soon as the smoke had
cleared away the general verdict was that
Mr.. Pickering had been true TO the Interests
of the State. As time passed the influence
he exercised became mere positive. He
more than kept pace with the growth OF the
city' 1S WAS larger Dgure IN the CallI0r-
MIA OF 1892 than in any previous year of its
history. Looking back. people saw not only
that his counsel had been honest, but that
it had also been wise. In fact his dominant
intellectual trait was sagacity. The sweep
OF his vision was broad. 1t was a cardinal
/ principle with him that newspaper should
want nothing of the public but the patron
age its service commanded. Whether his
judgment led him TO oppose or support an
aspirant for Office. the rule applied There