The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-06-11

After short service as legislative cores
pondent he became the representative ot
the Cincinnati Gazette at Washington.
When the war was in progress he went to
and many of his descriptions of the con-
fiicts between the Blue and tho Gray were
exceedingly vivid and picturesque, In
writing of Mr.. Reid's work during 1916
w. Dean Howells says: Reid was now
fairly established as 9 journalist from
looked. He went to Cairo and Fort Donel-
son, and recorded the Tennessee campaign.
Arriving at Pittsburg Landing, six weeks
before the battle of that name, he left q
sick bed to be present at the fight, and was
tho only correspondent who witnessed it
throughout. His mastery description of
the battle occupied over ten columns of the
pondent." In 1868 Mr., Reid abandoned
his newspaper work in the field and for
three years acted as librarian of the house
of representatives. Then he went to Louis
lana and gathered the materials used in
preparing his book entitled AFTER the
in the War" was published. In 1868 he
went to work on the New York Tribune
under Greeley. An old friend, who had a
position on the Tribune at the time, re-
Gently said: II remember we'll Whitelaw
Reid's first appearance in the Tribune Of
flee. He wore slouch hat; his
hair was long-longer than now-and
Russell Young was managing editor and
Amos Cummings was night editor. Mr..
Reid was political and western editor. "In
those days. said friend of. the editor,
''the boys of the Press club used to have
dinner at Delmonioo's. corner of Fourteenth
street and Fifth avenue. Reid used to give
them some mighty eloquent speeches at
times. Reid made many friends in those
days. Mr.. Reid soon made his abilities as
a manager felt and in 1869 he succeeded
Mr.. Young as managing editor. A year
later, when the Franco Prussian war broke
out he had correspondents in the field far
in advance of other American papers. The
Gravellote, which cost $4,000 to transmit
together with those of other battles gave
the Tribune prestige which has clung to
it ever since. After Mr.. Greeley was nomi-
mated for the presidency in 1872, Mr.. Reid
became editor-in-ohief, and this position he
true story of how Mr.. Reid
succeeded q Mr.. Greeley has never
been told. In newspaper circles the,e has
always been more or less gossip about it,
but the inside facts are known to but very
few, and they keep the secret we'll. In 1881
MIR. Reid was married to daughter Of
d. o. Mills, then millionsi,e of CAlifor-
MIA. and now q capitalist in New York city.
This union was Of great benefit to Mr..
Reid, and he soon had the Tribune on =
prosperous basis. For many years he has
been president of the Lotos club, and as
such he has welcomed many distinguished
foreigners to New York city. He has long
been prominent figure in political. social,
literary and financial circles. He is man
of great tact, and though he has enemies,
like all rich and prosperous men, he has
hosts of friends throughout this country
and Europe. When Hayes was president
he offered to MIR. Reid the position of min
lister to Germany, and the same offer was
made by President Garfield. Both were
declined. possibly because Mr.. Reid did not
feel justified in leaving the Tribune to the
management of others. He accepted the
appointmens OF minister TO France from
President Harrison.