Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-12

with some pretensions to medicine. Reds
mother Is living, and in his prosperity he
has fitted up her home at Yellow Springs,
O., and has been otherwise attentive to his
family and kin. For several years his
home in New York was regulated by his
niece, who was lame and died
As prime, neat, country newspaper man.
Reid made report for the Cincinnati
Gdzettr, which led to his being employed in
Cincinnati About the time Governor
Chase was splitting up the political parties
and ruling the State and planning Tor the
Senate, Reid became his follower, and after
some experience in the Western armies as
correspondent, living about Roscranz's
headquarters, he went to Washington and
was elected Librarian of the House. In its
separate small library different from the
Congressional Library. there l found Mr..
Reid about 1867, having returned from the
South where he had uh ertaken to make
fortune at cntton-planting hut had lost
the money of his hackers in that gener-
ally Improbable enterprise with Northern
men. He had incurred some kind of fever
in the South which shook him up badly
The Cincinnati Gazette sent him to Washing
ton as its mail correspondent, and he used
the signature of "Agate," for three letters
a week. which were good deal read in that
day, when the newspapers were not SO
crowded with intelligence. In the Ohio
delegation Reid was well known, as the "old
Gazette" was the standard Republican organ.
He roomed, about the time of the impeach-
ment trial, in the same house with General
Schenck. He continued his attentions to
Cnief Justice Chase, who was. with his
daughter, planning to reach the Presidency.
Horace Greeley was equally prejudiced
against General Grant as the coming candi-
date of the Republican party. Mr.. Reid
was the young second of both these men,
and he was always partial to the society OF
ladies'
How War History Was Written.
About the time of the impeachment trial
he still adhered to Chase, and preferred
Scbenk to Sherman. Employed to write
book on "Ohio in the War;" or rather to
superintend its publication, and edit the
various manuscripts sent in, he took the
ground of q newspaper critic against
Grants genius, and General Garfield read to
me the phrace from Reid that there was
nothing to account for Grants success but
the old saying that success succeeds
This has been eminently the case with
Mr.. Reid, also. just after Grant had been
nominated for President 1 was invited to
the house of Eihu Washburn, on Grant
row, 1 street, and took breakfast with sew
eral gentlemen. l think Cadwallader and
William Washburn were both there, and
Adam Badeau and Mr.. Allison. then men,
Der of Congress. The topic of the conversa-
tion was long csmpaign life of Grant,
which Reid had written for Horace Greeley
and the New York Tribune 1t reasserted
their views of Ohio in the war, that Grant
had made mistakes, and had been fortunate
rather than scientific. Mr.. Washburn said
that General Grant had forbidden single
copy of that campaign lie to be circulated,
though understood big edition had been
ordered BY the National Committee.
Soon after General Grant was elected the
New York Tribune went into the opposition,
and Mr.. Reid, about 1869, was given a
place on the paper as editorial writer, etc,
at 500 week salary. Whenever Horace
Greeley came to Washington City one of
his first inquiries was for Reid, who com
monty took him to see Chief Justice Chase.
Said Democratic editor to me, at this
convention: "Reid might be attacked bnt
he will get the benefit of the courtesy OF the
profession. Of course, the scalawags will
Jump into him, but they won't count for
much
GEORGE ALFRED TOWNSEND.