The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-18
MR.. oHILDs AND NEWSPAPERS
His Kindness Toward Other Sheets,
and Active Interest in His Own.


His Kindness Toward Other Sheets,
and Active Interest in His Own.
From the New York sun.
Many of the obituary notices of the late
George w. Childs mentioned the fact that
he would never allow criticism of another
newspaper or another newspapers course
to be printed in his own newspaper, and
that he always rejoiced over the success
of his direct rivals. So true was this that
he never seemed to think that there could
be any rivalry in newspaper publishing,
| so far as his own enterprise was con
cerned His ingenious belief that the
| Ledger was beyond the reach of rivalry
and that 1t lowered in motives and in fact
above all other newspapers often made
his closest friends smile, but never in his
presence. Fond as he was of making
gifts and OF receiving praise for what he
did, the Ledger was, after all, the chief
object of his affection. To a Sun man
| who dropped in his office a year or two
ago to renew former acquaintance when
the younger man lived in Philadelphia,
Mr. Childs said:
II try to find time to look over the Sun
every day. One thing 1 like about it very
much, and that is its manifest desire to
be accurate in every detail even the
smallest. That is one of the things have
tried hardest for in the Ledger. This is
why think that the Sun approaches
nearer to the Ledger as a great newspa-
per than any know"
Mr.. Childs said this so earnestly and
so seriously that his listener had no diff
Guilty in depressing the smile that other
wise might have come over his features
| had similar comparison of newspaper
| eXcellencies been topic of conversation
| elsewhere. Just after Mr.. Childs made
! this remark his lice boy brought in a
card and Mr. Childs said, "Show him
right in, saying TO the Sun man, sit
right still; he will stay only a moment"
The caller was a man of middle age.
| He was i'll and worried. The two men
| greeted each other cordially.
I've come to say goodbye" said the
! visitor, his lips quivering and his eyes
filing with tears. Il don't know how TO
! thank
Don't say anything about that" said
Mr.. Childs, slowly moving toward the
door and gently, almost imperceptibly,
pulling the visitor. with him. The two
! whispered half minute together. Mr..
| Childs got the other man to the thresh-
old, and with warm handshake actually
/ pushed him outside, although it is doubt
/ tul if the caller knew he had done so.
You didn't recognize that man, did
you?" asked Mr., Childs when he came
back. why, I'm surprised; but then
he's changed so in appearance. He is Mr..
! Blank,' mentioning the nama of the edi-
tor and publisherof a well known evening
newspaper Of Philadelphia. I'm afraid
he won't live long. He has been worried
over business, and the doctors ordered
him to 60 TO Europe. l heard he couldn't
afford TO go because of his business
troubles, so have just put my bank ac-
count at the disposal of his business man
agcr while he is gone. Now he'll go of
and not worry and it may save his life.
Besides, l do not like TO see another
newspaper so down. l was afraid he'd
break down, and that's why l told you he
wouldn't stay long and why l urged him
| toward the door, as you must have seen.
The amiable vanity which Mr.. Childs
displayed in telling of his own kindness,
quality much understood by those who
saw no other side of him and who fire.
quenuy commented on this in print as
great weakness in great man, was par
dOnable because of that mysterious some
thing in his manner which showed that
self Qualification had almost no share in
, the recital, and that it was the love OF
doing a good turn to another that
prompted him to tell of his satisfaction
in it.
/ Most of the leading reporters of Phila-
delphia knew Mr.. Childs well personally
He was one of this few newspaper men
NLlO NOuAh give OLuGt newspaper IuGu u
beat on his own newspaper He was often
the repository of much information, par
ticularly about the Drexel affairs, So
cially as well as financially, that was of
public interest and that he could not pub
lish himself He always insisted upon
being hidden as the source of informa-
ton, but time and time again would give
out news of absorbing local interest and
see his own newspaper beaten. The next
day the Ledger would come with sec
ond-day story" but after that would
keep up with the others in publishing the
/ news.
! The one newspaper beat that Mr..
/ Childs took absolute delight in was the
/ Belknap scandal of the Grant regime.
! The Ledger was the only newspaper in
| PHILADELPHIA to publish this important
news. Mr.. Childs had secured confirma-
| ton of its truth in person the day before
/ from President Grant himself, and he had
big scoop" on the town.
| Mr.. Borie, of Philadelphia, was Secre-
tarY OF the Navy at the time. He was in
/ Philadelphia when the exposure came
out. He hustled to Mr.. Childs office, and
as he hurried in he exclaimed:
MIR. Childs. isn't that story about
Belknap an outraged OF course, it's
news, and you had to print it. have just
mailed to Belknap letter expressing my
! sympathy and Indignation"
MAILED that letter. asked Mr.. Childs.
Eyes, just put it in the letter box my
self"
We'll, hurry to the post Office ana get
that letter back, said Mr. Childs. That
story Is true. President Grant told me
so yesterday"
Mr. Childs probably told this story 800
times, but he told IL the last time with as
much interest and satisfaction in big
beat as he did the first time. Comment
ing on this trait CT his character. one Of
his friends said that Mr. Childs was a
! philanthroplst most of the time, but a
newspaper man all the time.
! Waco, Tex is 20 have a SIS 900 cotton pal
ace, and II Is hopes % have Mr. Cleveland
| visit the state during the exposition. The
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