The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-10-02
new YORK EDITORS
SOMETHING OF THEIR EARLY
Day POVERTY AND LATTER
DAY PROSPERITY.
THE TRAGEDY OF JOURNALISM

While Henry j. Raymond, the Feun-
der of the Times Was a Poor Country
Boy--Puiitzer's Great Fortune.
Joe Howard in Chicago Times-Herald
| was gratitied and surprised at the
wide horizoned interest manifested in
my story of Tragedy in Journalism, !"
which brought me numerous letters of
inquiry and suggestion. One friendly
writer, calling attention to the marked
contract between the early day poverty
and the latter-day prosperity of sundry
conspicuous newspaper men, asks: How
do they SPEND their moneyW Tastes
change, as do times, seasons, fashions
What, for instance, would have been
deemed grotesque extravaganza IN Gree
ley's time, would be but the hither verge
of liberal expenditure nowadays. Toe
senior Bennett had saved about $500 when
he began the publication of the Herald,
in 1885, on bright May day in q Wall
street basement 1t was many years
before he INDUCED in personal comforts
and conveniences, and at least the fifth
of a century before he began TO spend
freely outside of his business. de had
great faith in the real estate value OF a
part OF the city known as Washington
Heights. Tnere he purchased fine es-
tate and put up for the time very hand
some residence, where he lived in style
and entertained in state His wife was
much abroad aud cared very little for
the out-of town home, so Sir. Bennett,
always generous and courteous, invested
in what was regarded q magnificent man
sion on Fittn Avenue, where, when IN
this country, Mrs. Bennett and her
children lived. The elder Bennett had
no extrayagant habits, and aside from
these and one or two other real estate
ventures made no significant invest
ments.
Horace Greeley had FL, 600 borrowed
money wd5n he started the Tcib1ne. de
was never a rich man, but before his
craze was comfortably provided with
this worlds goods. He was passlonately
fond CT country life, and fancied he
would be able to SO con iuct farm as
to be an object-less0n to the agricnltu
rists of the country. he bought place
up the State, erected a modest dwelling
and proceeded to manage his farm, sue
potatoes cost him not more than dollar
each. He bought all sorts and kinds of
patented implements, INDUCED IN costly
drainage and expended something ike
five times as much in putting into the
soil as he vas able to bank after the
harvest was garnered, Mr.. Greeley own
ed also modest home in New York, but
outside OF these ventures his money was
not kept for himself, but indiscreetly
loaned in sums varying from 800 to
$40. 900, evidences Of which were found
by the bagful ia dishonored notes and
worthless |. o. US among his papers
after his death.
Henry J. Raymond, like his predeces-
sors, started poor country bog, mental
ly trained, professionally ambitious He
had no money to speak Of when his
friends started the Times He was on
the high road to great financial prosper
ICY when he died, having already enjoyed
the financial fruitage of an intelligently
titled journalistic vintage. Environ
ment largely determined Raymond's
tastes and habits. When he went abroad
rs was modesty personiied quietly dress
ed, laboriously intent upon the success
of the great journal of which he was the
chief. Several months in the society of
Hurlbsrt in London and Paris clothed
him anew, Veneering the solidity of his
sober, discreet, industrious life with the
airs of man of fashion and the graces
of butterfly of the day. He owned
very pleasant home in Ninth street AS
ISOLATION with Leonard Jerome interested
him IN scheme which subsequently
blossomed the old Batgate farm into
Jerome Park He bought horses and
stabbed them in the cOnyeniences Of the
Union League Club, at the corner of
Madison avenue and Twenty fifty street
He was very fond of driving, but his
endeayor to be interested in the per
formances, social and otherwise, of the
men he met at Jerome's place and i'll
clubs was pitiable failure He was
hot that kind of man by nature. He
loved study and work, but under bad
guidance affected pleasure and mild
dissipation.
Inc American people know the ave-
nues along which the the younger Ben
nett lives and has his being. From bis
earliest boyhcod his check for any sum
was good at TIE desk of the Herald's
cashier. He was the first well known
American TO own and sail yachts, little
and big, leading up to his building, own
ing and raciI G steam craft, which might
we'll answer for the transportation of
hundreds Of passeng re. He has spent
hundreds of thousands of dollars on
boats, horses and the gayeties of exist
e-ce Extreme in every line OF effort,
Mr. Bnnett has ever been, is now and
must cont nue., odd, peculiar, unique
At all times and under all conditions he
dominates the typical American news
paper. He lavishes wealth as the ocean
scatters spray, with one hand, while
with the other he keeps firm hold upon
the helm which directs the course of the
mighty mechanism with which the name
OF Bennett must be forever identified
What would have seemed to his father
inexplicable extravaganza is with him
the most natural outgo, seed for har