The Irish standard., 1896-01-11
NEWSPAPER Man OF DIXIE
Random Sketches of the Career Of
q Great Southern
Editor.
Henry Watterson, of the Louisville h
| Courier-Journal, in His
Life Work.
He With Three Other Noted jour-
nalists Brought Out
Greeley.

nalists Brought Out
Greeley.
Henry Watterson is universally rec
ognized as the greatest editor III the
South, and one of the greatest IN the
United States, says the Chicago Times
Herild.
He is of Irishscotch ancestry, and was
born in Washington city, d. c., on Feb.
Is. 1S4o.
He was literally born with the jour-
nalistic harness on him.
Harvey M. Watterson, his father, was
one OF the most distinguished journal
lists of Tennessee, and at the time of Hen
'ry's birth was serving inscongress as the
Immediate successor of James X. Polk.
Henry Watterson's first and only ex~
perience in the school room was from
1852 to 1856 at the Academy of the Epls-
copal Diocese of Pennsylvania. 3,.
His first editorial work was performed
as editor of the school paper, the Cice-
roman, and so we'll was this done that
the constitution of the school society was
suspended to enable him to occupy the
position for succession of terms. +
When the elder Watterson's term in
congress expired he assumed control or
the Washington Union, which he con-
Quoted from 1850 to 1855, and it was there
during his vacations that Henry Waiter
son obtained his first practical knowledge
of newspaper work,
With the exception OF four years at the
Pennsylvania academy, Mr.. Wattersons
education was obtained under the private
tutorship of Rev. James Poindexter, at
McMinnville, Tenn.
In October, 1865, Henry Watterson be-
gan the publication Of paper called
the New Era, which he edited for two
years. 1t is still a live, prosperous and
influential weekly.
OF the first political editorial he ever
wrote Mr.. Watterson says: when saw
the whole article had been copied by the
Nashville American, then the great pa
per of this country, l could not sleep
much that night, and when l saw it in
the Washington Union 1 was knocked out
completely. The article went the rounds
of the Democratic papers all over the
country"
His enthusiastic devotion to his juven-
lie journalistic work seriously Impaired
his eyesight. At times he suffered total
blindness, and he has never completely
regained the loss.
In 1858, when Is years of age, Mr.. Wat
terson was in New York writing for such
papers as Harper's Weekly and the
Times, and attracted the favorable notice
of such veterans of the craft as Raymond
and Forney.
The winter of 1859 he was in Wash 7
ing regularly employed on the States, in
association with such brilliant c1larac-
ters as Roger A. Pryor and JOHN =.
Heiss in editorial work.
The troublous times Of 1861 drifted
Mr.. Watterson back to Tennessee, where
he became assistant editor OF the Nash
Vile Banner.
The federals, pressing uncomfortably
near Nashville carly in 1862, MT Wat
terson leaped into the saddle and joined q
his fortunes with those Of the intrepid
Forrest, the dauntless knight errant of
the confederacy, who knew a coward ut
sight, and never allowed one to follow
him an hour. Mr.. Watterson followed
him for months.
With him, however, the pen was
mightier than the sword, and in Octo-
Der, 1862, the Rebel began making its
daily appearance in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Tt attained widespread celebrity among
the armies Of the South, and to this day
occupies a unique position in the history
of Southern Journalism. The Rebel had
only short career, suspending publica-
tion in September, 1859.
After the war Mr.. Watterson associa-
ted himself with Albert Roberts and
George K. Purviss and achieved one OF
the most remarkable triumphs, all
things considered, ever known in the
Journalism of the world The father Of
Roberts mortgaged his farm for 81 600
and with this the three young men re-
vived the defunct Nashville Banner.*At
the end Of the first week they had enough
money to lift the mortgage, buy a good
supply of paper and ink and fit UP an
Office. OF the eight daily papers in Nash
willie at the time, only two remained at
the close of the year, and the Banner
was the more vigorous Of the two. 4ss!
Z Early In 1868 negotiations were con-
sun1mated whereby MIR. Watterson went
to louisville to assume editorial mau-
5agement of the old Louisville Journal,
illustrious by the genius Of George %, ss
Prentice, who, however, owing TO his
methods Of life. was no longer suited TO-
the responsible direction of a daily news
paper. ssss9&g 49,