The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-05-22
JonNNA cocKEnLL
Now York Herald.

| nKhtlng ground
Ilo was asked 70 toll what ho rom0m
bered OF John A. c0okoHll'a early M
In ohio lie WIS glad 10 do H. and ~
he talked the ffo came back 70 his eyes
ANA trhmplnK along together for mile
through tho woods he almost forgot q
usa his cane RH the enthusiasm grow
upon him
Know hlmT" he began, Yes, and
his father and HE grandfather, Mighty
good stock they weru, too, Johns
grandfather WIS one OF the pioneers ol
ohio He came 40 hero from falrfaJ
county, Va, and no was Virginia gen
tlefnAn, nlr, In all that that implies. Ht
settled In Adams county. ana was q
monber VI the lower house Of the Ohio
legislature ut tlmr whrn II WAS a con.
siderable honor. Hlr, 10 be- representa-.
tive,
when I first knew Johns father hf
was clerk OF the court Of Adams county.
Tho county seat waH West Union. and
/ remember that the Cookerill residence,
modest brick building, was about tho
finest house IN the town.
II Was running Democratic paper al
tho time In Highland county. joining
Adams. and II was IN h5, ] think, that
wa Democrats got together and noml'
mated Johns father. old John RandolE
Corkrfil Ra our candidate for congress
John WAS bafef0Oted boy IN those
days, running about the little town
which has stiil only few hundred In
habllnnta only remember Of this that
hu WIS terrible infant leader IN
bGSinh mischief and fun Of animal spirits
Hut hia mothers influence WIS strong
with him. even then. she was IA MiHE
Eylar. and that means good deal In
Adama county. where the family 10 well
known and highly respected.
u toll you these things 10 show thai
John had a right To b. strong man
and brainy man ilo came OF mighty
good stock. and stock will tell,
AT the beginning Of BnchnnAn'H ad-
mlhlnlraliOn | went on 10 Washington.
where John Randolp Cockerill WAS round
inK out his term In congress. Little
John was with him, Iio was bright
and unterprisinE boy bu, he didn't take
20 book learning. and didn't ike 10 20
20 school very we'll His father was
somewhat worried about II. and used TO
talk II over with mo what ho should do
with HIS son. when his term WAS ended
no went back to West Union. and there
decided that he would make an editor
out OF John. In those days the nrst
step 10 being an editor was 20 become a
printers devil. and John was put TO
learning the art prchervatlvo In the ofiice
OF the old Adams County Democrat az
West Union, The editor was John NJ.
smith
Young John was always something OF
musician. and. In the Intervals OF type
sticking. he helped 10 organize a coun-
try brass band. I think he played the
cornct when tho war broke out John.
NSo Was 10 or n. entered the service as
n musician with the rest OF the band.
and. n my memory serves me. they be-
came tho regular band OF the Twenty
fourth Ohio Volunteers. Johns elder
brother was captain Of company IN
the regiment lie came out at the END
Of the war as It's colonel / think John
blew his cornct all through the war.
Johns father was colonel OF the Sew
onteenth ohio Volunteers. remember
going into HIS tent on the day after the
battle OF Pit,nburE Landing Colonel.
I said. was Il surprise or not7' II
was a surprise. he said. and n hell OF a
surprise, The "rcbA" were almost up
to my color line before knew they were
coming
hut Colonel Cockclrll was one OF the
firrt TO rally his surprised regiment. ana
General Sherman said aficrward that
John Randolph Cockerill was the hravest
and coolest man he ever nan across. SO
young John came by his nerve and cool
ness honestly,
when the war was over father ana
two sons came back TO West Union.
The restless feeling. which was the out
growth OF the war. was In young Johns
veins. and he didn't want to settle down
In little country town, Without con-
SultinE anybody he got Job on one OF
the Ohio river packets, and started 10
follow the river. ! say he did not con-
suit anybody. because John was always
u srlf.reliant and independent sort OF a
man His brother was like him In thls
respect, and their father rather encour-
aged Il, In fact. the three generations
Of CockcrilA | have known We're always
mighty spunky set.
After a trip or two on the river. how
ever, Johns father bought the old Adams
County Democrat. and turned Il over TO
John and young nephew named patter-
son. Here John got his first real taste
OF the newspaper business. Hut the
town was too small for him. and very
soon after he, with his elder brother, the
colonel. bought the Butler County Tele-
graph. at Hamilton. This town was then
the very center OF the Democracy In
Ohio. and John was thrown constantly
WITH the leaders OF the party. one OF
them was Vallandingham, who had been
one OF the most brilliant OF the Ohio
delegation to congress, denounced as a
traitor during tho war by his enemies.
and banlshed by President Lincoln,
Vallandingham was then ambitious to 40
TO the senate IL was the understanding
among the Democratic leaders that II
Judge Thurman beat Rutherford H..
Hayes for governor his ambition was to
he gratined In 1855 he persuaded young
John Cockerill to 70 TO Dayton with him
and help the cause along They bought
out the old Empire Office and started to
run II as equal owners,
But Judge Thurman was defeated,
though he cut down the Republican plu-
rality from i0OoO two years before to
400 SO Vallandingham and Cockerill
sold the Empire November :. 1865 to
Dennis Dwyer and James eklly have
the original papers OF the sale. with
Cockcrll's signature, at my house, John
went from Dayton to Columbus, the
capital. where he acted as journal clerk
OF the legislature.
II was then managing editor of the
Cincinnati Enquirer. and | am proud to
say that | gave John Cockerill his first
work In metropolitan journalism, had
been intimate with the family for years
and know the stun that was In him, but
honesty compels me to say that he had
not thus far shown any especial bril-
liancy,
Johns first work for the Enquirer
was done as correspondent at the state
capitol, but late In 1865 he came to Gin
cinnati as regular reporter. lie was
a good all round man, and II there was
any fun In a story no was sure to get It,.
Joe Mccullough succeeded me. and under
him Cockerill became city editor Later
he succeeded Mccullough at the head OF
the paper, with which he was connected
for THAN lrn