The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-19
HAY AS A JOURNALIST.


Major Handy, in the Times-Herald.
Twenty-four years ago l had the honor
of serving on the same editorial stan
with John Hay. 1t was the editorial stan
of the New York Tribune as it stood I'M
mediately after Whitelaw Red's success
sion to Horace Greeley as the editor-tn-
chief of that great newspaper. We juni-
ors-I was the youngest editorial writer
were very proud of that staff, and OF Hay
more than of anybody else. Yet he was
only one of a galaxy of stars revolving
around Reid. John r. G. Hassard was
the managing editor, musical critic and
most polished of editorial writer's. His
fame survives with the profession, If not
with the public. Isaac II. Bromley was
the political satirlst, and the best OF his
kind, although Charles ID. Congdon, then
advanced in years, and only an occasional
contributo:, was Il prime favorite with
old Tribune readers. Charles II. Hunt
wrote the financial editorials. William
Winter then as now, was the dramatic
critic, and George Ripley, assisted by
Eleanor Hutchinson, did the book re-
viewing. Bayard Taylor, the poet and
traveller afterward minister to Germany,
wrote more or less editorial, but had not
yet tired of roaming. William f. Shanks
/ was the city editor, with the brilliant
Arthur Bowers as his assistant. w. c.
Wyckoff was the editorial writer on scien-
tihc topics. Noah Brooks was the night
editor, and |. n. Ford, now London corre-
spondent of the Tribune, the day editor
George w. Smalley, the London corre-
spondent of. those days was wearing the
fresh laurels won by his war correspond
ence. u. l.. White, f.. V. Smalley and H.
d. Ramsdell were the Washington corre-
! spondents. Mrs. Rebecca Harding Davis
| wrote editorials on social topics and made
! them one of the popular features of the
paper.
Hays equipment for journalistic work
| was unsurpassed. His collegiate eduCa-
! ton and wide reading were Supplements
| By four years at the white house in close
| association with President Lincoln at
| the most critical period of our country 5
| history Then he went abroad and repre-
| sented the United State successfully at
| several of the great European capitals
| at a time when France and Germany
We're undergoing crises and when the
great powers We're making over the map
! of Europe. Thus the best channels to
! knowledge of men and affairs of both con-
| tinents have been open to him, and the
! result was q wonderfully well-informed
and well-poised man at the age at which
! most Americans have not had more than
time to master their own surroundings
and take the measure of their own ca
pacity, much less to reap the harvest OF
! their personal ambitions. John Hays re-
tirement from journalism was a loss 10
the craft and the public that is tard!ly
compensated by his return to diplomatic
life. 1t was primarily due to his mar
riage and the necessity growing out of the
death of his father-in-law for his assum-
ing personally the management of a
large property. Meanwhile he kept IN
touch with old pursuits by occasiona
literary work, and in particular by the
labor of writing in collaboration with
Colonel Nicolay the monumental Life OF
Lincoln" which was published few
years ago and is the great repository ol
Linconana in which all future histori
ans and biographers must find theil
source of supply. He has beautiful
home in Washington, is frequent resi-
dent of Cleveland and is at home in al
of the great capitals of the world. with
Hay as ambassador and Harry White g:
secretary of legation the American EN-
bassy in London cannot fail to be one,
more an object of pride to all Americans