The true northerner., 1897-10-20


that department of Journalism. This
work brought Mr.. Dana into close rela-
tiors with The Tribune. and soon after
ne ac septed an offer from Horace Gree
ley Ia become managing editor OF that
paper.
The managing editor Of paper even
at that time was it's executive officer.
and In the fierce competition which was
then raging between The Tribune and
The Herald the highest executive quail.
ties were demanded 10 match the extra.
ordinary genius of James Gordon Ben
nett. Mr.. Dana revealed them. He did
not write much, but almost everything
that was written was written at his sug
gestion, MIR. Greeley devoting his atten-
ton especially TO the political and
economic direction Of the paper. Mr..
Dana drew to The Tribune some OF the
ablest writer's and thinkers of the time.
Mr.. Bennett discovered that the young
managing editor Of The Tribune had
quite as keen "a nose for news" as he
himself possessed and as good a judg
ment of the relative importance Of news.
He finally disagreed with Greeley as
to policy and retired. when Secretary
Stanton offered him the post of assistant
labors with extraordinary energy. Much
of the time he was with General Grant
in the west He was several times un-
der fire, showing great GOODNESS and
courage. After the war Dana might
have accepted several offers to re-enter
business life, but the fascinations of
journalism caused him to decline every
proposition of that sort made to him. A
publish a great Republican newspaper
i'm Chicago, and Mr.. Dana was offered
the editorship, and a small interest IT,
it was given to him. Later he sold out
his interest in this paper and went to
New York, where some Of his old time
Republican friends helped him to buy
the New York Sun, which was to be pub
lished as low priced Republican news
paper.
Mr. Dana took charge on the 1st of
January 1868, the paper then having
about 10000 circulation, and his conspic-
uous career began with that issue of the
paper. Here he finally developed his tall
ent for finding news and news that would
sell. 1t was his aim not only to get the
news, but to so present it that the mere
reading OF il would be interesting and
entertaining. His idea was that a fact
Of itself Of no particular consequence
might nevertheless in the telling Of 1t be
made as interesting as more important
news. Under his management the paper
secured at one time as high circulation
as 1901 900 and its Sunday edition even
more than that.
Mr.. Dana. like Caleb Cushing, seemed
to thrive upon hard work. Mental appli-
cation was a delight 10 him. He learned
botany while riding TO and from his Of
flee. In his spare moments he mastered
the Icelandic language. He knew Dante
probably better than any other Ameri-
can in New York. Spanish literature de-
lighted him, and he mastered il at odd
moments. A learned horticulturist. the
gardens Of his summer place were filled
with choice flowers, and for trees he had
an affection which led him TO know them
all and TO raise upon his island retreat in
Long Island sound every variety Of fir
tree capable Of living in a temperate cli-
mate.
Mr.. Dana was nearly so years OF as !.
before he began, OF his own experience,
to know the luxury Of wealth. When he
went TO The Tribune as managing editor
his salary was SO a week, and he was
As years Of age before he had received
more than $50 a week.. The royalties or
his book Of household poetry and upon
Appleton's encyclopedia brought him a
larger income than that, although his
money came TO him mostly after he be-
came editor Of The Sun In his later
years Mr.. Dana received $4,000 year
from The Sun and handsome dividends
upon the stock. a majority Of which he
| cOntro1led