The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-10-22

On June he was at his office, appar-
emily strong and healthy. The next
day he was taken i'll, and he never
afterward visited New York. He was
as years of age.
Sketch of His Life.
Charles Anderson Dana, journalist, was born
at Hinsdale, n. H. August g. 1919. His Ameri-
can ancestry is traced to Richard Dana, from
whom Chief Justice Dana and the two Richard
Henry Danas were descended and who is men,
toned as early as 1910 When quite a boy
Charles was sent to Buffalo n. Y. where he
was clerk in a store until he was IS years OF
age. by which time he had fitted himself for
college. He entered Harvard in 1889. but
serious trouble with his sight temporarily dis
abled him and prevented his finishing the uni
versity course.
In 1917 he settled in New York and was
member Of the editorial staff Of the New York
Tribune from that time down to 1851, during
considerable portion Of which he was its man.
aging editor and the man most trusted by its
eminent founder. Horace Greeley.
Assistant Secretary of War.
On January % 1854 he was nominated as as
sistant secretary of war for one year. He was
renomnated January D. 1865. rendering the
principal part Of his service for the war depart
ment under the above commissions and as as
sistant secretary by visiting the army head
quarters OF ROsecranS. Sheridan, Sherman an6
Grant advising cOnhdentialiy with the COM
handing officers. and corresponding freely
with President Lincoln and Secretary Stanton.
He resigned as assistant secretary July l. 1855.
In 1855 he had begun to plan, compile and edit,
with George Ripley, the New American
Cyclopedia" The original edition was com
pleted in 1853. and became the American
CyclOpedia'' between 1873 and 1875.
Friend of Lincoln AID stanton.
\
union cause during the war OF secession il is
but just to award to him the supreme COM
mendation which is his due. With an intense
zeal, equal TO that of the great war secretary
whose assistant he became and yet. with clear
vision and cool Judgment ne gave himself IN
reservedly to the work for which he had been
selected He went TO the front wherever vital
battles were to be fought; made himself
welcome to every union commander; mas
tered every situation; gave helpful ad-
vice on the spot; and wrote letters 70
Stanton and Lincoln full Of facts which they
would not otherwise have known and OF
suggestions which were of the highest impOr-
lance. If he had done nothing but his service
in preventing the abandonment Of Chattanooga
by Rosecrans after the battle of Chickamauga
he would deserve the gratitude of the nation
His letters undoubtedly caused the super
seizure of Rosecrans by Thomas and the trans
fer of the command of the operations on the
Tennessee to Grant, the cOnQueror Of Vicks-
burg in season to prevent Rosecrans from re-
treating and to make possible the decisive VIC
tories around Chattanooga.
The Founding of the Sun.
At the close of the war he was invited to be-
come the editor Of a new paper in Chicago. the
Republican, an invitation which he accepted
He stayed there only short time, however, as
the paper in question failed, owing to causes
quite outside Of his connection with it He re-
turned to New York and organized company
which purchased the Sun, at that time an old
and moribund property. It's subsequent sue
cess has been continuous and remarkable. Mr..
Dana issued the first number Of the Sun under
his editorial supervision January q. 1868. as a
democratic newspaper. and from that time 1t
was an important factor in political journal
ism.
Free Lance Politically.
The Sun supported Mr.. Tilden for the presi-
dency and was bitter over the manner in which
after styling Rutherford B. Hayes in its col
ums the Fraud President" In 1880. when
Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock was the candidate
Of the democratic party for president Mr.. Dana
did not give the candidate his support, a most
important contribution to the literature Of that
time being the statement in the columns OF
the Sun that the democratic candidate
for president was "a good man and
weighs $50 pounds" In the cam paign of 1884
the Sun was pronounced in its opposition TO
Grover Cleveland. the democratic candidate.
In 1888 the Sun was again hostile to Mr.. Cleve-
lands candidacy. but in 1892 the sun gave him
an enthusiastic support When the demo-
cratic national convention in 1895 nominated
Mr.. Bryan on q free silver platform Mr.. Dana
and his paper virtually deserted the democratic
party.