Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-10-20

wise aided his chiefs political ambitions,
MI Dana was not Il man to sacrlnce ms
own opinions and the time came-Just at
the beginning of the Civil war, when ed
ltor-ln-chlef and managing editor found
they could not agree as to the policy the
paper was to pursue The managing ed
ltor resigned
Enters the Government Service.
Mr. Dana's work had already attracted
the attention OF the new secretary OF War,
Edwin NJ. Stanton, and the latter Sc
cured Mr. Dana to go to Illinois ana
straighten out some accounts in the quar-
termaster- generals department.; me
amount involved running into the nil
lions. The thoroughness of his work in
this capacity undoubtedly led to Stan
tens selection of Dana for assistant sec
rotary of war. He continued 10 hoiG
this position until the close OF the Wal,
and as is well known his services we're
q the greatest value to the authorizes III
Washington. He was kept at the front;
that was the best place for him "A
trained reporter, he was able to furnish
to his chief and indirectly to President
Lincoln. prompt. concise and accurate,
yet withal graphic accounts OF what was
TRANSPORTING on the scene OF action. lie
was with Grant at Vicksburg, win
Sherman at Knoxville, with Sheridan in
the Shenandoah. TO say nothing of par
ticipating in hundreds of other exciting
incidents of scarcely less historical inter
est importance. And throughout it all he
never failed to keep Washington posted;
President Lincoln once said that Dana
was the eyes of the government ut the
front" AS might be expected Mr..
Dana's impartial report made enemies
for him as we'll as secured friends and
his two years experience was far from
being pleasant though undeniably profit
able in the sense that it gave him wide
opportunity to study human nature
Unsuccessful Venture in Chicago.
With the death of Lincoln anu Il
change in the cabinet Dana found him
self out of place. Naturally MS
thoughts reverted to newspaper work
and he was soon installed as managing
per subsequently merged into the Inter
Ocean. The failure of this enterprise
was great surprise to Mr.. Dana's
friends, who felt that the mans Inherent
ability ought to be sufficient to bolster UP
any project. But in this instance there
were unSurmounta bic obstacles, AMI fail
ure was the inevitable result.
Mr.. Dana returned to New York,
where he found several of his former as
soclates ready to join with him in secur.
ing control of the infant Sun. From
that day until he was unwillingly forced
to lay aside the harness he was editor
OF the Sun The success of the paper,
the intense personality Mr.. Dana inject
ed into it. are too familiar to newspaper
readers throughout the country 10 way
rant more than passing mention here.
But aside from his influence in political
and social affairs there stands out pr
eminently one great work which Mr..
Dana accomplished through the IN adium
of the Sun-the raising of newspaper
work to the dignity of q profession. Mr..
Dana had always had his ideas on lis
sub1ect-advanced iGeas perhaps they
1T,rJf how. Il
the Tribune. He saw that if journalism
were ever to attract to its ranks any con
siderable men of real talent the reward
must be greater. At the first opportunity
he put his theories in practice. and II is
conceded that too high salaried staff
was what wrecked the Chicago Repu5-
ican. In New York. when he took
charge of the Sun the conditions were
more favorable. Within year the sal
aries of the editorial and reportor,al
stats of the Sun were, i'll the aggregate
equal TO the combined salaries IF .he
stats of the Tribune, Times and HeraI,.
Reluctantly these papers were compelled
to follow suit. and the salary STANDARD
has never since been lowered.
Personality of the Man.
Mr.. Dana enjoyed life. Never realty
idle, he managed to combine the more
active duties with instructive pursuits
which made all his recreation profitable
IN more senses than one. While an az
dent lover of literature and it might lie
mentioned parenthetically that he mad
mastered eight live languages besides the
two dead" ones, Latin and Greell-he
thoroughly enjoyed the opera. found in
terest III Il baseball game and had been
known to attend sparring matches In
his later years he perhaps found his
greatest recreative pleasure in and about
his summer home, Dosoris $50 named be-
cause it was once a wife's dowry. dos
uXoris'O, on an island in Long Island
sound, whose forty odd acres he mad
transformed into a pleasure garden.
home of dogs and doves and donkcys. n
bed of heg0niaS. oera nirmS and ar1;a: .