The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-20

was ell that separated editors and repor-
ters from any who had ambition enough TO
mount the forbidding stairs. The innu-
merable cranks and bores who frequent
newspaper offices. making life wretched
for busy men, had as free access as those
who came on legitimate business.
This condition was very irksome to
new city editor who took charge some
years ego. He ordered partitions built
shutting off the city room, and stationed
a boy at the door to inquire of all corners
their business. The partition was put in
place and the last nails were being driven
when Mr.. Dana came singing into the
room.
"What!' he exclaimed, stopping short.
why, that will shut out the people"
That is just what l intended it for"
began the city editor. You see"
No, no, MOI" said Mr.. Dana emphat-
ically. That win never do. l won't have
the people shut out. Take it away"
The sun was purchased from Moses Y.
Beach in 1861 by coterie Of which Charles
a. Dana, William NJ. Evarts Marshall o.
Roberts and Col. Fred ConkliHg were the
principal members. The paper at that
time was neither financial nor a popular
success 1t was located in the building
afterward occupied by the Commercial
Advertiser, at the southwest corner of Full
ton and Nassau streets
One of the first things the new owners
did was to purchase the old Tammany hall
property, at Frankfort street and Park
row, and move the Sun to its present quar-
tiers. Mr.. Dana was made editor in chief,
and assumed absolute control. The first
number of the Sun under Mr. Dana's
management was issued Jan. II, 1865 1t
took the reading public but a short time
to discover th8t a new element had been
introduced into the political and Journals
tic field.
Soon after Gen. Grant was elected
President, says the Times, Mr. Dana be-
came an outspokeu candidate for the no
sition of collector of customs for the port
of New York. For reasons said TO be
of personal character, President Grant
would not appoint him, and subsequently,
so the story runs Mr.. Dana nursed the be-
lief that George w. Chids of the PhIla-
delphia Ledger was an important factor
in the opposition TO his appointment He
did not assail Mr.. Childs with any show
OF bitterness, but for a long period Of
years the Sun eXtolled the merits of
George Washington Childs (Air Child's
middle name was Wiliam) as a mortuary
poet. Doubtless thousands of persons i'm
bibed from the columns of Mr. Dana's pa
per the impression that Mr.. Childs wrote
the obituary poetry which for long while
formed unique feature of the advertising
columns of the Philadelphia, Ledger. A
year or two before Mr.. Childs died he
met Mr.. Dana at a dinner party at Man
haitian Beach, and friendly, If not cordial
relations were established between the
two men. The persstency of Mr. Dana
in reiterating names and phrases, which
in his fighting or mischievous moods he
applied TO public men, was often fraught
with serious consequences to the object OF
n Of oil IL
in naval affairs, Mr. Dana dubbed George
Maxwell Robson, President Grants Sec
rotary of the navy, "Secor" Robson and
the nickname stuck with such pertnacity
that after a while large proportion of
the newspapers throughout the country
used no other prefix 10 Mr. Robson s
name. Many persons thought that Secor
was the ex-secre tary's first name
Newspaper readers are not likely to for
get how the Sun kept up the cry Of
"Fraud"' and Fraudulent President
throughout the Hayes administration
Some friends of Mr.. Dana sought to en-
courage him In the belief that his loyalty
to Tilden in this respect might make him
possible heir to Tilden's political man.
tie. Whether or not Mr.. Dana ever en-
tertained any idea of becoming the Moses
of the democratic party, II soon became
manifest, after Gen. Hancocks uomina-
ton for the presidency by the democratic
0lSETuntle0.
To be sure, he did not indulge I'm any pub.
lie lamentations, nor did he abuse Gen.
Hancock. But his memorable commenda~
ton of the democratic standard bearer -
"he Is a good man and weighs $50 pounds
practically stung Gen. HancocI's politi-
cal pretensions to death.
With his combined relish for fun and
his keen sense of the ridiculous Mr.. Dana
probably contributed as much toward the
&c araxv ..41..
paper man of his time. He was the dis,
coverer and exploiter of score of gro
tesque characters. No peculiar name or
grotesque personality escaped his journal
istic attention. The great public would
never have known of Abe Slupsl6y or Pod
Dtsmuke had 1t not been for the Sun.
and many rugged poet would have gone
to his grave with all Of his poems IN
sung had not Charles A. Dana extended
TO him friendly and a roguish hand
Mr.. Dana had a way peculiarly his own
OF treating outside interference with the
policy Of his newspaper. Persons who
presumed on their long acquaintance with
the distinguished editor TO proffer advice
to him regarding the proper journalistic
treatment of public questions or Of special
topics were usually taught a lesson bv
Mr.. Dana that left lasting impression
on their minds. His manner IN dealing
with such persons was usually sauve, and
almost deIefentlaL lie applied his per-
sonal castigations on such occasions with
a gentle tongue and touch of velvet
One afternoon one of New York's mer-
chant princes called upon Mr. Dana at
the Sun office and angrily demanded that
the financial reporter for that paper be dis
missed at once. Take a chair my dear
Mr.. -. You know that / would gladly
do anything in my power to obllge you,
said Mr.. Dana, In his most cordial tone
TELL me what the trouble Is -
Your financial reporter asked me yes
tarlaH ahnlIL q n.rLalL franz nLlora lhaa