The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-09
PERRY MASON I 60.
These, in Reality, Were Plain
Daniel S. Ford.
HIS GREAT LITTLE PAPER
How He Made 1t, aid How 1t,
in Turn, Made Him.

The Eagle readers have been told brief
~ OF the identity of the late Daniel S
Ford Of Boston, the Perry Mason & Co
Of the Youths Companion. A writer in
Boston gives more details of his life, say
ing in many respects he was singular
man. Everybody in the United States
knew the paper, which, although he took
it when it was old, he made from the
bottom up. but no one Of the present
generation ever saw his name in the pa
per, and but very few ever saw it any
where else. Yet he was a great editor
and a great publisher.
The story of the way in which he came
into personal possession of the Youth
Companion is a singular one in itself.
once heard it from his own lips. He and
a man named Olmstead owned two pa
pers, the Waterman, organ then and now
of the Baptist denomination, and the
Youths Companion, which was then a
sort of Sunday school paper of no i'm
portance at all. Ford was not satisfied
to be linked with Olmstead, and wished
to get rid of him. He proposed to Ohm
stead that, at a certain date, he should
buy out or sell out; that is, that Ohm
stead should have an opportunity to pay
$4,000 in cash and take the Waterman.
leaving the Youths Companion to Ford,
or, If ne had not the $4,000, to receive
that sum from him, Ford, give dp the
Waterman and take the Youths Com
panion. Ford regarded the Youths Com
panion as undesirable property, and was
as anxious to get rid of it as he was TO
get rid Of Olmstead. He did not believe.
that Olmstead could raise $4,000 in cash,
but he had that amount ready himself.
Olmstead accepted the proposition-in
fact, Ford gave him no chance to do
Ford was greatly pleased.
The date appointed came around. Ohm
stead appeared, and to Ford's astonish-
ment and chagrin. produced the $4,000!
Mr.. Ford has often said that this was the
greatest blow and disappointment of his
life. He was Inundated AID grieved and
felt himself utterly defeated TIE turned
over the Waterman to Olmstad and took
the little Youths Companion, almost
hating it as he did So, But it was a mat
ter of plain business sense to develop it
and make little better property out of
It before he sought to get rid of it. A few
good feeds of oats and a curry-comb are
4 good investment when a sorry nag,
which one wishes to dispose of, comes
upon ones hands. And Mr.. Ford had not
spent much time in developing and i'm
proving the little Youths Companion be-
'ore he discovered that it had a great
possibility in it. He decided to keep it
md develop it still further; and it made
IN immense fortune for him
But Mr.. Ford had not chosen to IA
her the property personally. Although
lis name had appeared on it in company
With Olmsteads he removed it now and
invented the mythical esPerry Mason &
Jo,'' and Perry Mason g. Co. continue to
his day to publish this immensely cir !
ulated paper. Mr. Ford from that day |
lever allowed his name to come before |
he public in any way. He is said to |
lave given away millions, and 1 can |
eadly believe it, but no one ever saw |
lis name on a subscription list. He kept |
uite completely out of the view of the |
ublic. Extremely few of the men who /
ad legitimate business with him ever
aw him-at any rate in recent years.
hey dealt with him by correspondence |
T through his business manager. Bust |
ess men in Boston called him the Veil
d Prophet He saw his own editors and |
7riters more readily than he saw any
Their people, and he saw them but in
A Of
be regular employees IN his own build
lg had never seen his face.
Mr.. Ford was one of the potentates
Tho can abide no power near their
nrone. He was a very courteous auto
rat. He was glad to get suggestions
nd would often adopt them, but If they !
id not commend themselves at once he
-ould listen to no advocacy of them; and
e declined to argue a question with any
ne. He had reached certain conclusions
18th regard to moral and literary ques-
ons connected with his paper, and MOTH
lg could shake them. He excluded love
tories, fairy stories, pert sayings of
tales or references which were
kelly To stir up strife between the north
nd the south. and all accounts of practi-
Il jokes, unless the joker met with so
gnal a ''come-upance" that his case was
kelly to serve as a warning TO all who
light mediate similar pranks. He had
1t Mr.. Bonner's prejudice against sec
I'd marriages, but there were still other
objects which were under a ban. He
as ready to edit anything that came
lder his hand. no matter ; 40 wrote IT,
is on record that he once edited 4
rotation from the Bible; and Il he did
lis, his subordinstes know peril y well
at he had some good reason 10 doing
He was master OF the art of y0l-
.nsaion, and could make one short s. r.
nee do full sduty for two long ones; and
L, in common with other self-edGc1te.T
en- whom I have known. he had /
arked preference for words OF Latin !
igin over Saxon ones. and hated all the