The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-29
WHEN THE TIDE TURNED WITH
HENRY GRADY.
Lucian L. knight in Sunny South.

HENRY GRADY.
Lucian L. Knight in Sunny South.
Whatever may have put it into the
head of Henry w. Grady to buy ticket
to New York instead of to Wilmington,
NJ C.-whether providence or mere reck-
less chance-it is certain that his whole
future career was affected by this appa-
rently simple transaction which took
place in the depot in Atlanta in the spring
of 1873
At first he thought of going to Will
mington, where a position had been offer
ed him at salary of $1,000 year. but
something induced him to change his
mind at the last moment, and when he
was ready to start he took the train for
Gotham.
These were rather cherries days for the
man whose life during the next fourteen
years was to form part of the history of
Southern journalism and to bear fruit in
speeches whose periods were to be en-
balmed in the literature Of modern elo-
quence.
But such an experience is only one
phase Of the discipline under which most
of our great men are tutored; and from
the days of Elijah down to the present
time the juniper tree has always been an
important factor in human affairs.
Before taking this decisive trip to New
York, Mr.. Grady had met with reverses
which involved the loss of everything he
possessed except his integrity and his ge-
MUS, and he could only conjecture vague
" as to what the future had in store for
him. Borrowing $50, he gave nearly half
of this amount to Mrs. Grady, and, put
ting the rest in his pocket. he started for
the depot.
| Success was much nearer at hand than
he suspected, and when he reached New
York he found it staring him in the face.
Perhaps, his adventures are best told by
himself Said he speaking of this episode
of his life some years later:
after forcing down my unrelished
breakfast on the morning of my arrival
in New York, l went on the sidewalk
in front Of the Aston house and gave
boot black % cents, one-ifth of which
was to pay for shining my shoes and
the balance was fee for the privilege of
talking to him. felt that I would die
if I did not talk to somebody.
early next morning before getting out
If bed I rang for bellboy and ordered
The Herald l actually had not strength
enough to get IN and dress myself until
could see whether or not my article had
heen used. / opened The Herald with
rembling kinds. and when 1 saw that
State Conventions in the South was on
he editorial page, 1 fell back on the
red. buried my face in the pillow and
cried like a child When l went back to
The Herald office that day. the managing
editor received me cordially and said:
You can go back to Georgia, Mr.. Grady,
and consider yourself in the employ of The
Herald
Exulting over his commission as South
ern correspondent for The Herald, Mr..
Grady lost no time in returning to At
lanta, where another stroke Of good luck
awaited him.
Captain Evan P. Howell, then the
managing editor of The Constitution, be-
ing impressed with the fact that Mr. Ora
dy was just the man to fill a vacancy
which occurred on the staff of the paper,
offered him an editorial desk which he
promptly accepted.
His connection with the Constitution en-
abled him to perform his duties as CORE
spondent of The Herald without much
additional labor, and he continued to fill
both positions with brilliant satisfaction
until 1880. when he purchased an interest
in The Constitution and gave up his COM
mission from The Herald to devote him.
self exclusively to his own property inter
ests.
Thus fortune once more began to smile
upon Mr.. Grady; and having commenced
again to ascend the hill from whose pre-
cipitate slopes he had so recently fallen
into the slough of despond he continued
to climb, until finally he reached the
heights on which he found himself at last
| triumphant.