New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-24
FRENCH NEWSPAPER MAN
c.,.,.ssfuI Career of ". MainOni, Of
the "Petit Journal"

bOs ,,s+ IN France. as well as in the United
how starting on the lowest rung OF the
f% adder may attain the highest position
a,inoelv fortune. Marinoni was e superb
Hu -. of democratic France. Essentially a
Py.5a nan, he retained the rugged sim
-, n HIS youth. His success in France is
P.bst Analogous to that OF Andrew Car
a, another branch Of industry in America.
-. r7riIe de Girardin. Marinoni shared the
- n being the founder of the modern French
-s,aper For half a century he had been the
s.,-insnt figure in French journalism. He rev.
,,,or,zed printing by his invention OF the
80 nress now used throughout the world
Ever newspapers exist, and which in jour
-, marks an epoch as important as that ef-
go N the art Of war by the invention Of the
.-..cbloadng rife. Marinoni a thorough
.-,,-orth Of the French soil, but. like Napoleon
"a Ike Gambetta. he was of Italian origin.
The first time ! met Marinoni was fifteen
r,srs ago, when had been asked by the pro-
,r,e,or Of one of the New-Yorl5 dailies to ar
,snee for sending TO the United States a couple
~ fbe famous rotary presses found NJ Mari
ronI hard at work in the editorial rooms of "Le
Petit Journal" of which up to a few weeks of
his death he was the actual manager. NJ. Cas-
.igpeul his son-in-law, was seated near him.
Ar Marinoni had before him pile OF documents
v-bich he was scrutinizing keenly with his pen
ssrating brown eyes before affixing his sigma
.ure His massive head resembled that Of the
Roman gladiator represented by J. !. Ger0me
IN his painting, "Moriturl te Salutant." His
muscular. square shoulders. his huge, bony
hands like those Of a cattle farmer. but stained
with printing ink. gave him a stalwart, pug
nacious appearance As he perused line Of
introduction that I had brought with me II.
Marinoni courteously arose and his face seemed
suddenly to be Illuminated with intelligence and
benevolence. The mouth revealed fine lines OF
Wit and irony. His dark eyes beamed and
Eparkled with good humor. His smile was 1as-
rinatjng. but somewhat malicious He spoke
with pardonable pride Of his presses and said:
''Come with me and I viii show you how mer-
riIy my little daughters can dancer So saying
we went to the pressroom. where his great ma
chimes were at work printing. cutting, folding
and throwing off copies Of the Petit Journal
1t the rate Of forty thousand an hour. NJ. Mari
noni was as active as a kitten and walked about
and showed me the Petit Journal" establish
sment from top to bottom.
The next time that I met him at his beau
tiful winter resort at Beaulieu. between Monte
Carlo and Nice, overlooking the Mediterranean
He was walking about in a white flannel tennis
suit stick in hand, inspecting his flower beds
and orange trees and enjoying the sunshine
He was then seventy-six years old and was full
OF new ideas for the Improvement Of his color
printing machines for the use of the illustrated
supplement Of the Petit Journal" He was
then suffering from slight bronchitis, and said
Never until this year have felt my age
When I was a youngster I lived for several
years on a frugal diet that did not cost me
more than six cents day. Nowadays 1 eat and
E1a is al limo vol ida
yes: many more persons die from overeating
than from overdrinking. I was -ver in such
good health as in the good old times when had
10 earn my dinner each day.
When Marinoni was twenty-one years Of age
IFS father died, and left him for his entire
Fortune exactly 90 francs and 10 centimes-the
Equivalent in our money Of S14 o.. His fortune
at the time of his death is estimated at S32,-
100000; he was the foremost figure in the press
world Of Paris, was the head Of the largest
journalistic enterprise in France, his services
were well recognized by the state. and he was a
commander in the Legion Of Honor.
He was born at Sivry. in the Brie cheese MAX
Ing district Of the Seine-et-Marne. in 1923. His
father was a gendarme. over six feet high, who
had made the Russian campaign under Napoleon.
Hyppolyte was one Of ten children, and for econ
omy's sake was intrusted to an aunt, who tended
rattle near Melun. When he reached his tenth
year the aunt said to him: Now you are old
enough TO earn your living; go and look after
the cows" For two years he drove the COWS TO
pasture. watched them in the field and brought
them home
At twelve years Of age he gave up the cow
business and came TO Paris, where he became
epprenticed TO a workman who made type for
printing Offices. In this way he became familiar
with printing offices and newspapers, for he used
TO carry the type to the various establishments.
In those days the most rudimentary hand
presses were in use. Marinoni soon became a
workman in the press factory in the Rue
oAssas, at that time under the direction of a NJ.
Gaveau In the workshop in the Rue d'Assas he
invented paper cutting machine. He used to
say; IF only had 1900 francs (S36O) year I
could afford 10 devote all my time to useful ex-
perlments that feel sure would bring about
revolution in printing. But it is pure
tony 70 dream that shall ever have as much as
Asoo francs year. so it is better after all to
day"
"Hen he reached his eighteenth year he
s saiIeu -FOUR and a half francs go cents) a day
ms sum ne married. In a couple OF years
-au q family Of two children. It was hard
ne worked regularly twenty hours
-. o :" el'y-tour. He was strong as an OK;
= - Oiiiy three hours sleep. and he lived
va 4ioe ana maearoni. only indulging in meat
once week He had scarcely any education,
80, .oT ne mac never been sent to school and after
L-s marriage ms wife taught him to read and
write. since 1880 night schools bs,,o .,,,...s a..
rams Ior the oeneht OF workmen emnloved d,,r-
lng the Daytime. In one Of these night scboo,.
he obtained a rudimentary educate. a.
twenty-one his father died, ana les ~. 20
francs and 10 confines. He then ,nventaa
machine for folding newspapers. He became =
master workman, and earned 10 francs a.,
S-D. He overworked himself His appetits