Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-02-26
AN OAK OF JOURNALISM.
Col. Henry watterson. Editor of the
Louisville COurier-Journa1.

Col. Henry Watterson. Editor OF tine
Louisville Courier-Journa1.
Twenty-Five years have wrought
great change in Henry Watterson, as
well as In the occupation to which he
has devoted his life. Marse Henry was
potent factor in that potential jour-
nalism which did more to mold public
sentiment after the Civil War, during
the reconstruction period and even in
the campaign of 1880, in which Garfield
was saved from defeat by Conkiing,
than the platforms of parties and the
utterances of orators. These latter
were but the echoes of the policies
which the great editors outlined, and
Of these holders of public thought none
was more influential in Democratic pol
itics quarter Of a century ago than
Watterson, Of the Louisville Courier
Journal. He was giant of the era
of political editors. He was afiame
with enthusiasm when the sanctum was
the heart and vitals of the paper, when
the editorial end Of the publication re-
tanned an influence in public affairs
which has largely descended to the
, counting-room since the commercial
ism of newspapers has come upon the
! land. Profit was not the primary con-
sideration with editors of the Waiter
son stamp,
To-day Watterson still writes. Now
and then some utterance of his rings
like a bugle blast across the country.
and the popuiace sits up and hearkens.
But the virility which once marked his
editorials has vanished and, as rule.
they sound like an echo out of the past.
Watterson is still courageous. still pic
turesque, but the age is fast slipping
away from him and the journalism of
our day Is not of his own. Would that
his wit. his Imagination, his emotion
might be perpetuated.
Watterson has been a militant edi-
tor. He was born in politics and rear
ed in politics. His father, Jefferson
| ian Democrat, occupied a seat IN Con
gress when Henry was born. The child
was frail, with one eye useless and the
other so weak that much OF the time
he was kept in darkness. His early ed
ucation was obtained by others reading
to him. But as he matHred his ply
sique improved and his sight was
strengthened. When he was able to
read he began to deyour with avidity
all sorts of standard literature, and for
years he has been one of the best-read
men in the country In history, biog-
raphy and poetry. He also studied pol
itics and as a boy knew every public
man in Washington. AT Is he was re-
garded as a prodigy. and at Is he be-
came musical critic for a daily news
paper. At 20 he was editing a news
paper in Tennessee which defended the
| Union cause, bat when the maelstrom
OF the Confederacy engulfed him he
became scout. Even then the lust of
writing was in his blood and he began
20 issue a paper called The Rebel,
which was unique institution. 1t was
peripatetic. moviag about as the Union
armies came into range Usually a
covered wagon was the editorial sane
tum, pres and COMPOSING room. Or
1 one oStASAOu bAC At&iA&S NTAC dATEdQy
made up, chronicling a Confederate
victory In the engagement which had
taken place that day. when the tide OF
battle turned and before the forms
could go to reess the Union army was
routing .ae Confederates. Watterson
abandoned his office" and when the
Federals rushed In and seized 1t the
artillery used the type which had beer
employed to describe Confederate We
tory by loading 1t into their cannon
and firing 1t at the retreating army
Type was scarce In those days and Il
was not until several months later
when a Confederate detachment raidei
q Union town on the border that Wat
terson's stock was replenished-
At the end OF the war wattersor
went to louisville and was associated
with GeoHge y. Prentice on the Cour
ier-Journal. after be had forced tina
brilliant product of journalism intc
capitalization by establishing a rival pa
per. In those Gays papers Ike tn,