The Washington herald., 1908-06-07
The Unusual Way that M. H.
de Young Became Famous
EditOr-How A. j. Blethen.
of Seattle. Won His Biggest
Newspaper Success After He
Had Been Wiped Out in the
Financial Panic of 1893.

rate, in less than year the Banner had
the inside track IN Nashville. and there
were no longer eight, but just three
dailies in that city.
Watterson's success in Nashville Sc
cured him the managing editors chair Of
the old Louisville Journal He had not
been in that city long before he set about
to bring his paper and It's bitterest rival.
the Courier, together. He succeeded the
year he went 10 Louisville, and became
the real editorial power behind the COM
bined enterprise, though he did not sue
coed 10 the title OF editor until a year
or two later, following the death of his
predecessor During the years that he
was making his national reputation as
editor Of the COurier-Journal he prac-
tically lived in the Office. and the first
few months that he was on the paper no
really did live IN the editorial rooms, that
he might be close TO his work
His Father an Editor.
Watterson is one OF the few members
OF the odd Guard who is the son Of a
journalist distinguished in his day and
generation. Harvey N. Watterson, the
father. back in the '4Os and SOS was
.Tennessee's most famous journalist Dur
ing the early SOS he edited a paper in
Washington. At that time his son Henry
was a boy, but II was in this Office OF his
father that he first became interested
IN newspapers and was fired with an am
bition TO become an editor himself. When
his father quit running the Washington
Union the son was fifteen. The next year
the latter began editing and publishing
"a no
In Philadelphia there is James Elver-
son OF the Inquirer who. when he land
ed from England in this country in 1sl7.
when he was nine years old. found en-
ployment as a telegraph messenger boy.
William NJ. L2ffan. who now occupies the
chair made famous by Charles A. Dana.
since 1861. when he was only nineteen,
has been an editor and publisher in this
country, he, too having been born abroad
lin Dublin. Joseph Pulitzer. Of the New
York World. IS another foreign-bOrn
American editor. He came to this coun-
try from Hungary in 1851. and the FIRST
thing he did was 10 join cavalry regi-
ment and stay with IL until peace was
declared Melville Z. Stone. general man
ager Of the Associated Press. and as such
on speaking terms with all the big men
OF America and most OF the crowned
heads and other bigwigs OF the Old
World. ran a foundry and machine shop
until he was burned out in the Chicago
Are. Then he turned editor and soon
after founded a daily paper In Chicago.
the News now directed by Victor F.
Lawson. who. though younger than most
OF the men in the "Old Guard" belongs
10 1t by virtue OF his thirty-two years
/ connection with that paper.
Ran a Theatrical Paper.
On the Pacific Coast there Is NJ. H. de
Young. in San Francisco. and Alden J.
/ Bletheu. in Seattle. Mr.. de Young. as an
editor and Republican. has been much
/ in the public eye since the SOS. Prob
/ ably no one ever became an editor under
more unusual circumstances than he.
With his brother he started 10 publish
little theatrical paper. or programme.
! called the Dramatic Chronicle. Neither
/ brother had any thought OF going into
! the big newspaper field until the public.
! by its demands for the Dramatic Chron-
/ icle. practically forced the brothers 10
! turn their venture into daily.
Mr.. BletEen's career Is an apt example
/ OF what possession OF the never-say-die
/ spirit will do for one. First a successful
I teacher then an equally successful law
yer down in Maine, his native State. he
went 70 Kansas City because OF III health,
| became manager Of a paper there. moved
/ TO Minneapolis. managed one OF that
| city's papers and edited another at one
and the same time, sold out his interests
/ IN both papers for S250Ooo. repurchased
/ the Tribune. suffered n loss Of $4,000 ny
| fire the next year. rebuilt at a cost OF
/ 100000. and in the panic Of 1888. which
/ soon followed, was wiped out
/ II was in Seattle, across the continent
/ from his birthplace, that Mr.. Blethen
started anew. Against the advice OF
/ friends. he took hold Of a bankrupt daily
I in that town To-day the Seattle Times
/ IS one OF the Coasts leading papers, and
Mr. Blethen IN the millionaire class. He
was fifty when he began life over again:
/ to-day he is siXty-tWO.
Copyright. 1905. by the Associated Literary PresS)