New-York tribune., 1909-02-28
A KNIGHT JOURNALIST
Hozc Sir Hugh Graham, Surmounted
Unusual Difficulties.
By George Murray.

Sir Hugh Graham. the first Canadian journalist
TO be knighted. has had career that should be
an encouragement to young men to ,persevere under
difficulties. He carried to Montreal as a country
boy, nothing but a common school and academy
education and alert brain. To-day he Is q
newspaper owner, much sought leader IN phil
anthropic financial enterprises and a knight
Bachelor, made by King Edward on his last
birthday.
It is merely by accident that he is a big news
paper man. II he had begun office boy in a
wholesale house or a manufacturers Office II is
more than probable that he would have worked out
his career in lines of endeavor just surely.
AS II was the record stands thus ONCE boy in
The Montreal Evening Telegraph at the age of
fifteen: month later, assistant bookkeeper;
five months later still, bookkeeper; four months
later, business manager. Three years later. he
went to THE Montreal Gazette where he met
I.anIgan q brilliant writer, to whom he proposed
the next year that they should start paper OF
their own In 1869 they launched The Daily star,
with 500 in the treasury-but with George
T. Lauigans telling pen and unlimited amount
OF pluck.
Before very long the two partners differed So
Ianigan withdrew, and Graham went on alone. An
offer from his principal creditors TO give him. as
sola proprietor a clean sheet was refused, and
the young proprietor announced his determination
TO pay every cent OF the overwhelming debt OF his
paper with interest And this he did but not
until he had tasted every experience that comes
straw He had no working capital, and the con-
Germ was staggering under huge load Of deot.
while he was increasingly harassed by lawsuits,
During mis- struggles he had some ninety-three
libel suits his hands. and he lost only three
His credit became so low time that he had
to buy his coal by the bucketful, and send the
oN9re boy for IT He mad 20 pay for his paper day
by day with the street sales of the evening before
What seemed like the last straw on his load Of
trouble was refusal of his neiGnbor 10 continue
the supply OF steam power that furnished By
means OF a shaft through the wal, unless arrears
were paid up-a proceeding that would have meant
suspension. Graham wired 10 the country Tor
horsepower and q horse. These arrived during the
night and for several days a biz white horse was
on the payroll. The horse treaGs were erected in
a corner of the pressroom. and the motive power
walked into the office every morning, through the
little counting house. to the pressroom. which was
equipped with a fiat machine capable OF printing
only side OF a sheet
The 'rregularity OF the animal power created a
perfect pandemonium. When the press was stopped
every few minutes get relays Of white sheets.
the animal would start galopinS on the mill Ihls
becoming unendurnble. caoric engine was IN
stalled but proved inadequate. II needed heip'
and every afternoon the bookkeeIer, a clerk and
Two repo~ters the bulk OF the staff. could seen
helping the Ericsson motor by tUggng at the piston
rods-a spectacle that OF absolute despair
as It was possible to see. But Graham never
despaired toiIed early and late, and with un-
ing attention his little paper, pushing 1t steadily
up ths hill
The King. however. does often knight men
for business success This distinction implies that
Sir Hugh did than build up great newspaper
nroperty and Il fortune. and herein lies the secret
or hiq iruuerial honor. He at began 10 use
his newspaper his fortune and his own abilities
I'm the public service. The list OF projects that ne
has undertaken and carried through IS forlnlodoie.
You can hardly mention striking public need OF
vaTf fpf not
Graham endeayorfug to the best II his ability 20
meet f. When the famine broke out in India. Tor
Instance he set on foot a movement 10 raise
relief fund in Canada. &c which finally l""0 people
sent In contributions.
The Boer War aroused his patriotic, ferVor IN
like fsshion When II seemed doubtful whether
Canada would rush 10 the assistance OF the mother
country as the rest Of the empire was spohta-
neousIy doing Sir Hugh hit upon the ingenious
Journalistic device OF repeating the cahlegraIA
telling OF the action of New zealand In sending
troops to aid the motherland 10 every mayor and |
prominent militia officer in Canada and 70 leao'hs
public men throughout the Dominion asking II
they thought Canada should do New Zealand
had done or stand aoof. The response was over
wheming and swept the doubters on their teet,
and within forty-eght hours the first contingent
was being assembled for embarkatlon-
In order TO encourage enlistment Sir Hugh IN
sured every man In the contingent against oeath
and accident the policies totalling S.CNc0o he
also appealed through his powerful papers for a
cbidrens patriotic fund for the families OF Prlsh
soldiers stricken the struggle, and TO this looVcO
children subscribed. Just Sir Hugh Is raising
8 fund for q new Children's Memorial Hospital A
few wears ago he saved OF the most prominent
churches in Montreal from going under the nam
mer" He initiated, organized ana Tor heirIy I;
twenty years gave strong financial support 10 the
fresh air fund by which over one hundred thou-
sand working mothers and children nave peeh
greatly benefited Lately he presented them WAN |
a large summer home and grounds His campaigns |
for civic betternent have been endless lie mas
gone so far as organize a company OF JUDGES |
business magnates and citizens generally to clean
the streets OF Montreal when the aldermen coH
sncuousIy failed to do their duty; ana ne SUI |
c4eded in ehaming the authorities into actloh-
Sir Hugh while keen in business is most con
sidera+e to those who have helped him TO pulld up |
his pepers He has In his employ severai men
who have been with him quarter OF a century
EIa bas his own view OF titles. l wrote cohsTdtu-
Istine him ON his knighthood, and In hls rePiy ne
said. eft would be the merest afectatlon 10 say
7 am not proud of the honor received from MS
ma aias-v: hut II is thing TO appear TO be ae-
serving and another prove 1t by one aIter iHe'
,ncIns 70 the belief that this IS not always 50
easv 10 do as might appear"