The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-06-01
watterson on James Gordon Bennett.

The American Maya zine contains an
intimate' and authoritative sketch OF
James Gordon Bennett by Henry Wat
terson. Mr.. Bennett, who will be 70
the New York Herald. He has been
owner and master Of the Herald since
his fathers death. Mr.. WattersonS
sketch follows. in part:
up to his 40th birthday Bennett.
| the elder, had seemed failure. All
things by turns and nothing long--in-
| Ginning however, to the print shop--he
| at last conceived the idea OF the Herald
and developed this with extraordinary
energy. Skill and patience. Inheriting
so great property already made, Ben
nett, the younger, rich from the cradle,
had before he was 40. much enlarged
F. It, and at the same time given signal
examples of extraordinary talents and
daring had crossed the Atlantic In a
/! tiny boat In midwinter, winning ia
/ nous race; ha- sent Stanley to Africa
4 to find the lost Livingstone; had de-
| spatched an expedition to the north
| pole; had laid cable under the sea;
yet had kept himself in the background,
| like the master of the marionettes he
\ was, his individuality so palpabie IN
| the Office, unknown to the public. his
| identity lost in the vast mechanism of
his beloved Herald
"Of such man dwelling abroad any
| thing may be written and said and all
sorts of preposterous things, fairy tales
and hobgobiin yarns. are told. the sim
pie truth being that, living like king
he labors like king; In pleasing his
working sense and his humor to abide
in the saddle as 1t were--his yacht his
saddle--establishing his headquarters
where most Is doing: taking his horo-
scopes Of affairs mundane ana current
on the spot; both the European and
American issues of his paper held as
firmly under his hand and rule as
though he sat perennially at his desk
in New York. or in Paris, being gen.
orally thousands Of miles away. Thus
his most ordinary habits, his custom
ary exits and entrances. lend them
| selves to romance. Not merely stories
but novels have been written about
him; the man himself as ready sub
feet for the fiction makers as the man
in the iron mask.
There is no chancellery of EUROPE
to which Mr.. Bennett has NOT ready
access, nor any court circle to which he
is not a welcome visitor. The very In
carnation of the idea Of publicity he IL
| a tomb of secrets which are not ready
to be disclosed every nation and al
statesmen recognizing him as a man tt
be trusted as well as an authority tt
be reckoned with. No such position II
held by any other living journalist, OF
ever was held by any other Journalist
to the degree in which this astute anc
elusive man holds IT.
"The secret lies Of course somewhat
in circumstance and opportunity. Blu
these he has made for himself. HI
early comprehended, as his father die
before him. the tremendous value Of
Independence: the Independence or dis
interested public service: and he hai
| never let go of this or put 1t at the bid
ding of O party, or any group OF men
The Herald has been and Is news
paper first, last and all the time. Grea
sums Of money are poured out as ire
as water for news, early news, reliable
news. no matter where 1t hits or whom
II hurts. Amiable. as a rule. and sensi
bile. neither malicious, nor heartless
there are a poise and balance from
years end to years end. which may b.
found in no other American newspape
and which in the long run are az bene
f,cial as they are agreeable to TIN
mass and body Of readers. Hence thu
constituency Of the Herald. willis
steadily augmenting, changes less thai
, that of Its competitors, which ar
either less equable or more pragmati
, cal.
gans of opinion the Herald has n
, editorial page. It rarely asserts an ips
, dixit of It's own. It's attitude 10 unmis
taxable; but 1t is not dogmatic In al
, effort to proselyte. It neither seeks t
cajole nor to bully its audiences; bu
, rather to put the facts In the fore
, ground and trust to the good sense an
: good feeling OF the people to do tn
rest.
, .The commodore Is well beloved b
, his employees, and leads a wholesome
albeit a strenuous life; his own maste
: | in all things, a being of opinions, a
? well as an editor Of ability; essential
! | a man Of affairs, not an artist or ma
J of letters; yet still a creature or mood
r and lenses, 70. cefully acute and IRE
! sistibly dominant"