The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-10-30
found prospects 40 bad that he half decided


asd Park row got into a quarrel with a
vorter from which he arose in wrath in
his heart against Manhattan and he started
toward St Louis. The hotel stood on
a part Of the ground now occup led by the
Pulitzer Building.
He arrived in ST. Louis in February.
1896 penniless, and first got job at jet
ferson barracks where he took care Of
sixteen army mules. For two years he
was fireman on river boat running be
tween ST. Louis and New Orleans. When
he wasn't working he was haunting the
reading and reference rooms of the st.
Louis public library.
His sole amusement was chess. One
night in "A German saloon he played chess
against DIR. Emil PrTtorius. one of the
editors of the Wes'lchc Post, u German
newspaper of ST. Louis, and beat the
editor. In 1867 he got job on the Wcst-
Ichc Post as u reporter. Eleven years
from he time he got this $40 a week job
he was able Ia buy the St Louis DiSpdtch
and To unite the paper with the Ercn'ng
Post as the Post Dispatch which he owned
until his death In the days intervening
between the chess game and his job of
reporter he got a clerkship in the German
immigration Socicty's Office and later
was appointed a notary public. Still
later he was admitted to the bar.
His Contemporaries on other ~. Louis
papers when he started in numbered
among others Henry NJ. Stanley. William
Fayel and Philip Ferguson. These men
and others are on record as saying that
the lanky. restless reporter for the little
German paper was the most exasper-
atingly inQuisitive and annoying cub
we ever ran across" He was his papers
only reporter
The first public fight Of note which
the young newspaper reporter took up
was campaign against corruption. in
the st. Louis county court. He won his
fight. the court was abolished and reor-
which still prevails there. Mr.. Pulitzer
in November, 1859. entered ST. Louis
politics and was elected member of
the lower house of Missouri's General
Assemble When he went to the State
capitol he took up his work there not
only as a legislator but as a special cor
respondent of the Post as we'll Some
of the things he wrote about while a
legislator angered st. Louis cont ractor
which led to a tongue fight between the
contractor and the reporter in the cor
ridor of the Schmidt Hotel.
After the contractor had dressed
him down" Pulitzer went to his lodgings.
pocketed a revolver and returned to the
hotel to demand an apology. The con-
tractor struck at Pulitzer and Pulitzer
shot the man in the leg. He was indicted
was punished with n fine of 500.
Mr. Pulitzer had become managing
editor of the Weaiiche Post in 1871 or
when the paper broke with Grant The
Post. which now was somewhat of local
power. threw it's sympathies with the
Liberal Republican movement. A small
Inheritance added to his savings helped
him at this time to become part owner
of the paper.
Out of the Liberal Republican move
ment grew IA campaign that resulted in
of 1872 and the nomination of Horace
Greeley for President Pulitzer is cred
tied with the strategy which forced Carl
Schurz intothe chairmauship. The news
paper man had become so much Of
political power that the convention came
to be popularly known "a the Bill and
Joe convention" after it's two leaders.
Joseph Pulitzer and William Grosvenor.
at that time editor of the Missouri Demo
crat.
MIR. Pulitzer stumped the middle West
for Greeley and made more than seventy
speeches. most of them i'll German. Four
years later. when Carl Schurz and the
Republicans once more wer. nj peace.
Mr.. Puht z.rs campaign sp,"chas were
remembered and he was chosen by the
Democratic party as Schurzs opponent
in debate on the stump. In those four
years Mr. Pulitzer had turned away from
Liberal RepubisanIsm and now was a
Democrat.
Political beliefs made il impossible
for Mr.. Pulitzer and Carl Schurz. who
was interested in the Post, to continue
their nnwspaper relations In 1875 PlI-
ltzer sold his interests in the Post to
Schurz and DR.. Preetorius. The follow
ing wear Charles A. Dana selected Mr.
Pulitzer to go to Washington to report
for THE Sr-N the proceedings of the elec-
toral commission which divided to :
in favor of HAYES against Tilden.
While working on this assignment in
Washin gton Mr.. Pulitzer married Miss
Katherine Davis. a relative Of Jefferson
Davis After the marriage MIR Pulitzer
went TO Eilrope with his bride as u special
corresnondent of TuE Sr'N. Tpon hIs
return to this country in the winter oS
1875 he went back to ST. Louis. The fol-
lowing wear h. bought AT public auction
the 81 fouis ErepinU Dispdich for 81 Jn,
The presses were almos, useles. and
there was no paper on which to bring out
ihe publica ton Nevertheless on the
evening of that frs, day Mr.. Pulitzer
was allie To get ont .oD0 copies of the
pappr. Principally because he needed "A
new. plant MIR Pulitzer. who had
brought out his first edition of the
DisDGich on December 10. 1879 got hold
of the Erening Pos, one day later and on
the evening of December II on the streets
anpeared The first issue of the Post
I;isn0icb
The new paper was successful and Mr.
pujitzer began To look toward New York