The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-02-03
Centenary Of Greatest American
Journalist is Fittingly OBJ
served Throughout
the Nation.
WELDED HIS PEN FEARIESSLY
Founder of New York Tribune and
Had Vast Influence With Read
ers in Civil War Days-can-
didate for President.

New York, Feb. S.-The one hun
dredth anniversary of the birth OF
Horace Greeley. greatest of all Ameri-
can journalists was .tly observed today
by appropriate exercises In the public
schools OF the state and by memorial
under the auspices of var
ious historical and patriotic organiza-
tions i'm nearly all the colleges and
other institutions of learning through
out the state. Special celebrations
were held under the auspices of the
City Club and by Typographical Union
No. 6. whose first president Horace
Greeley was. Large crowds visited
Greeley's old farm at Chappaqua,
Westohester County, where he lived
during the latter and most eventful
part of his life.
Started at Fifteen Years.
Horace Greeley was born on a farm
five miles from Amherst, n. H., on
February 8, 1911. His father was poor
and Horace had little opportunity to
obtain more than the most primitive
education. As a small boy Horace
Greeley was an omnivorous reader and
with the aid of an excellent memory
he succeeded in acquiring not only
thorough knowledge of the English
language, but large amount of heter-
ogenous information, which proved of
great value to him in later years.
At the age of fifteen he entered the
office of The Northern Spectator at
East Poultney, VI, as an apprentice.
He seemed to be born to the trade and
soon he was the best printer in the
shop. 1t might also be added that even
at that time he was a better journalist
than the editor of that paper. Gree
ley remained with that paper until it
died from lack of support five years
later. During those years he sent the
greater part of his meager wages TO
his father, who had removed to farm
near Erie. Pa.
Stona Political Writer.
After the Spectator had suspended.
Greeley worked his way to his fathers
the way by working for a few weeks
at a time on different newspapers. Af-
ter a few months he made his way to
New York He arrived there with but
a few cents in his pocket, no other
clothes except those he wore, but eager
and ambitious to become a great jour
nalist. For eighteen months he work.
ed as compostor at poorly paid, odd
jobs. then, together with another
young compositor he opened n printing
office. After one or two unsuccessful
efforts TO start newspaper, Greeley
in 1884, undertook the publication Of
weekly literary journal. called The
New Yorker. Two years later the pa
per had $500 subscribers. The panic
of the following year nearly caused
the suspension of The New Yorker and
IL was on its last legs when, in 1888
Thurlow Weed made Greeley editor Of
the Jeffersonian. Whig paper estab-
lished in Albany during the campaign
II. Seward as Governor of New York
AS editor of that paper Greeley became
a pominent figure i'm state affairs. and
although he was only q years of age.
he was recognized as one of the
strongest political writers of the day
Founded New York Tribune.
Two years later Greeley was chosen
to edit the Log Cabin, the Whig cam
paign paper of 1910. His success in
creased Greeley's prestige and gave
him the courage to establish a news
paper of his own. April 10. 1S41, was
the birthday of the New York Tribune,
which under his management and di-
rection became one of the greatest
political power. The subsequent his
tory of Greeley was inseparably linked
to that of the New York Tribune. at
the head of which he remained for
thirty years, severing his connections
with that journal only few days be-
fore his death. which occurred on Nov
ember 20, 1872.
Worked for Emancipation.
It would be difficult to overestimate
the influence which was welded by the
pen of Horace Greeley. He had cour-
age and he had an honest conscience
and these were backed by a mastery of
incisive, clear English. He was one OF
the foremost advocates Of protec-
tive tariff and that the North was
brought to the intense hostility to
slavery that eliminated in the birth OF
the Republican party and the enamel
patton proclamation OF Abraham Lin
coin was. in a large measure. due tc
the editorial columns of the New York
Tribune.
Never Held Public Office.
Greeley never held public office but
once. when he filled an unexpired tern
in Congress Tor a few weeks. He was