University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-03-13
Henry M. Stanley.

the birth of the profession has hat
the varied training that came {,
Henry M. Stanley Other journalists
it may be, have been given greater
powers of Narration, could more vivid
ly bring scenes and events before tht
mind of the reader, yet their name:
are forgotten when their work i.
ended.
What it is, then, that went into
Stanley's character to give him a last
ing place as one of the really great
newsgatherers of his time? A study
of his life-story brings to light nc
long-cherished ambition to become q
journalist. He had no special prepara
tion for the profession, and his school
days ended before he reached the age
of fifteen. With Horace Greeley, fof
instance, or Ben Franklin. the am.
bition of their earliest years was to
enter printing Office, to write" for
the country press, and their develop.
nfent into really great journalists
seems to follow in natural and logi-
cal sequence. But there is no such
guide to Stanley's development into
la journalist, no indication that print
ers ink germs were at work in his
system in the early years of his life
Yet it must not be denied that he was
always student, not only of books,
but Of men.
A clue to his faculty for observation
and to his latent newsgathering pro-
pensities, is to be found, perhaps, in
the practice he followed of keeping Il
diary" of recording special events of
Significance to himself in the early
years of his life. And with the mar
velously active and changeful career
which was his almost from the cradle,
it is not hard to believe that this
diary habit" formed an easy and
logical stepping-stone into journalism.
He enlisted in 1864 in the United
States Navy, and was assigned to duty
as ships writer" Just why he hap
pened to be given this position is not
apparent. He had served in the
Southern army until the Battle Of
Shiloh, where he was captured, and
later sent to Fort Douglass. Chicago.
A few weeks in this rival of Libby and
Andersonville purged him of his 10y
atty to the Southern cause, and he
was willing to swear allegiance to
the North to escape the horrors of the
prison. The physical man was wreck
ed, however, and his discharge from
the Union army soon followed.
Recovering his health, the succeed
ing two years until he enlisted in the
navy, he was a sailor to various ports
Of the world, and the experiences of
two shipwrecks were added to his rec
ord of adventures. Yet even in these
exciting events, his news sense shows
no special prominence. for his diary
was this brief entry: Wrecked off
Crew lost in the night.
naked and swan to shore.
Barrack of carbineers demanded my |
Here is another concise entry of an
experience in Brooklyn. N. Y. in his
;ailor days: Boarding with Judge
&. Judge drunk; tried to kill his
wife with a hatchet; attempted three
ines. l held him down all night.
text morning, exhausted; lighted
igar in parlor; wife came down
nsulted, and raved at me for smoking
n her house"
So it would seem that at the time
'tanley was assigned to the position
f ships writer on the Minnesota in
Iugust, 1864, he had shown no special
bility as a newsgatherer-there was
othing in his record in this respect
hat would warrant a city editor In
etailing him to cover the biggest