The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-12-02
The Stir the Editor Made When He
Dashed Into New York and the
Stir He Kept on Making All
His Life Described by
Former Member of
His Staff.

porter to wax warm over some ques-
ton of the number OF cattle the said
editor had stated to have arrived from
the West the previous day.
He loved nothing better than argu-
ment, which he almost invariably be-
gan himself by some negative or pos
tive assertion, and during the course
of which he keenly noted his oppo-
nents bearing and manner of speech.
while never losing track for an in,
stant of the main theme himself 1T
is by argument" he said to me, that
| measure a man, note his shortcom-
ings, and possession or lack of logic,
and, above all, whether he has the
courage of his convictions, for no man
can long work for me with satisfaction
to himself or myself unless he has
this courage"
It was not many weeks, hardly
days, before the new World under
Joseph Pulitzer had struck new
gait The old staff was quickly
weeded out, and new faces took The
place of those long familiar in the
old city and editorial rooms.
We in the office felt from the first
that his remarkable personality,
which had so impressed us on its ar
rival inside the building. would soon
make its impression on the great cos
mopolitan public of New York, and
in time upon the country, and we
were not mistaken.
In a weeks time the new World
under Joseph Pulitzer was a bull in
a china shop of New York journalism.
1t began to smash traditions, customs,
and ideas like the proverbial animal
did the china. The public first won
dered, then gasped, then condemned
OF admired the 'new journalism-and
attacks upon it and upon its founder
began in the other newspapers, but
Mr.. Pulitzer had succeeded, as he aft
erward told me, in shorter space OF
time than even he had dreamed of in
gaining what he most desired-pUb-
licity for his new venture.
| we'll remember nj. calling me one
morning and saying, How many peo-
pie do you suppose there in the state
OF Connecticut that can be reached
under present conditions by The
World on Sunday mornings; and if so
reached would buy and read the pa,
per" | hazarded a wild guess, for
one had to reply quickly TO Mr.. PlIl.
itZer, and woe betide one if the reply
seemed to him Illogical, vague or
foolish.
Fortunately for me my guess
pleased him, and he said, Good, now
appoint correspondent in every
town that has 10000 or more people
and instruct them to send to each
Sunday edition 500 words of social do.
ings in their town and to mention just
as many names of people as possible
People like to see their names in a
newspaper, especially if pleasantly
mentioned-get in all this copy, read
it yourself and watch the results"
did, at a cost of long hours and
much energy, and in one month the
Worlds circulation in near Connecti
cut had increased - per cent, in six
months 100 per cent, and it movec
up by leaps and bounds from tina,
time.
Then came the advent of Colonel
John Cockerill, the ablest lieutenant
il The Worlds upbuilding that Mr.
Pulitzer had, a man of rare ability
and force and who had been closely
associated with Mr. Pulitzer on The
Post-Dispatch and had imbibed a thor
ough knowledge of his methods, aims
and wishes. 1t has always been to RE
most regrettable incident in Mr.
PulitZer's career that he should have
some years afterward parted with Col
onel CockerilI over some personal diff
ferences but, which had it not been
for some malign outside influence
could have been adjusted
The incident, however, produced
the famous remark made by Mr.. Pu
liter when someone asked him how
he could get along without Colonel
CoCkerill; THE indispensable man
is not numerous"
But although Mr.. Pulitzer in this
unfortunate occurrence was blamed
by Colonel Cockerill's admirers and
friends and called unjust, he really
was a just man, aid have never
known him to wilfully act unjust de
spite the fact that, owing 10 his wide
range of activity and the constant i'm
I possibility of looking carefully into
all matters, and in his latter years
to his blindness, he may at times
have appeared to have acted so. He
was quick to decide and quick &c