Evening journal., 1913-11-04
NEW MEMS OF YESTERDAY
How Charles A. Dana'S
Judgment Was Confirmed
sy Holland.

Charles A. Dana, in his thirty years
control as editor and owner of the
New York Sun, was rarely mistaken
in his judgment respecting the value
OF what are called new features" Or
perhaps it would be more accurate to
say that while he may have erred In
declining certain proposed features,
he never erred in his acceptance of
features of that kind.
Mr.. Dana, however, had one eXper-
ience which greatly annoyed him, al
though it confirmed his judgment
respecting the value of certain news
feature. He was for a long time in
correspondence with the brilliant
but eccentric newspaper writer, the
late William Henry Hurlburt, over the
publication OF a news letter, say two
or three columns i'm length, written
by Mr.. Hurlburt and cabled from Lon
don, where at that time Mr.. Hurlburt
lived. for use In the Sunday edition Of
the Sun. Mr.. Dana had no illusions
respecting Mr.. Hurlburts peculiari-
ties, and yet he was always an admir-
or OF the work done by Mr.. Hurlburt,
as an editorial writer and the practi-
cal head of the New York World. He
frequently compared Mr.. Hurlburt
with the brilliant English writer and
journalist, Laurence Oliphant, and the
comparison was a favorable one.
The late John Swinton, who was
for some years Mr. Danas cOnfiden-
tial associate in the offices Of the New
York Sun, told me the story of Mr..
Dana's unfortunate experience with
the William Henry Hurlburt London
cable letter.
AT that time" said Mr.. Swinton,
"the use cf the cable for long general
news dispatches was infrequent Mr..
Dana did pay a cable toll of $1,000,
which the transmission by cable OF q
long poem by Swinburne cost. Aud I
have been told that with few eXcep-
tions that was the largest single cable
toll for press dispatches ever paid
by one newspaper,
"Mr. Dana wanted to get from
Hurlburt a brilliant weekly letter
cabled from London on Saturday SO
that it could be used in the Sunday
edition. He was willing to pay Hurl-
burt what at that time was an almost
fabulous price, but Hurlburts salary,
combined with the cable tolls, caused
Mr.. Dana to hesitate. The cost seem
ed TO be practically prohibitive.
81 suggested to him that he make
arrangements with the owner Of one
of the great Chicago newspapers to
take the Hurlburt letter and to share
the cost He jumped at my sugges-
ton, as did the Chicago editor.
There was, OF course a great deal
of preliminary advertising 80 that
public curiosity might be whetted
over the appearance of an entirely
new kind of London letter, written by
a very brilliant man and cabled from
London.
"The first letter arrived and Mr.
Dana was delighted with &C. Il was
Immediately put on the wires TO Chi
cago arriving there, / think. some
time between midnight and day
light Saturday morning, so that II
could easily be set in type on Sunday.
"rhe letter appeared in the Sun as
advertised and IN the brillialce of
its writing il fully justified al that
Mr.. Dana had predicted What was his
chagrin few hours later to receive a
dispatch from the Chicago editor an
nouncing that the whole thing was off
because another Chicago newspaper
had also published that morning the
Hurlburt letter. Il locke at first as
though there had been a betrayal by
some one i'm the office of the Chicago
newspaper, but on investigation il was
learned that the preliminary adver-
tisement had really wrecked the
whole enterprise. For the editor of q
rival Chicago newspaper instructed
his correspondent in New York 10
procure the first copy possible of the
Sunday Sun, cut out the Hurlburt let
ter and put it on the wires immediate
ly. The difference Of one hour be-
tween Chicago and New York time
made proceeding of that kind posi-
bic. Thus the other Chicago paper
was able to get the letter at nc cost
except the telegraph toll. Tho Chi
cage editor who had agreed to take
the Hurlburt letter was so greatly an
noyed that one of his rivals should
have succeeded in publishing the let
ter that he decided impulsively to can
Gel the contract.
"The public never knew why the
Hurlburt letter was published only
once. after so much adoo was made
about IT, Many persons attributed the
failure to continue the letter TO some
Of the eccentricities of the editor, bui
! have told you the real story"
Copyright. 1913, Il. j. Edwards All
rights reseryed.l