The Washington herald., 1914-05-04
HISTORY BUILDERS.
A Great Editors First Experience in
Newspaper Work.
written expressly for The HeraId.)
By DIR. L. J. EDWARDS.

by DIR. Il. y. EDWARDS.
/ In the year 1885 Charles A. Dana wa,
urgently invited to visit Boston as q
guest of those who were to celebrate the
completion of a public building. There
was great satisfaction in Boston when
MIR. Dana responded cordially 10 the in
vitation. He had not been In that city
in some years. and he wondered whether
! he should discover at the time of his
visit any Of the landmarks which were
familiar to him when. in his early man.
hood. he lived in Boston. He knew. OF
course. that the old South Church re-
manned. and there was no doubt about his
instant Identification OF the statehouse.
But much of the growth of the city to-
ward the west had been made since his
departure from New England.
When ii was known that Mr.. Dana was
anxious to look at Boston as a spectator
who had long been away committee
was appointed consisting Of two or three
men who were familiar with every part
OF the city and with the story Of the new
buildings as well as the traditions of the
past. to accompany him in an open car
riage.
Mr. Dana was delighted. lie looked to
the right hand and to the left. He asked
TO he taken on long walks. He pointed
out many buildings with which ne had
FTFU IhUllildI III MS carry NaN - anu AS
told some Interesting anecdotes respect
ing some Of them. He seemed to care
less about the new part OF Boston. the
Back BAY region. than he did about the
old part. with which years before he han
been familiar. At last one Of his hosts
said to him:
Why. Mr. Dana. you seem TO be very
familiar with Boston. You know quite
as much about the old part Of the city
Il
which We did not know. You could not
have known more II you lived here
Il did live here for time a year or
two after my course at Harvard was
ended" said Mr.. Dana. Il began my
career here. | was graduated from Bos-
ton into a larger field"
He smiled as he said this. keenly ap-
preciatng the interest and something like
establishment with which his hosts heard
this statement.
One Of them ventUred to say TO him
You have said that you began your
areer here Did you mean your expert
enCe at Brook Farm. for / have heard
that you were a member Of that COM
munity for time
oh no said Hr. Dana. Il don't re-
fer to Brook Farm. That wasn't a
career. That was an experience. What
| do refer to is the fact that / began
my newspaper experience here &c
When he said this he looked inquiringIy
a. his hosts as though awaiting the in
evitable question. What newspaper were
you connected with
One OF his hosts did ask the question
and Mr. Dana. with merry twinkle in
his eye. said 1T was a newspaper Of
which ] presume none Of you ever heard.
I was employed by that newspaper at
the then very comfortable salary OF s.
a week. Horace Greeley in some way
heard of ME and Of my association with
that paper and he offered M SO week
10 go tu the New York Tribune 7 &C
cept"d without hesitation. So You see
that 1t Was here that my newspaper life
b, gan.
But what was the name OF the paper
Mr.. Dana. Was It any one Of the present
Boston newspapers"
No. ii gave up the ghost many wears
ago. I suppose IL has been completely
forgotten. II was called The Chrome
type.
You don't SAY 50 exclaimed one Of
the hosts That paper Is certainly IA
milar TO me. for nv father was AT one
tim" the publisher OF it
Your father was the publisher?
when Mr.. Dana asked.
After a moments contemplation the
gentleman recalled the time when his
father WAS the publisher Of The Chrome
type
That was the very time | was en-
pl0y"d on that paper. said Mr.. Dana.
lie reached out both hands and shook
cordially the hand Of the son Of the man
who had tirS' employed HIM in newspaper
work. and thus began friendship which
was continued a. long ~ MIR. Dana lived.
,Corr1grr .sri r, Dr. =. Edwards Al nights