The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-07-22
WHEN THE INTER OCEAN WENT UNDE
walter Hart in New York Telssraph)

walter Hart in New York Telearaph)
Recently | Witnessed a supreme
tragedy of the fourth estate. The In
ter Ocean, historic among Chicago
newspapers. passed To the realm Of
remembered things. IL was death. In
| every incident OF the dissolution was
the poisnancy of physical pain IL was
| more than the death of an individual.
Ii was the death of an institution. II
was the death of human hopes. of hui
man ambitions, Of human aspirations.
In some cases il was the close of prom
Using careers. Saddest Of all IL was
the death of dear associations. 1t was
the disintegration OF a fabric OF friend
ship interviewer through many change
ful years. II was n breaking of bonds.
parting OF paths, the scattering Of a
family To earth's far places. With a
few veterans it meant the end OF jour-
nalistic jOurneyings. the beginning of
strange trails. Whatever Of regret evil
denced, however was sentimental
rather than economic.
! have been lin at the death" of
number of newspapers-in fact, IL
seems difficult for any paper To survive
my connection with it-but none other
has so impressed me with the pathos OF
its passing. For. be il borne in mind.
the Inter ocean was not Of the jour
nalistic ephemera. II was OF the pio- |
neer brand. 1t was paper with his |
tory-that had made history. Founded |
in 1871, through forty-three years IL |
had survived the vicissitGdes OF vari- |
Gus changes OF management. And II |
was the sole remaining representative
OF those old days of dignified journal
ism whereof IL had been an unques-
toned eNemplar. II was the last land
mark of an eventful epoch i'm that won
derful west which has seen a magical
enterprise build an empire in a wilder
ness and rear metropolis above a
morass. In these splendid achieve
ments ii had been foremost factor:
nor was its power OF local limitation.
Tor ii welded "A nation wide influence
ana spoke with authority To men i'm
high places. Now in this day of it's
- wac a. mas iilll' flll
ike some ancient and stored castle,
rich in traditions, making place for a
modern villa.
Certain salient features of the clos
ng scene still stand forth, carved like
white canoes, against a mournful
memory: A snow-haired publisher,
broken but brave. bowed with the bur
len of fina!lty. Groups of comrades,
ubdued Of speech giving voice to
many things but leaving more unutter- :
ID. In Swallowed recesses were rifled
Iesks, lowered over by the ghost of
'erished hopes their emptiness in
ested with the wraiths of dead
reams. Everywhere brOoded the des-
air Of departure. Upon each visible ;
bJect deaths somber seal was set.
ma over ii all was spread like an i'm
alpable shroud the texture OF a
peechless desolation.
Observing the obsequies as a family
lourner, this chronicle OF necessity is
lost Intimately indited. II was an oc-
aston for an epic pen-to inspire an
xequial lliad-had an alien scribe
cen present. But none may dip a
uill into the deeps Of his own heart,
nd write the utmost utterance.
There was persent a working rem
ant of the old guard. who had not =
'ught service elsewhere i'm the days ="
impending DOOM impelied by some "
operative sentiment to remain for the !"
st sacrament. The nialt started with
ave banter, but as the hours wore on y
ich gallant jest was tinctured with
ars. There was here no Indifferent
ork, no neglect of any detail of duty.
lch man performed his parting task
it'll conscientious care, as if working /,
r a future instead Of a funeral. They
81 their jobs like gentlemen.
When the last page Of copy had been "
Mt up, one Of the boys suspended
ross the main entrance to the local
ON, huge placard blackly inscribed ~