Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-12-23
Marse Henry's
Golden Wedding
II. Merriam Allen
In the Boston Transcript.

" man, I8ayJ a
young one9 The Sage Of Chelsea" was aged long
before he had reached the halfway to his eighty
sixth milestone, while Hunt kept young ali his
seventy~five years
stu thinks young. he still readily writes
In and beautiful English editorials eithe;
yitrolic or reflecting poetic nature, for tempera
mentally he is elasticity personifed. He knows how
TO enjoy a glass OF good rye ripe burgundy. he
knows how TO play poker land then some) and few
better love a Joke. Only the other day. when told
the French and English fleets had failed to force the
pArdenelles, he said, in his quaint could have
foretold that; n pair Of kings never beat
straight"
heat IL life. then the Colonel ought TO live to
the of hundreds. for he radIates heat wherever
he Eoes-and good dry heat. too In the Courier
Journal building the composing room is on the ground
floor Just back Of the counting room, where Henry
has his desk. and swinging door the two.
One OF his foibles is always hand his copy TO the
foreman and another Is never to have this archi-
tectural arrangement OF doubtful utility disturbed so
regularly every week. he dashes huredly against the
door Just the foreman does the same thing from
the other side. There mutual determinations and
ob1urgations. and wAtterson goes back TO his desk
charged with that electrclty-reminiscent Andrew
jackson and John Randolp of Roanoke-which has
produced at various times, gems which everybody has
chuckled over
How well remembered are 'the he-Eoats OF high
finance. the gray wolves OF the Senate" the lean
wolves OF plutocracy." and the hills of Yubadam
And close the heels OF these in affetionate memory
one recalls the popular "stareyed goddess reform"
tariff for revenue only" which became the slogan
Of the Democratic party nearly three decades ago and
a certain attack New York society women a few
years back when he called them "a flock of unceau
oirds." TRADE which echoed from New York across
to London and Paris.
Probably Marse Henry owes his fascinating force-
ful personality much anything else to the fact
that all his life he has been fortunate enouah TO be
able to earn his living in the field he loves best
Journalism. At eighteen he began his Newspaper
career in Washington, and when the war broke out
was employed by paper in Tennessee. Impuisive as
he always has been. he rushed into the Confederate
Army, although his father an intense Union man
ana he himself hated slavery Army life. however
did not appeal to young watterson after years
service ne resigned TO return to his first love- and 10
started Tho Rebel" of the most nearly unique
newspapers In the history of the craft. II was a
peripateto Institution. having covered army wagon
for editorial sanctum and composing room this
office moving about with the Confederate forces as
the Federal armies within range
One time. It IA said the youthful soidiereditor had
made up forms containing. as chiet news, claim
great FEDERAL defeat and vehement two-cournn
editorial breathing defance the UniAn and eternal
fidelity 20 the Confederacy. Unhappiy the enemy an
proaohed so quickly that there was no time to load
them on the wagon and the Federas captured them
Being short Of ammunition. the artillery men loading
the type Into fired at the retreatnR editorial
estaolshment-the first and only instance on record
where the characteristic watterson brand OF philippines
has ever been loaded and By any gunner save by
himself. -
Another time he had In his wagon forms containing
nroanside asninst the Union whom the mules whose
political opinions had been tempered with took fright
and ran pell-mell into the Union camp
It's an Interesting coincidence that serving on the
Southern side. as he did. OF his admirers should
later have seen fit to compare him with one of the
greatest OF Northern generals saying: n the whole
he might be called the Sheridan Of Journalism, s
romantic master OF his craft Sheridan was OF hs
Though. after all, forgets that watterson ever
COufederata ARMY xrha "a.
the reconstructed Union and the memory of Lincoln
remembered
He alone survives Of that great group OF knights
OF the Quill growing out OF those old times en-
oracing such giant names Horace Greeley Charles
A! Dana Henry j. Raymond the elder James Gordon
Bennett Murat HaIsted and Manton Marble men who
not only made American Journalism but who created
II representative OF constitutional government ana
clean political methods.
This is what wattersOn stands for today In his
own inimitanie way he gives forth creed which
ought never to grow old In newspaperdom:
THE newspaper is not a commodity 20 be sold ove.
the counter like dry goods and groceries. II should
be, as it were. keeper OF the public conscience
we have heard deal OF late years about personsl
and impersonal journalism. In the press OF America
We must needs have an abundance OF personaI
journalism Il is an appendage to condition as
well as an offering TO our character II
There Is impersonal Journalism In ENGLAND he.
cause the English press is conducted by scholarly
dummies
me paper that cannot live except on favor and
charity ought 20 die
People do not advertise with IN because they Low.
us. They insert advertisement IN a newspaner a.
they hang sign IN the street
THE axiom OF newspaper success is news
THE cub IN the city department who does M, oor
slider dog nght thing OF beauty ana a Joy forever
may not be In danger Of the Judgment but he is IN
constant danger OF discharge. In no other yyav car
he set his perspective adjusted From the conflicts
Of CANNES to the quarreis OF kihes from hen 20
breakfast and back again through system OF rae,I,
lar seometrc progression he arrives at the hang Of
it, beginning at 'sooppy TO end as managing editor
now. eonsretuauons. Marse Henry. May you be
with those who love you-and tbev ara Iss4oy- -,
many nnnihar annlNarsarr -