The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-24
HISTORY BUILDERS.
When a Discharge Was No Misfortune.
Written Expressly for The Washington Herald.
by DIR. l.. }. EDWARDS.

The late Amos J. Cummings. who
was for some years managing editor
of the New York Sun under Charles
A. Dana and who afterward represent
ed one of the New York City districts
| in Congress for several terms, was
accustomed to say to his friends. 81
never was discharged from any en-
ployment without learning that in
stead of a misfortune my discharge
was of benefit to me. for l always Sc
cured something better than the posi-
ton from which l had been dis
charged"
Mr.. Cummings had several expe-
riences of that kind and in that re-
spect his experience differed from a
single one of which the late David
NJ Stone used sometimes to speak as
an early incident in his own career.
David NJ. Stone was a unique and
extraordinary product of the develop
ment of American journalism. He was
for many years the editor and pro-
prietor of 4 leading commercial and
financial daily newspaper. He was one
of the rare men who found excellent
recreation and unimpaired mental
stimulus in his vocation and for that
reason he never in mis- many years
of proprietorship and editorship took
a vacation.
Mr.. Stone was trained when n boy
in the Puritan idea of Sunday keep
ing. That began a. shutdown Satur-
day night and ended at shutdown on
Sunday. He never would permit any
work upon his paper after shutdown
on Saturday, but after shutdown on Sun
day his office was very busy.
He was "A warm friend of the late
Capt Frederick G. Wagner, who was
81, al
provost marshal of roe cry In cfvr'
war days. Capt. Wagner was fond OF
telling his friends If conversation
he once had with MIR. Stone. The
anecdote was told by Mr.. Stone III
substantially these words:
when l was lad | secured en-
ployment with "A publisher OF week
ly national paper in New York city
and was very glad to get Il start III Il
newspaper Office. My pay was small
but sufficient to keep me. The dItt
Guilty of it was that II wasn't reg
ularly paid. Sometimes | had to wait
two or three weeks for 1t. \ situa-
tion arose in that newspaper office
which I thought just:EeC me In 90
handing more pay and regular pay
and | intimated to rne proprietor that
If my demand was not met | wour-
leave the paper.
"TO my aStonlShment, ne took mr.
at my word. lie told me | might leave
on the instant. I did not think that
he would turn me loose SO quickly.
was in despair for nearly a week.
Then an idea occurred to me which
thought might make fairly good
article. | wrote the article and sub
mitted it to Gerald iIalleCk. who was
a brother of FitZ-'ireene HallcCk. the
poet. lie was the publisher of a iinan-
cial weekly. You can imagine my de
light when he not only accepted the
article. but gave me $50 for it. In
addition he asked mo to write an
other article. saying that If il proved
to be all right he might take me on
his paper
Il turned IN the article the next
day in fear and trembling until Mr..
Halleck told me that he wanted me
on the paper. ON that paper | have
been ever since. There my career has
been made. l suppose that if had
not been discharged by my first pro-
prietor | might have plodded along
with him for years
iCopyright i9l5 ny J. Edwards All rights re
su,dD
Tomorrow br. Edwards viii tell OF
"A College Frank That Stalled 4
Train.