Evening journal., 1915-03-24
New News Of Yesterday
When a Discharge Was
No Misfortune
By Holland.

The late Amos j. Cummings. who
was for some years managing editor
of the New York Sun under Charles
A. Dana and who afterward repre-
sented one Of the New York City
districts in Congress for several
terms, was accustomed to say to his
friends, Il never was discharged from
any employment without learning that
instead OF a misfortune my discharge
was of benefit TO me, for / always
secured something better than the po-
sition from which l had been dis
charged"
Mr.. Cummings had several exper-
fences 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
Tor many years the editor and pro-
prietor of a leading commercial and
financial daily newspaper. He was one
or the rare men who found excellent
recreation and unimpaired mental
stimulus in his vocation and for that
reason he never in his many years of
proprietorshiD and editorship took a
vacation.
Mr.. Stone was trained when a boy
in the Puritan idea OF Sunday keep
ing. That began at sundown Satu-
day night and ended at sundown on
Sunday. He never would permit any
work upon his paper after sundowr
on Saturday, but after sundown OF
Sunday his Office was very busy.
He was a warm friend OF the late
Capt. Frederick c. Wagner, who wal
a prominent citizen of New York an,
provost marshal OF the city in civi
war days. Capt. Wagner was fond o
, telling his friends of a conversation
he once had with Mr.. Stone. TIL
anecdOte was told by Mr. Stone il
substantially these words:
when ] was a lad I secured EN-
ployment with a publisher OF a week
ly national paper in New York Cit
and was very glad to get a start in
newspaper office. My pay was small
but sufficient to keep me. The diff
Guilty of it was that it wasn't reg
ularly paid. Sometimes | had to wal
two or three weeks for it. A situa
tion arose in that newspaper Offic
- which I thought justified me in dc
manding more pay and regular pa
f and intimated to the proprietor tina
e if my demand was not met | woul
I leave the paper.
ITO my astonishment. he took m
at my word. He told me | migf
n leave on the instant. I did not thin
that he would turn me loose s
, quickly. | was in despair for nearl
- a week Then an idea occurred
me which / thought might make
fairly good article. l wrote the art
Gle and submitted it TO Gerald Ha
'' leck, who was a brother of Filtered
l. Halleck. the poet He was the pu
). Usher of a financial weekly. You ca
d imagine my delight when he not on
i accepted the article. bus gave me s.
for il. In addition he asked me
. write another article, saying that
G. il proved TO be all right he mig
+ take me on his paper.
q ''I turned in the article the ne
4 day in fear and trembling until NJ
Halleck told me that he wanted II
4 on the paper. On that paper I ha'
has been made. 7 suppose that il
h had not been discharged by my fir
s proprietor | might have plodded alor
j with him for years"
/ Copyright, 1915. by +. J. Edward
r. All rights reservcdl
- Tomorrow Or. Edwards will tell
n "A College Prank That Stalled
j. Train"