The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-14
Nj. LAT.
fans Ownership,
Mr.. Mitchell's
Control and Will.
lam G. R eicks
A d v e ur-
chase by FrankA.
Munsey and Res.
toration of Asso-
ciated Press.

paper: he asked. The item was lost in
the shuttle that night. The next day
he rewrote II and again asked place
for il. 1t was printed in the first ed!-
ton and left out of the city edition.
For the third time he carried the
article to the city editor, and without
a sign Of anger.
1T seems to me-" he said, shat any
body can get anything printed in this
paper-except the owner"
A millionaire advertiser asked 1.afYan
to print an article about his De,
charity.
Take it to Clarke" said Laffan. 'Tt
he'll print II for you, he'll do more for
you than he'll do for me-"
A New York newspaper once re-
marked OF Laffan that "he never drove
any man 20 drink. but he drove many
a man To the dictionary" That was a
commentary on the unusual words
which Laffan, whose vocabulary was
wide. would occasionally use in an ed
torial article. His articles were never
involved, however They were not fire.
quent, they were generally short, never
without important purpose, and they
drove home.
Patient as Laffan was with lost
items OF his own. he was a man OF
fine human temper. One morning on
arriving at the office he found that n
Wall Street group of rich scoundrels
had sued THE Sun for several hundred
thousand dollars for it's exposure Of
their methods. He called the city ed
tor.
mfr. Mallon." he said tell your
young man who wrote the articles 10
go ahead and give these men better
cause for libel suits"
THE Sun was making vigorous war
on a great railroad magnate. One day
an attache of the Office informed La'-
fan that a man was waiting to see him
who bore contract which would
bring to THE SrN 100000 worth of
advertising from the masnate's rail-
roads.
Tell him to see the advertising
manager" said Laffan.
"He insists on seeing you" said the
clerk.
Tell him to go to hell" said Laffaa.
There was a keen humor in the big
Irish head. Laffan was opposed to the
amendment to the New York State
Constitution which provided for an
expenditure OF more than $4,000 900
in improving the Erie Canal. Under
his direction n Sun reporter, John II.
O'Brien. wrote a series of articles in
tended to shatter public faith in tho
huge investment. The amendment,
however, was approved by a great ma
jerity.
MIR. O'Bren," said Mr. Laffan t.
the reporter few days after the
election, Il think il would he a very
graceful thing on Your part to give
little dinner TO all those gentlemen
who voted against the canal prot
ect"
1.-THE sun" Under william c. Reflex
Upon Mr.. Laffan's death, IN No.
vember. 1909, the trustees OF The
Sun Printing ana Publishing Assoc
alton asked Mr.. Mitchell. who had
been made editor OF THE SUN by Mr..
Laffan, to take up the administrative
burden as we'll as the editorial. This
Mr.. Mitchell did for little more than
two years. although his personal IN.
clinations were toward the literar"
construction and supervision of the
paper rather than toward the bust
ness detail incident to the pres.iencv
of so large o corporation. The double
I load was lightcned in December. 1911,
when control OF THE SUN was gained
through stock purchase by William
{. Reick, who became the presiden'
Of the company, Mr.. Mitchell helre
permitted to return to the editor!al
functions which have now cncrossed
him. either ms Mr.. Danas aid or rs
editor in chief, for more than tor'y
years.
Mr.. Reick, who was born in Pa!ln-
delphia in 1864. entered newspaner
work in that city when he became
| nineteen years old, A few years later
he removed 10 Newark. y. L., when
he became the correspondents Of IRE
New York Herald. He attracted TIA
attention of Mr.. Bennett. the owner
| of the Herald, and in 1883 he was
made editor Of the HCrdhs london
and Paris editions. \ year later Re
returned to America 10 become c,tr
! editor OF the HCrUld, the highest '.le
| then given on a newspaper which re-
/ fused to have titulau muu1cn-
editor. In 1903 he was elected pros
/ dent OF the New York Herald COM
! pany, and he remained in thai posi-
ton until 1906, when he ln!t ="
! Herald to become associated with
f. Adolph Ochs in the publication ~ The
! New York Times and with George
| w. Ochs in the publication of tie
/ Philadelphia PubIic LCdgCr.
When Mr.. Reick assumed the rom
! trol of THE SIN properties he devoted
much care to the Improvement Of THE
! EVENING SU%, putting it undcr the
managing ed!torship Of GoorEs "
Smith who had served for many rca'S
! as news editor Of TIE SUN unlc~
! Chester s. Lord AS Mr.. Munsev sud
| when he acquired Tue SIN and TIE
| EVENIHG SrS from Mr.. Reick,
| Very great credit Il due Mr. Ec.''t 20
the fine DEVELOPMENT oF THE E'F>'Hi
! Sun since i; came under his Col'ra'
! know OF no man who has don" bette.
and sounder piece Of ucwspaper work q
! any time, in New York OF elsewhere,
than Mr. Re!ck has done Oh THE EVE
MING SUS.
Among the events OF tho Re!cN
| regime were the retirement OF Chester
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| Continued on Serfuth Fac.