Evening star., 1925-01-26
JOHN c. EASTMAN,
PUBLISHER, DIES
Editor-0Wner of Chicago
Journal Is Victim of
ApopIexy Attack.
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, January 2s.-John C,
Eastman. owner. editor and publish
er of the Chicago Daily Journal, died
yesterday of apoplexy at a hospital
where he had been taken Saturday
night after collapsing at his home
Mr.. Eastman, who was SO years old
mad been advised several months ago
to reduce his work, and planned soon
to take a rest.
Funeral services will be held to-
morrow afternoon. The body will be
cremated and burial will be at West
Alexandria, Ohio, Mr.. Eastman's boy
hood home. He left a request that
his body should not be viewed by
mis- friends and should be placed in q
simple, inexpensive casket
After the death of his father, a
captain in the Union Army, at the
battle of Kenesaw Mountain, Mr.
Eastmsn's family moved from Eaton,
Ohio, his birthplace, to West Alex
andria. There he began his news
paper career by writing small items
for his home town paper
Later he studied civil engineerine
at Ohio State University and worked
as reporter on the Ohio State Jour
nal, and then was editor of the Wa
bash, Ind, Times.
Coming to Chicago in 1890 as a re-
porter for the Herald, Mr. Eastman
directed the Herald's bureau at the
worlds Fair. When John r. Walsh
established the Chronicle here, Mr
Eastman became its business man
ager. Later he was advertising man
ager for the New York Journal, but
returned to Chicago to found the
Chicago American in 1900 and be it's
president.
He purchased the Chicago Journal
a few years later.
Resources Slender.
When Mr.. Eastman learned in 1904
that the Booth family of Detroit de-
sired to sell the Journal, his resources
were slender. In his reportorial days
he had won the friendship of Com
modor Morton Plant, rail and financial
magnate, who had once told him to
call on him II he ever needed assistance
When Eastman advised Plant of his
ambition, the latter wrote out a check
for the amount necessary to complete
the Journal deal. Commodore Plant
refused to receive security or Eastman
note. Mr.. Eastman later forwarded d
security to Mr.. Plants business
manager and paid back the loan as
he could.
HIS hrst real editorship was OF
wabash, Ind, Times, where local
Democrats persuaded him to take
charge. There was another editor in
town who had been represented as
saying any other editor either would
be chased out of town or shot, and
he was said to have a reputation
as markSman.
Eastman bought revolver and
ammunition and hired the other edi-
tors friend, livery man, to drive
him into the country where he ex-
hibfted his skill as q marksman.
The two newspaper offices backed
on canal and one day Eastman
heard his opponent blazing away al
rats on the shore. He went out and
applauded his competitors perform
ance and then tossed an apple into
the canal and split it open with one
shot, his friends say.
Both editors lived to tell the tale
although the other was the first "a
leave town for greener fields.
Ihe journal appeared TODAY IT'S
column rules turned into mourning
and containing messages of reere,
from William Jennings Bryan, for
mer Vice President Thomas r. Mar.
snail, Senators Mckinley of Illinois
and Ralston OF Indiana, and many
others.
Mr.. Eastman was a descendant OF
John Alden and Priscilla Mullins.