my memories of eighty years-第62节

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Among　the　thousands　who　greeted　me　on　the　streets　and　in　the　hotel　lobbies　with　congratulations　and　efforts　to　say　something　agreeable　and　complimentary；　I　selected　one　compliment　as　unique。　He　was　an　enthusiast。　　〃Chauncey　Depew；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　for　over　twenty　years　wanted　to　shake　hands　with　you。　　Your　speech　was　a　wonder。　　I　was　half　a　mile　off；　way　up　under　the　roof；　and　heard　every　word　of　it；　and　it　was　the　only　one　I　was　able　to　hear。　That　you　should　do　this　in　your　eighty…seventh　year　is　a　miracle。　But　then　my　father　was　a　miracle。　　On　his　eighty…fifth　birthday　he　was　in　just　as　good　shape　as　you　are　to…day；　and　a　week　afterwards　he　was　dead。〃



XXII。　　JOURNALISTS　AND　FINANCIERS

In　reminiscences　of　my　journalistic　friends　I　do　not　include　many　of　the　most　valued　who　are　still　living。　　Of　those　who　have　passed　away　one　of　the　most　faithful　and　devoted　was　Edward　H。　Butler；　editor　and　proprietor　of　the　Buffalo　Evening　News。

Mr。　Butler　began　at　the　bottom　as　a　newspaper　man　and　very　early　and　rapidly　climbed　to　the　top。　　He　secured　control　of　the　Evening　News　and　soon　made　one　of　the　most；　if　not　the　most；　widely　circulated；　influential；　and　prosperous　papers　of　western　New　York。　　Personally　and　through　his　paper　he　was　for　many　years　my　devoted　friend。　　To　those　he　loved　he　had　an　unbounded　fidelity　and　generosity。　　He　possessed　keen　insight　and　kept　thoroughly　abreast　of　public　affairs　was　a　journalist　of　high　order。

It　was　my　privilege　to　know　Charles　A。　Dana　very　well。　　I　first　met　him　when　he　was　on　the　New　York　Tribune　and　closely　allied　with　Horace　Greeley。　　He　made　the　New　York　Sun　one　of　the　brightest；　most　original；　and　most　quoted　newspapers　in　the　United　States。　His　high　culture；　wonderful　command　of　English；　and　refined　taste　gave　to　the　Sun　a　high　literary　position；　and　at　the　same　time　his　audacity　and　criticism　made　him　a　terror　to　those　with　whom　he　differed；　and　his　editorials　the　delight　of　a　reader。

Personally　Mr。　Dana　was　one　of　the　most　attractive　and　charming　of　men。　　As　assistant　secretary　of　war　during　Lincoln's　administration　he　came　in　intimate　contact　with　all　the　public　men　of　that　period；　and　as　a　journalist　his　study　was　invaded　and　he　received　most　graciously　men　and　women　famous　in　every　department　of　intellectual　activity。　　His　reminiscences　were　wonderful　and　his　characterizations　remarkable。　　He　might　have　published　an　autobiography　of　rare　value　and　interest。

When　the　elder　James　Gordon　Bennett　died　the　newspaper　world　recognized　the　loss　of　one　of　the　most　remarkable　and　successful　of　journalists　and　publishers。　　His　son　had　won　reputation　in　the　field　of　sport；　but　his　contemporaries　doubted　his　ability　to　maintain；　much　less　increase；　the　sphere　of　the　New　York　Herald。　But　young　Bennett　soon　displayed　rare　originality　and　enterprise。　He　made　his　newspaper　one　of　national　and　international　importance。　By　bringing　out　an　edition　in　Paris　he　conferred　a　boon　upon　Americans　abroad。　　For　many　years　there　was　little　news　from　the　United　States　in　foreign　newspapers；　but　Americans　crazy　for　news　from　home　found　it　in　the　Paris　edition　of　the　New　York　Herald。

Mr。　Bennett　was　a　good　friend　of　mine　for　half　a　century。　　He　was　delightful　company；　with　his　grasp　of　world　affairs　and　picturesque　presentation　of　them。　　A　President　of　the　United　States　who　wished　to　change　the　hostile　attitude　of　the　Herald　towards　his　administration　and　himself　asked　me　to　interview　Mr。　Bennett。　The　editor　was　courteous；　frank；　but　implacable。　　But　some　time　afterwards　the　Herald　became　a　cordial　supporter　of　the　president。　The　interview　and　its　subsequent　result　displayed　a　characteristic　of　Bennett。　　He　would　not　recognize　that　his　judgment　or　action　could　be　influenced；　but　his　mind　was　so　open　and　fair　that　when　convinced　that　he　was　wrong　he　would　in　his　own　way　and　at　his　own　time　do　the　right　thing。

Mr。　Bennett　did　me　once　an　essential　service。　　It　was　at　the　time　when　I　was　a　candidate　for　re…election　to　the　United　States　Senate。　I　cabled　him　in　Paris　and　asked　that　he　would　look　into　the　situation　through　his　confidential　friends；　reporters；　and　employees；　and　if　he　found　the　situation　warranted　his　taking　a　position　to　do　so。　Of　course　the　Herald　was　an　independent　and　not　a　party　journal　and　rarely　took　sides。　　But　not　long　afterwards；　editorially　and　reportorially；　the　emphatic　endorsement　of　the　Herald　came；　and　positive　prediction　of　success；　and　were　of　great　help。　　He　was　one　of　my　groomsmen　at　my　wedding　in　1901。

Among　the　thousands　of　stories　which　appear　and　disappear　like　butterflies；　it　is　a　curious　question　what　vogue　and　circulation　one　can　have　over　others。　　By　an　accident　I　broke　one　of　the　tendons　of　my　heel　and　was　laid　up　in　my　house　for　some　time；　unable　to　walk。　　The　surgeon　fixed　the　bandage　in　place　by　a　liquid　cement　which　soon　solidified　like　glass。

Julian　Ralph；　a　brilliant　young　newspaper　reporter；　wrote　a　long　story　in　the　New　York　Sun　about　a　wonderful　glass　leg；　which　had　been　substituted　for　the　natural　one　and　did　better　work。　　The　story　had　universal　publication　not　only　in　the　United　States　but　abroad；　and　interested　scientists　and　surgeons。　　My　mail　grew　to　enormous　proportions　with　letters　from　eager　inquirers　wanting　to　know　all　the　particulars。　　The　multitude　of　unfortunates　who　had　lost　their　legs　or　were　dissatisfied　with　artificial　ones　wrote　to　me　to　find　out　where　these　wonderful　glass　legs　could　be　obtained。

The　glass…leg　story　nearly　killed　me；　but　it　gave　Ralph　such　a　reputation　that　he　was　advanced　to　positions　both　at　home　and　abroad；　where　his　literary　genius　and　imagination　won　him　many　honors；　but　he　never　repeated　his　success　with　my　glass　leg。

I　suppose；　having　been　more　than　half　a　century　in　close　contact　with　matters　of　interest　to　the　public；　or　officially　in　positions　where　I　was　a　party　to　corporate　activities　or　movements　which　might　affect　the　market；　I　have　been　more　interviewed　than　any　one　living　and　seen　more　reporters。　　No　reporter　has　ever　abused　the　confidence　I　reposed　in　him。　　He　always　appreciated　what　I　told　him；　even　to　the　verge　of　indiscretion；　and　knew　what　was　proper　for　him　to　reveal　and　what　was　not　for　publication。　　In　the　critical　situations　which　often　occurred　in　railway　controversies；　this　cordial　relationship　with　reporters　was　of　great　value　in　getting　our　side　before　the　public。

One　reporter　especially；　a　space　writer；　managed　for　a　long　time　to　get　from　me　one…half　to　a　column　nearly　every　day；　sometimes　appearing　as　interviews　and　at　other　times　under　the　general　phrase：　　〃It　has　been　learned　from　a　reliable　source。〃

I　recall　a　personal　incident　out　of　the　ordinary。　　I　was　awakened　one　stormy　winter　night　by　a　reporter　who　was　well　known　to　me；　a　young　man　of　unusual　promise。　　I　met　him　in　dressing　gown　and　slippers　in　my　library。　　There　he　told　me　that　his　wife　was　ill；　and　to　save　her　life　the　doctor　informed　him　that　he　must　send　her　West　to　a　sanitarium。

〃I　have　no　money；〃　he　continued；　〃and　will　not　borrow　nor　beg；　but　you　must　give　me　a　story　I　can　sell。〃

We　discussed　various　matters　which　a　paper　would　like　to　have；　and　finally　I　gave　him　a　veiled　but　still　intelligible　story；　which　we　both　knew　the　papers　were　anxious　to　get。　　He　told　me　afterwards　that　he　sold　the　interview　for　enough　to　meet　his　present　needs　and　his　wife's　journey。　　Some　time　after　he　entered　Wall　Street　and　made　a　success。



I　have　known　well　nearly　all　the　phenomenally　successful　business　men　of　my　time。　　It　is　a　popular　idea　that　luck　or　chance　had　much　to　do　with　their　careers。　　This　is　a　mistake。　　All　of　them　had　vision　not　possessed　by　their　fellows。　　They　could　see　opportunities　where　others　took　the　opposite　view；　and　they　had　the　courage　of　their　convictions。　　They　had　standards　of　their　own　which　they　lived　up　to；　and　these　standards　differed　widely　from　the　ethical　ideas　of　the　majority。

Russell　Sage；　who　died　in　the　eighties；　had　to　his　credit　an　estate　which　amounted　to　a　million　dollars　for　every　year　of　his　life。　He　was　not　always　a　money…maker；　but　he　was　educated　in　the　art　as　a　banker；　was　diverted　into　politics；　elected　to　Congress；　and　became　a　very　useful　member　of　that　body。　　When　politics　changed　and　he　was　defeated；　he　came　to　New　York　and　speedily　found　his　place　among　the　survival　of　the　fittest。　　Mr。　Sage　could　see　before　others　when　bad　times　would　be　followed　by　better　ones　and　securities　rise　in　value；　and　he　also　saw　before　others　when　disasters　would　follow　prosperity。　　Relying　upon　his　own　judgment；　he　became　a　winner；　whether　the　market　went　up　or　down。

I　met　Mr。　Sage　frequently　and　enjoyed　his　quick　and　keen　appreciation　of　men　and　things。　　Of　course；　I　knew　that　he　cultivated　me　because　he　thought　that　from　my　official　position　he　might　possibly　gain　information　which　he　could　use　in　the　market。　　I　never　received　any　points　frorn　him；　or　acted　upon　any　of　his　suggestions。　　I　think　the　reason　why　I　am　in　excellent　health　and　vigor　in　my　eighty…eighth　year　is　largely　due　to　the　fact　that　the　points　or　suggestions　of　great　financiers　never　interested　me。　　I　have　known　thousands　who　were　ruined　by　them。　　The　financier　who　gives　advice　may　mean　well　as　to