Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 February 1884 — DANA, REID, AND APPLETON. [ARTICLE]

DANA, REID, AND APPLETON.

rta* Three-Corn* red Quarrel Between The*. New Yorkers. Whitelaw Reid and Charles A. Dana, after having despised and derided each other for ten years, have “made up,” and are now as thick as two philanthropists. I know of no more touching soene than to behold these two great journalists saints each other on meeting any time during the last six months. All the suppressed energy accumulated during a decade of non-intercourse seems to increase the grin of their embrace. But the kindred quarrel of the Tribune and the Appletons is not made up by any means; and I know of no reason why the true story of that quarrel, which is by no means a petty one as it stands, should not now be told. Very welL Imprimis, Reid, and Dana were sworn enemies—or, at any rate, Dana was. After being removed from the managing editorship of the Tribune because he had clamored “Forward to Richmond,” he nursed his wrath toward that paper and everybody connected with it. He regarded his suceessar, Sidney Howard Gay, with a mild contempt; Mr. Gay’s successor, Young, he did his best to cover with odium, Mr. Greeley he hated royally; and when the comparatively unknown Mr. Reid came from Cincinnati and assumed his old desk, Mr. Dana lost his head entirely, and alluded to him habitually as the Young Man of the Tall Tower, and the Young Man of the Powerful Miud, and Jay Gould’s Young Editor. Reid retaliated with silence. He directed that neither Sun nor Mr. Dana should ever be mentioned in the Tribune. Indeed, he went further. He directed that no interest of Mr. Dana should be mentioned.

Now, as long before as 1857, in the very midst of the panic, in which most all publishers, even Harper & Brothers, went under, Appleton & Co. began the American cyclopedia, and of that great work Ripley and Dana of the; Tribune were made editors. As they could not properly review a work of which they were editors, Mr. Greeley was in the habit of reviewing each volume as it appeared, over his own initials. When he died Mr. Wm. H. Appleton saw Mr. Reid, and it was arranged that he should continue to do the Bame over his initials. The work was then being revised. Three or four volumes came out, and they received no notiee in the Tribune. Mr. Appleton sent inquiries. “Will attend to it shortly,” wrote Mr. Reid. Still months passed and more volumes appeared. No notice. More promises. More volumes. Then an interview brought out the fact that Mr. Reid would not notice a work one of whose editors was calling him a “Young Man of a Powerful Mind.” He scorned the allegation aud defied the alligator. Having an option he decided not to eat that sort of crow. He would not sully the columns of the daily, but he would publish in the semi-weekly Tribune as many extracts from other papers commending the work as the publishers wished. “Very well,” said their agent, “that will satisfy us. ” So column after column of extracts appeared in the semi.

When William H. Appleton got home he was mad—in the excellent American sense of that word—long may it be retained ! He said that wasn’t the bargain. He wouldn’t stand it. Dana as journalist had nothing to do with Dana as cyclopedist. So he hotly sent to the Tribune a bill for $125 ior the cyclopedia. To pay the bill Mr. Reid sent a counter-bill of $513 for advertising in the same. With this offset bill Mr. Reid sent notice that no book of the Appletons should ever be noticed in the Tribune, and that their advertisemnts would no longer be received. This rule was carried out. 'No mention of Appleton & Co. has ever been made in the book notices of the Tribune. Their numerous and valuable works have been for ten years entirely ignored, and the readers of the literary columns of the Tribune are entirely ignorant of the issues of the largest publishing house in the country. Unless they have learned it elsewhere they do not even know that the new edition of the “American Cyclopedia” has ever been printed. Meantime, the letter “R” was reached in due course, and the Appletons and other editors of the work wanted Reid’s name inserted because place was given to other names of the same class. Mr. Dana peremptorily vetoed it. When Mr. Reid was in Europe two years ago Appleton & Co. began to advertise some scientific books in the Tribune. The absentee saw it and cabled to the counting-room to collect the bills when the advertisements were presented, instead of monthly or quarterly, as to others. Appleton & Co. wouldn’t stand that, and withdrew again. That was the last attempt at Eeace-making up to date.—New Fork •■tier.