Stead the Journalist.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 81, 17 December 1887, Page 4

Stead the Journalist.

A aemi-autobiographical sketch Mr Stead recently contributed to a religious weekly, shows that despite much prejudice and arrogance, the apostle of the “ new journalism ” is a man of no common kidney. His childhood seems to have been dull and inexpressive. .Mr Stead, sen., a Nonconformist minister of narrow views, talked texts and dieted his son on Sunday-' school literature. The result was that when in his twelfth year the boy came across a copy of the “ Lay of the Last MinstreF' it almost turned hie head. For a long time he would read nothing else. It was impossible, be thought, that any other poem could equal that. Later, hewever, he dipped into '• Mannion, and was reassured. The Stead’s were too strict to be theatre-goers, indeed the editor of the “ Pall Mall" has never to this day witnessed a stage play. He had consequently reached the age of 18 before Shakespeare opened a new world to him. Dicks at that time happened to be publishing the bard in penny weekly numbers. Stead subscribed, devouring two plays every Saturday evening. He says they enormously widened the horizon of his life, and added new and vivid colour to existence. It was, however, a little poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes that first set to work the springs that hare made the editor of the “ Pall Mall ” such a power both for good and evil. He says, "It is a short poem only eleven verses, called " Extreme Unction ” but it made a deeper dent on my life than any other printed matter I ever read before or since. Under the stimulus of these ideas he ceased to dream, and devoted himself to night-school work, teaching, and other methods of directly serving the poor and ignorant. His introduction to newspapers was due entirely to a desire to establish charity organization societies in the North of England. In agitating the subject young Stead found newspaper help indispensible. He first wrote letters to the editor, and then volunteered editorials on the subject. This led quite unexpectedly to the offer of the editorship of the Northern Echo. How Stead succeeded as a journalist we know. His articles in the Echo attracted the attention first of Mr Gladstone and then of Mr John Morley. The latter offered him the sub-editorship of the P.M.G., and subsequently recommended him to the proprietor as his successor. The gaper was on the down track when tead assumed the reins. It soon picked up again, however, and is now in all probability the most influential newspaper in the three kingdoms. Stead’s tremendous energy and obstinate self-assurance make him most mischievous occasionally. When determined on carrying a point he is utterly unscrupulous. The Lipski fiaeco was an instance of this, ana so, of course, wss the famous Armstrong case. Most men would never have got over the latter. As a journalist, pure and simple, the editor of the Pall Mall Gazette is at the top of his profession, for he understands the public, and what the public want perfectly. His ambition is to have control of a great morning paper, and to conduct it on the lines of the “newjournalism.” At one time, it was thought the Daily News would be delivered over to him.