ling agent for a magazine, and then wrote stories for the "Daily Commercial." He also founded a magazine called "The Casket," but it lived only nine months. In 1850 Mr. Bennett moved to Philadelphia. His writings include about forty romances and many hundred sketches of American frontier life, which have appeared in the New York "Ledger," the Philadelphia "Evening Post," and other papers. In 1860 he established the "Dollar Monthly," which was a failure. Among his novels are "Viola" and "Waldo Warren" (Philadelphia, 1852); "Clara Moreland" (1853); and " The Artist's Bride " (New York, 1857). His most popular books have been "Prairie Flower " and "Leni Leoti," which have had a circulation of 100,000 copies. A uniform edition of his novels was recently begun, but only three volumes have been published, "The Outlaw's Daughter" and "Villetta Lindon" (Philadelphia, 1873), and "The Phantom of the Forest" (1874).
BENNETT, James Gordon, journalist, b. in
New Mill, near Keith, Scotland', 1 Sept., 1795; d. in New York city, 1 June, 1872. His parents were Roman Catholics of French descent, and
when he was fourteen years old he was sent
to Aberdeen to study for the priesthood; but,
convinced that he had mistaken his vocation, he
determined to emigrate, and in April, 1819, he
landed at Halifax, N. S., where he attempted to
earn a living by teaching book-keeping. Failing
in that, he made his way to Boston, where he
found employment as a proof-reader. About 1822
he went to New York, and contributed to the
newspapers, then became assistant in the office of
the Charleston " Courier," and in 1824 returned to
New York and attempted to establish a commercial
school, and then to lecture on political economy,
but was unsuccessful, and again turned to the
newspapers, becoming a reporter, paragraphist,
and contributor of poetry and all kinds of articles.
In 1825 he bought on credit the "Sunday Courier,"
but soon gave it up. The next year he became connected with the " National Advocate," but left it because of its advocacy of the election of John Q.
Adams, and became associate editor on Noah's "Enquirer." About this time he joined the Tammany society. In 1828 he went to Washington as
correspondent for the "Enquirer," and sent a series
of lively personal letters that were widely copied.
At his suggestion the "Enquirer " was consolidated
with another paper, becoming the "Courier and
Enquirer," which, with James Watson Webb for
editor and Bennett as his assistant, became the
leading American newspaper. When it deserted
Jackson for Nicholas Biddle, Bennett left it, and
started a cheap party paper that existed only
thirty days, and then a Jackson organ in Philadelphia called the "Pennsylvanian." He appealed
to the party to sustain this paper, and, being
refused, returned to New York, and, determined
to trust no more to politicians, on 6 May, 1835,
issued the first number of the "Herald," a small
four-page sheet, sold for a cent a copy. Two young
printers, Anderson and Smith, agreed to print it,
and share the profits and losses with the editor.
Bennett wrote the entire newspaper, making up
for the lack of news by sensational opinions, fictitious intelligence, and reckless personal attacks.
The paper became popular, although it offended
all parties and all creeds. On 13 June, 1835, he
introduced a money-article, then a novel feature in
American journalism. The next month the printing-office was burned, and Smith and Anderson
abandoned the enterprise ; but on 31 Aug. Bennett
revived the paper, of which he was thenceforth
sole proprietor. The great fire of 16 Dec, 1835,
was reported with the fulness of incident and
detail that has since become characteristic of
American newspaper reports. In 1838 he engaged
European journalists as regular correspondents,
and extended the system to the principal American cities. He systematically employed newsboys
to distribute his paper. The personal encounters
in which he became involved through his lampoons
were described in the same lively and picturesque
style. In 1841 the income of the paper was at least
$100,000. In 1846 a long speech by Clay was telegraphed to the "Herald." During the civil war
its circulation more than doubled. It employed
sixty-three war correspondents. Its expenditures
for correspondence and news were disproportionate
to its payment for editorial and critical matter.
It was as a collector of news that Mr. Bennett
mainly excelled. He had an unerring judgment of
its pecuniary value. He knew how to select the
subject that engrossed the interest of the people,
and to give them all the details they could
desire. He had also a method of impressing the
importance of news upon others in his employ. No
exchange editor was so close a reader as he of the
great papers c^ the country. He clipped passages
for insertion or for texts for editorials or special
articles, and when he visited the office it was to
unpack his mind of the suggestions stored there by
reading the exchanges. He seldom gave an editorial writer more than the suggestions for an
article, and he required his co-laborers to meet
him daily for consultation and the distribution of
topics. When another person presided, the several
editors made suggestions ; when Bennett himself
was present, the editors became mere listeners,
and wrote, as it were, at his dictation. The "Memoirs of J. Gr. Bennett and his Times" was published in New York in 1855. See Hudson's "Journalism in the United States" (New York, 1872). On 6 June, 1840, Mr. Bennett married Miss Henrietta Agnes Crean, a poor, but accomplished, music-
teacher in New York. She died in Italy, 31 March, 1873.— James Gordon, Jr., b. in New York city, 10 May, 1841, the only son of the founder of the "Herald," became the proprietor of the newspaper upon the death of his father. He resides mostly in Paris, and gives his attention chiefly
to superintending the collection of foreign news. He added to the fame of his paper by publishing in England storm-warnings transmitted from the
United States, by fitting out the "Jeanette" polar expedition, by sending Henry M. Stanley in search of Livingstone, and by other similar enterprises.
In 1883 he associated "himself with John W. Mackay in forming the commercial cable company and laying a new cable between America and Europe, to compete with the combined English and French
lines. He has taken much interest in sports, especially in yachting, and in 1866 he took part in a memorable race from Sandy Hook to the Needles,
Isle of Wight, which was won by his schooner, the "Henrietta," in 13 days 21 hours and 55 minutes, against two competing yachts. In 1870 he sailed
another race across the Atlantic from Queenstown to New York in his yacht, the " Dauntless," but was beaten by the English "Cambria," which arrived only two hours in advance.
BENNETT, Milo Lyman, jurist, b. in Sharon, Conn., in 1790 ; d. in Taunton, Mass., 7 July, 1868. He attended at Williams and also Yale, where he was graduated in 1811. He studied law at the Litchfield law school, and entered upon the practice of his profession in Burlington, Vt., where he resided until his death. He became in 1839 an
