“Tell him to see the advertising manager,” said Laffan. “He insists on seeing you,” said the clerk. “Tell him to go to hell,” said Laffan. There was a keen humour in the big Irish head. Laffan was opposed to the amendment to the New York State constitution which provided for an expenditure of more than a hundred millions in improving the Erie Canal. Under his direction a _Sun_ reporter, John H. O’Brien, wrote a series of articles intended to shatter public faith in the huge investment. The amendment, however, was approved by a great majority. “Mr. O’Brien,” said Mr. Laffan to the reporter, a few days after the election, “I think it would be a very graceful thing on your part to give a little dinner to all those gentlemen who voted against the canal project.” Upon Mr. Laffan’s death, in November, 1909, the trustees of the Sun Printing and Publishing Association asked Mr. Mitchell, who had been made editor of the _Sun_ on July 20, 1903, to take up the administrative burden as well as the editorial. This Mr. Mitchell did for a little more than two years, although his personal inclinations were toward the literary construction and supervision of the paper rather than toward the business detail incident to the presidency of so large a corporation. The double load was lightened in December, 1911, when control of the _Sun_ was gained through stock purchase by William C. Reick, who became the president of the company, Mr. Mitchell being permitted to return to the editorial functions which have now engrossed him, either as Mr. Dana’s aid or as editor-in-chief, for more than forty years. [Illustration: EDWARD PAGE MITCHELL Editor of “The Sun” ] Mr. Reick, who was born in Philadelphia in 1864, entered newspaper work in that city when he was nineteen years old. A few years later he removed to Newark, New Jersey, where he became the correspondent of the New York _Herald_. He attracted the attention of Mr. Bennett, the owner of the _Herald_, and in 1888 he was made editor of the _Herald’s_ London and Paris editions. A year later he returned to America to become city editor of the _Herald_, the highest title then given on a newspaper which refuses to have a titular managing editor. In 1903 he was elected president of the New York Herald Company, and he remained in that position until 1906, when he left the _Herald_ to become associated with Adolph Ochs in the publication of the New York _Times_ and with George W. Ochs in the publication of the Philadelphia _Public Ledger_. When Mr. Reick assumed the control of the _Sun_ properties, he devoted much care to the improvement of the _Evening Sun_, putting it under the managing editorship of George M. Smith, who had served for many years as news editor of the _Sun_ under Chester S. Lord. As Mr. Munsey said when he acquired the _Sun_ and the _Evening Sun_ from Mr. Reick: