The story of the Sun, New York: 1833-1928 / by Frank M. O'Brien ; with an introduction by Edward Page Mitchell ...

DANA'S SUCCESSORS

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tually he became the full owner of both the Daily Bzdletin and the Sunday Bulletin, and in this capacity he endeared himself to the citizens of Baltimore by his fight
against political rings.
He left newspaper work for a short time to become
general passenger agent of the Long Island Railroad; but
in 1877, on Mr. Dana's invitation, he went on the Sun as
a general writer. Himself an artist who modeled in clay,
painted in oils and water colors, and etched, his judgment
malde him valuable to the paper as an art critic.
Like Mr. Dana, he was interested in Chinese porcelains,
and he made a deeper study of them than did his employer. When a catalogue was needed for the Chinese
porcelains in the Morgan collection in the Metropolitan
IMuseum of Art, Mr. Laffan, who was an active trustee of
the museum, was called upon to edit the work. He also
edited a book on Oriental porcelain. He was the author
of American Wood Engravers, published in 1883. For
these things he is remembered in the world of art. The
men of the stage remember him as one of the most distinguished dramatic critics that New York has seen.
Even to-day, in the comparison of the styles of critics old
and new, Laffan's reviews are recalled as standards.
In the business world of journalism Laffan is thought
of chiefly as the publisher of the Sun from 1884 on, and
as the live spirit of the Evening Sun for many of its years.
As the actual director of the Sun-although his editorial
powers were almost entirely delegated to Edward P.
Mitchell-Mr. Laffan was a picturesque and powerful
figure.
A New York newspaper once remarked of Laffan that