Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 4.djvu/434

 and corruptions attempted in the Legislature. At the expiration of his term, he removed to McGregor, Iowa, where on the 10th of October, 1856, he established the North Iowa Times in the midst of the presidential campaign, supporting James Buchanan against John C. Fremont. In 1861, having associated with him a Republican partner in the editorial work, Colonel Richardson announced that the Times would henceforth be independent in politics. During the war it was loyal to the Union cause although in 1863 Colonel Richardson again made his paper the exponent of the principles of the Democratic party. One long associated with him in editorial work, wrote thus of Colonel Richardson's journalism:

“He was acknowledged by his rivals to have been one of the most popular editors in the State of Iowa. His style was pithy, terse and expressive, and spiced as he only could make it. Upon subjects requiring profound thought and deep research, he would lead his readers from sentence to sentence by an irresistible fascination with his pen pictures … For this he had a faculty which few possess of turning the sheet and flinging off columns of the most brilliant wit and mirth which sparkled as diamonds in the sunlight, or, without apparent labor deal in the most withering sarcasm.”

Colonel Richardson died in December, 1870; and his early death brought eloquent tributes from the press of Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois; so widely had his fame as a journalist extended.  DAVID N. RICHARDSON was born in Orange, Vermont, March 19, 1832. He was reared on a farm and completed his education with two terms at an academy. He taught when eighteen years of age and later entered a printing office in Illinois where he learned the trade. In 1854 he came to Davenport, Iowa, where, in company with James T. Hildreth and George R. West he purchased the Democratic newspaper establishment and began the publication of the daily Iowa State Democrat. Here for nearly forty years Mr. Richardson was engaged in conducting one of the foremost newspapers of Iowa. He was for many years a regent of the State University and was untiring in his efforts to make that the foremost educational institution in the State. He was also one of the original members of the State Commission to plan and erect the Iowa Soldiers' Monument, serving until the work was completed. During the period of eighteen years during which Mr. Richardson was a regent of the State University he was one of its most intelligent and effective promoters. It was an often expressed desire of his to live to see our State University equal to any in America. That institution never had a more devoted friend or more useful officer. Mr. Richardson was a graceful and accomplished writer and one of the ablest of Iowa editors. He became an extensive traveler in foreign countries and his letters descriptive of the lands and cities visited were of absorbing interest. His acquaintance with 