Forney, John

WEISS, journalist and politician, born at Lancaster, Pa., Sept. 30, 1817; studied the art of printing; in 1837 became editor and part proprietor of the Lancaster Intelligencer, and in 1840 united with this the Journal. In 1845 he was appointed surveyor of the port of Philadelphia, where he became editor of the Penn sylvan i an, long a prominent Democratic paper. He was appointed clerk of the House of Representatives in 1851, and held this office until 1856, editing meanwhile the Washington Union. His succeeding journalistic enterprise was with the Philadelphia Pre , founded by him, in 1857, as an organ of the Douglas Democracy and in opposition to President Buchanan. In 1859 he again became clerk of the House, and on the opening of the war in 1861 became a vigorous advocate of the prosecution of the war, and an active member of the Republican party, whose candidates he supported until the nomination of Horace Greeley, whom he supported for the presidency. In 1861 he was made secretary of the U. S. Senate, a position which he held until 1868, meanwhile editing the Washington Chronicle, and acting as corresponding editor of the Pre . In 1868 he visited Europe, writing letters to the Pre and Chronicle which were published in 1869 as Letters from Europe. In 1870 he sold his interest in the Chronicle but continued his editorial connection with the Pre , serving (1871-72) as collector of the port of Philadelphia. Progre , a weekly literary journal, was founded by him in 1878. Died in Philadelphia, Dec. 9, 1881. For'ney, in Texas , a post-town of Kaufman co., 21 m. E. of Dallas, on Tex. and Pac. R. R. Bois d'arc lumber is an important export. Pop . (1890) 811.