126 LIFE OP BABU SUBENDRA NATH BANEBJEE if any such could be found. Surendra Nath accordi- ngly expressed his desire to take charge of the paper and to buy the proprietory right of it. The bargain was struck and with little more than a hundred subscri- bers he began to conduct the Journal with his usual ability. Within the short" space of two years, the pa- per regained its former prestige, and the Bengalee has now a circulation of nearly 1400. Amidst the arduous and multifarious duties as an educationist, political leader,-. Municipal Commissioner, Honorary Magis- trate, he edits his paper with great ability, tact, mo- deration and judgment. Friday in the week is his busiest day, when he works almost the whole day and night to get his paper ready on every Saturday morn- ing. We had the honor of serving under Babu Suren- dra Nath in connexion with the management of this paper for a considerable time, and can bear testimony •to the fact that on several occasions he would deliver a most eloquent speech in the Town Hall at a public meeting, rove about the- town in connexion with it, and at 6 o'clock in the evening would write clever articles for the Bengalee and at one stretch would finish the proof-reading of the entire paper till 3 o'clock in the morning. HIS POLITICAL CAREER. We have already opened the first chapter of his life by describing him to be "the life and soul" of all poli- tical agitation in the country. That is a stubborn fact
- which, even his enemies can not deny. Education com-
menced in this land in the halcyon days of the immor- tal David Hare and the pupils of this watch-maker, notably among them, the immortal RamgopalGhose.and the Rev. K. M. Banerjea were the first pioneers in the field of political agitation. Then came Hurish Chunder Mukherjee and Kristo Das Pal and a host of other men
