<P> About the time Dunne moved to the Tribune, he and other young Chicago journalists formed the Whitechapel Club, named for the locale of the crimes of Jack the Ripper . The club attracted attention for its stunts, including two semi-humorous mayoral campaigns, and the midnight cremation of a member who had committed suicide, well covered in the papers . It provided the venue for frank political discussions among members who were generally far more progressive than their employers, and the young journalists bluntly critiqued each other's writing . Dunne was one of those who specialized in deflating the self - important, as would Mr. Dooley in the years to come . Fanning found that "the Whitechapel experience was crucial in Dunne's development as a thinker and a writer". </P> <P> Six months at the Tribune saw Dunne gain promotion to editor of the Sunday edition, soon after the start of 1890 . This relieved him of the drudgery of the daily reporter's beat, which he disliked . Before the end of the year, he moved again, this time to the Chicago Herald--publisher John R. Walsh and editor James W. Scott were building a staff composed mainly of enthusiastic younger journalists, including Dunne's old colleague from the ballpark, Seymour . Several Whitechapel members were there, as was future politician Brand Whitlock, who later wrote, "when they induced' Pete' Dunne to come over from the Tribune, the staff seemed complete". Another reason Dunne was willing to jump papers was that he would have the opportunity to do political reporting . Although hired as a reporter, not an editor, Dunne's experience and competence quickly placed him high on the staff . Dunne got to do political work, covering the 1892 Democratic and Republican conventions . He also had to do work he found less interesting--the young Theodore Dreiser, assigned like Dunne to cover a florists' convention noted that Dunne seemed to scorn not only the event, but the fact he was assigned to cover it . Despite his affected nonchalance during such assignments, Dunne still turned in brilliant copy . </P> <P> Dunne was transferred to the Walsh - owned Chicago Evening Post after the 1892 conventions and was put in charge of its editorial page under the paper's editor, Cornelius McAuliff . There, he met his future wife, Mary Ives Abbott, who reviewed books for the Evening Post . Ellis noted that Abbott, a widow who had lived for some years in Calcutta, was the wittiest woman Dunne had ever met, while she recognized his genius . The acquaintance with Abbott, who was a popular dinner guest, launched Dunne in Chicago society . Dunne, with these connections, and continued fine writing, became prominent in Chicago . Assigned by his paper to cover the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, the city appointed him as its representative at a number of events there that had an Irish connection . </P> <P> The first Dooley articles appeared when Dunne was chief editorial writer for the Chicago Post, and for a number of years he wrote the pieces without a byline or initials . They were paid for at the rate of $10 each above his newspaper pay . A contemporary wrote of his Mr. Dooley sketches that "there was no reaching for brilliancy, no attempt at polish . The purpose was simply to amuse . But it was this very ease and informality of the articles that caught the popular fancy . The spontaneity was so genuine; the timeliness was so obvious ." In 1898, he wrote a Dooley piece that celebrated the victory of Commodore George Dewey over the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay--and this piece attracted national attention . Within a short time, weekly Dooley essays were syndicated across the country . </P>

Who said comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable