It Started With an Outrageous Pitch
At the end of her journey, on January 25, 1890, Bly arrived at a New Jersey train station, met by a crowd of cheering supporters. If you would have asked her editor at New York World, John A. Cockerill, he would have told you that it was an impossible feat. Initially, Cockerill resisted sending her on the mission…
John A. Cockerill. Source: Flickr
It all started when Bly finished reading Verne’s famous novel. She approached Cockerill with what would have been seen by anyone as an outrageous pitch. But, if he would allow it, she would then make the journey and document it for the paper. Cockerill was indeed intrigued by Bly’s proposal. But as a business manager, he wasn’t a man who could be easily convinced.