The Lambertville press., 1860-03-07
How a Printer was Set Up.

How a Printer was Set Up.
The Albany Statesman, in a lead
ing article. tells the following story J.
Tweuty-three years ago we stuck
| type'' in the same alley, in the printing
of the New Yorker, edited and pub
lished by Horace Greeley. Geo Will
kins Kendall, the proprietor of the
New Orleans Picayune, Morgan Bates
we think since partner in the publ
cation of the Detroit Advertiser, O.
A. Bowe, who was fellow apprentice
with Greeley, and afterwards published
a paper at Little Falls, stood at the
case in the same Office. Bowe, Bates
and Paige are now dead. Kendall is
still living, but has abandoned the
chair editorial for sheep raising on the
plains of Texas. He left the Yorker
office to commence the Picayune, hav-
ing acquired the capital for that enter
prise in way that would hardly be
called orthodox in moral community.
Before leaving New York, Kendall
had tramped" the South as jour
printer-traveled' for information, as
he said, through every principal village
and city in the Southern States, some
times on steamboats,, sometimes in
stage coaches, (there was but one rail
road in the South then, from Charles
ton to Augusta and not unfreqnently
on foot, with his baggage on his back
pendant in a handkerchief, from his
walking stick. Sometimes he was
flush" and well dressed-sometimes
strapped" and seedy-but always
witty, genial and gentlemanly. In
his ventures, he had frequently been
boon companion with many of the
most eminent men of the country.
The Astor House was then bnt Just
opened, and extensively visited by
Sontherners. 1t was a fashion with
Kendall to patronize that establishment
after working hours Strolling over
there one evening, after having "wash-
ed up" he was agreeably surprised to
meet several gentlemen whom he had
known as merchants, and LAWYERS and
doctors, at Natchez, Mississippi. -
After a jnlep all round, and a sherry
cohhler apiece, some one proposed to
"close the night" with a little game
Of poker Kendall had about FIVE
dollars in his watch-fob (rhere was no
watch there) but he assented with the
rest to the proposition. Excnsine
himself for a moment. he made rush
down Ann street to the Office. where
he hoped to find some of his fellow
printers with money to lend. Bates,
as foreman of the office, had been de-
tanned making up the forms. He had
eight dollars and "we" Eve were
helping Bates) had two dollars and
seven cents. Kendall took the dollars
Qeaving the cents) and thus made a
pnrse of $15 The play went on until
daylight. At seven O'Clock Kendall
came into the Office, paid up the $40
he had borrowed, told Greeley he
would give up his situation and asked
all hands to partake Of "pious gorge"
that afternoon. saAll hands" were but
too happy to do that same. and still
more happy when their fellow crafts
man announced that he was the fortu-
nate possessor of about $700. won at
the little game of poker, and that with
the $700 he proposed to start a paper
in New Orleans In due time the
Picayune appeared d-was a success
winning reputation for Kendall as a
polished writer and brilliant wit and
what was better giving him a princely
income. He has had many hair
breadth escape since that; was among
the Santa Fe prisoners, and given up
as dead, but was afterwards released !;
he went through the Mexican War /;
has passed years in foreign travel, un-
til satiated with enjoyment, and tired
of the excitement of city life, he retired
to Texas, and is now master of thou
sands Of acres of land, and reckons
more than hundred Thousand sheep,
cattle, and mules. as his individual
property" E Il