The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-07-19
PETROLEUM. V. NAsBY. p

The bibulous New Jersey preacher an
subsequent model postmaster of Ken
tueky Who calls himself Nasty, is th
creation of David S. Locke. Last White
Locke dined with Postmaster Genera
Randall in Washingt on. aud the frs
words Randall said TO him we're "Nasby
. want you 10 step up TO the department
Immediately and pay over what balanct
you owe" At which, of course, Their
was deal of "lahure,'' aud the Post
master General felt that be had said ,
thing as witty as Nasby's best.
Mr.. Locke is a native Of New York
He now resides at Toledo, Ohio, where
he has considerable property
a wife and two children. His career has
not been all fowery one, as will be at
-once inferred from the fact that be has
been editor and publisher Of several coun
try newspapers in his time. He was bred
at the case and is a thorough practical
printer. Before the war Nasty was a
Democrat. and he always has been deep
10 political affairs. He is now chief edi-
tor and part proprietor of the Toledo
Blade, successful and profitable journal
now, though it was decidedly "shakey''
when he first became attached to it.
Though known TO the world ouly by
his Nasty letters, he is far from being
'merely that and nothing more" as is
the case with humorists of that sort gen
eral' y-Arlsmus Ward and J,sh Bill.
ings, for example. Truth to say, close
and discriminating criticism would not
place Nasty in the same class with the
last named writers, but this gossip does
not profess to deal in careful criticism.
Mr. Locke, however, is a clear and forci~
HE writer on political topics, and as such
has done good service to his party. He
Is IN "close communion" with all the
prominent politicians of the West, and
yields powerful influence.
The Nasty letters were at first put in
type by Mr. Locke's own hands, without
the preliminary labor of putting them on
paper. Of late they have been dashed off
very rapidly with the pen, and have ap-
peared first iu the columns of the Blade,
once each week.
Last Winter Nasty visited Washington
for the FIRST time in his life. We mean Of
course. in NasJy's lfe-not in Locke I
life-for Locke may have been to Wash
ington many times before Na=bY came in
to existence. AS Locke, he would have
been oneof the million merely; as Nasty,
te was lion. par sang. Gen. Banks in
] Vited him to the floor of the House, and
the members left their seats on all hands
TO pay their respects to the humorst,
! He gave his autograph to hundreds who
solicited it then and there. Business
was so seriously interrupted that Speaker
Colfax .had TO call the House to order
Subsequently, Colfax stated that it was
the greatest ovation that had been paid to
any man by that body since Gen.; Grant
went upon the floor some time previous.
you have done more for the cause than
any other writer living" said one mem
Der, aud the expression was Immediately
echoed by scores.
Among those whom Nasty called on
at the visit in question were Grant, Nc
Culloch, and Chase. With Chief Justice
Chase and family he epent the evenings
in social chat. Secretary McCulloch was
rather cool in his manner toward the jok
er. Gen. Grant was about the most cor
dial OF them all, and declared that as reg
ular as Sunday morning came be made it
religious duty to read zone of the Rev.
Mr.. Nasby's sermonsl'
Mr.. Locke is about the hardest worked
man in the West. He goes to the Blade
Office at eight o'clock in the morning. and
only, leaves it ''for good" at two O'clock
the following morning. He does not av-
er4ge more than FIVE hours sleep per night,
being up again at seven O'Clock ard again
TO the office for the everlasting treadmill
round of newspaper life.
In personal appearance Nasty is stout
built and round faced. He is genial aud
jovial, loves a good story as ne does a
good dinner, tells many good one him
self, and himself laughs at it with an unc-
tuOus, ringing laugh that you might bear
for half mile. He looks, acts, and talks
like an active wide awake Western bust
ness man-whish he Is. His judgment
in all business matters is of the shrewd
est, and he makes business pay. There
is not much polish or society culture
about Nasty. He verges rather on the
coarse than refined, as is clearly shown in
his writings, which often contain passa-
ages that make a delicae and cultivated
taste shrink painfully. Nevertheless he
is gentleman in the highest and best
sense of the word-a kind, whole souled
man, true as steel to friend, and utterly
incapable of a mean action. Withal he is
keen satirist. aud as good hater of sham
as was Tina ckeray himself.
Il =. 49, H,or Fror,n S,r~a fsI