Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-11-19
A SOUTHERN EDITOR.
G.. ID. Prentice-uOw he makes M
Jokes-some Personal ReneOunters

q. ID. Prentice-How lac makes Hts
Jekes-sOme Personal Reneounterp.
Mr.. Prentce's forte, as an editor, consists
In his wit and sarcasm At his table, with
his spare notes andpspid smanuensis before
hun, ne pulls forth strings Of witty sayings
from his brain as q magician pulls forth
coils of silkeB ribbons from bat. Wben-
ever point suggests itself he will jot IL
down, no matter where he IL or what ac-
commodatlons for jvtting down are at hand
He generally has pencil and q slip of pa
per, sometimes only the debris Of sn old
envelope ABOUT him, but for desk he will
with eqnal readiness make use OF his hat or
q dead wall or q lamp post. The note con-
sisting probably of only a word, Is then con-
signed TO apparent oblivion in the depths OF
u pocket or the inside of his hat. to be
brought cut only by chance among num-
ber Of b0ou companions in the same place.
When he feels inclined to wit he takes from
receptacles where he has placed his more
fortunate notes, thick slips OF tiny manu-
scripts, with bare suggestions Of joke.
Oa these he commences process of in
cubstion that is quite as rapid as that OF
the famous hen persuader. He dictates In
q l,wiand serious manner, with bis ey es
dxed alternately on his own little slip of
paper and on the ceiling, punctusting rs
he goes, never halting to supply a word or
two to emhelish the figure, but straight B.
~ fuentIy as Wendell Phillips or Susan on
Anthony aOswersa retort. His converse
tional powers, strangely enough, are very
deficient He becomes painfully dull
aud awkward wheu brought into bril-.
liant company. Introduce him to ano
ted wit, and although be may laugh at the
jokes OF his new acquaintance, the laugh is
partially fol ced, aud his replies, IL he At
iempts any, are irrevsleut and pointless.
He is shy of making any attempt at wit
aud humor, aud seems strongly inclined to
discounter auce such an attempt on the part
of another. His wit Is apparent only In tne
columns Of a newspaper, Tor il requires tO
be pruned and flushed before 1t il. s.presenta
Bile. lie dues not say things that are bright,
but be thinks and writes great many.
PERSONAL RESCOUNrERs.
II may we'll be assumed that Mr.. Prem
tice, although comfortably exempt from all
vexstious lawsuits, was frequently involved
in dangerous personal reencounters. He
does not know now often he has been shot
or how often his life has been despaired Of.
In his numerous rencounters no has sol
d0ni, il ever come, out second best. Many
If them we're sought by himself in retalis
ton for abuse heaped upon him by rival edi-
tors, free as he is IN the abuse of others, he
is peculiarly sensitive to abuse hesped upon
himself.
Reuben Durrett was editor of the Louis
| willie Courier, the principal local opponsnt o
| the Journal, 10 1883, aud kept sly para
graph in its columns for several days, inti
mating that Mr.. Prentice, while "under 9
| cloud" had fallen from q gang-plank of Q
| steamboat into the water. Prentice was In.
teusely enraged by this little paragraph. H.
| did not deny. It's truth. Ii night have beel
| true, but IL was certainly no less objection.
able on that account. Probably he lelt that
even his great command OF language wouiC
not permit him TO do justice to the subject
| He a nply aunoun, ei that ii tue par
agraph appeared again ne wonld hot
the editUr personally respo sible. q
course the paragraph appeared Dext morn
ing. Mr.. Prentice immediately waited upol
Mr.. Durrett, fred twice at him, receives
two shots In return, the police intorfsred
honor was satisfied, the paragraph wa
"caucelled," and each editor had y ball es
tracted from under his side.
VIM. Il. Hughes, another rival editor
sent his belligerent card up to Mr.. Prentic
during popular excitement, and receives
the following reply:
"Tell Mr.. Hughes that will be down a
soon as load my pistol"
Hughes. however, unwilling TO give hi
enemy every advantage OF ground an
preparation, withdrew in haste. The popr
lar excitement at the time was In const
quenoe of a Kpow-N othing election, which
IN Louisville, was n contest of muscle NOR
than auything else, and every prominoI
politician felt bound by the obligations I
the party TO shoot or disable some prom
nent man of the opposition. The day
election was day Of blood, and is u
) known as Bloody Monday" In the anna
Of the city. Mr.. Prentice undoubtedly a
sisted in allaying the popular tumult, al
probably saved rival office and very fI
: Catholic cathedral from destruction. Z
! several occasions, however he has himse
been compelled to fee before the wrath
the people. During the Ward riots, VIII.
Matt. Ward who murdered the school-teac
or, Butler, was the object OF vengeanc
Mr.. Prentice, who defended Ward In b
columns for reasons never definitely know
took horse at midnight and galloged 10
: nlaea of safety