Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-02-22

not yet conquered that falling though
much milder than formerly, owing to |
the accumulation of fat. In his earlier |
years, the infirmities of ! is temper
caused some curious scenes. | was once
in the habit of studying him pretty
closely, and | found that the pains l
took were not wasted.
The painter who desires to produce IA
characteristic picture ofhis sitter draws
him out in various ways and calls forth
different expressions, and then seizes
and combines the salliant points; so /,
though not painter, and never dream
ing that | should have need to sketch
even the faintest outline of Horace,
took especial delight in watching the
play of his mind and the phases of his
outward expression.
An old compositor in the printing room
of the Tribune, long gathered with the
saints, was what the printers call a
blacksmith that is to say, he was
so feeble, wretched, stupid in every way
that manuscript which fell into his hand
became horribly metamorp .orsed. BY
evil fortune, this old man, who was
known az " the Captain" once had a
" take " of Greeley's copy to set up"
AS was to have been expected, he made
a sorry mess of it, for Horace's manu-
script would have tried Job. BY another
evil chance, that particular article hap
pened to pinto the paper without the
supervision of the proof-reader. Horace
saw the paper Early the next morning,
bounced up stairs three steps at a time;
showed the paper under the nose of the
as tonished foreman, and shouted, SHOW
me the man who did that The I'M
lucky culprit was standing near, and
innocently answered, II set that up,
Mr.. Greeley |" Horace turned to him
with cOmical expression of rage and
despair in his face, and eXclaiming,
Well, G. d your rushed back to
the editorial room below. He knew it
was us less to swear at the poor old
"Capta ~ for he wouldn't have I'M
derstoOd it.
During one of the most terrible snow
snow storms that ever visited New York
in February, 1S45-the Office of the
Tribune was burned down. The paper
had "gone to press " at q in the morn
ing, and the whole edition had been de-
livered to the carriers, when, at O'clO
a fire broke out in the lower part of the
building, and two hours later there was
only a heap Of ruins. At SO'clOck, look
ing on from the brink of the fiery chasm
whence smoke and steam still assembled,
I saw Gree.ey trudging through two or
three feet of snow, closely followed by
his partner, Thomas McElrath-the lat
ter shlewd business man, to whom
Greeley has repeatedly attributed the pc
cuniary success of the Tribune. The
two advanced to the edge of the gap
buoc establishment, and l, standing by
the side of Greeley, put to him this ques-
ton:
"Well, Mr.. Greeley, what are you go
ing to do? Will the Tribune be publish
ed again 2"
Greeley replied, with curious corruga-
ton of the brow which always indicates
any perturbation in his mind, and in
o0d falsettO note with which he gives
ear-piercing expression to any woe that
may afflict him: T-do-o-n't
know"
Just at this moment McElrath came
up. Greeley turned to him with woe
begOne expression, and said:
"Well! McElrath, this is pretty
clean smash! What shall we do?"
McElrath replied: sect out the PAPER
tomorrow morning as usual |"
1t was done. Though the partners did
know but they were ruined, though their
safe was still roasting in the ruins with
all their books in it, and though their
capital was exhausted, the indomitable
energy of McElrath caused the paper to
appear at the regular time next morn
ing and he event proved to be the best
kind of an advertisement, for it brought
the 7ribun literally thousand cOmpli-
ments, and gave its managers lasting
rep utation for energy and enterprise
Winchester's old building, 80 Ann
street, was hired; publication office
was fitted up for the reception of adver-
tisements: on the top floor, printers
cases were speedily with eight or Line
differents' cases were speedily filled
with eight or nine different kinds of
type, picked up anywhere and every
where Greeley was slowed away in the
corner of an UNFINISHED loft under the
printers, and his desk was a smooth
board supported by two barrels; all the
olher improvised appointments being of
similar simplicity. Here all hands were
soon busily at work, for the whole pap
er was to be reset. The business was
done, the paper was served to its SUBJ
scribers at breakfast time, and few
months later, the building now occupied
by the Tribune was finished.
A funny incident occurred during the
first night in WinchesteI's building.
The house was tumble-down concern,
and the ragged floors were sieved with
huge knot-hOles. Among the compost
tors was one young fellow, Southern
er, who chewed half paper of tobacco
at one time, and whose Expectations
were infrequet but formidable. Patient
and comprehensive Elimination upon his
"cud" for an hour usually resulted in a
Niagara, which, describing parabola,
fell far and fell plump, covering much
territory. In an unhappy, moment one
of "Sam's" floods happened to rush
through knot-hole which was on a
direct line with the bald pate of Horace
in the room below. Imagine the effect!
Greeley stamping and swearing up
stairs, with tobacco juice streaming
down his face, shaking his head be-
tween the Oaths. and screaming. "By-