The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-10-22
the HoYEnBER LIPPISCOrT.
ReminIBcences OF Western Jour.
nAIiHm.
New and old Stories About Prentlc

brings out some fresh statistics In a
contribution entitled "Wear and Tear"
He believes that our professional and
business men are generally overwork-
ed, and that dyspepsia, consumption,
and diseases OF the heart are the result,
W. Q. Elan tells stirring story Of the
war under the title Of "Murder Most
Foul" Charles Morris gives an In
structive article on "Fuel."
Mr.. Jos. ]. Reed collates some old
stories about duellng. ]. Franklin
Fits decrIbes 1.-THE Great Flood"
Henry A. Brown gives a pleasant cpl
sode OF Eastern travel, entitled "From
JafIa TO jerusalem" Anthony Troll
lope's story Of 1.-THE Vicar OF Bull.
hampton" rather Improves In interest.
Incidentally be thus touches on the
"Woman Question::
Marriage Is o woman's one career,
let women rebel against the edict as
they may; and though there may be
wurd.rebellion here and there, women
learn the truth early In their lives. And
women know 10 later In life when they
think Of their girls; and men know It,
too, when they have TO deal with their
daughters. Girls, too, now acknoWl.
edge aloud that they have learned the
lesson, and Saturday Reviewers and
others blame them for their lack OF
modesty In doing so-most unreasona~
bly,, most uselessly, and, as far as the
influence ofsuch censors may 20, most
perniclously. Nature prompts the de.
sire, the world acknowledges It's ubi.
guilty, circumstances show that IL Is
reasonable, the whole theory Of crea-
ton requires It; but 1t Is required that
the persons most concerned should
falsely repudlate II, In order that
mock modesty may be maintained In
which no human being can believe
Such is the theory OF the censors who
deal heavily with our EnglIshwomen
Of the present day. Our daughters
should be educated to be wives, but,
forsooth they should never wish to
be wooed The very idea is but rem.
nant OF the tawdry sentimentality Of an
age In which the mawklsh lnspidity Of
the women was the reaction from the
vice Of that preceding It. That our girls
are In quest Of husbands and know
well In what way their lines In life
should be laid, Is a fact which none can
dispute. Let men be taught 10 recog-
nize the same truth as regards them
selves, and we shall cease TO hear OF
the necessity Of a new career for wo-
men.
Poems are contributed by EvaugelIue
NJ. johnson and +. II. Stoddard. Be
You'd the Breakers Ia moro dramatic
than in the previous number. The most
interesting contribution is that In
which Charles G. Shanks gives his
"reminiscences OF George D. Prentice,
once the most famous editor In the
South and West. We give few ex-
tracts:
HOW PRENTICE 1NoUDATES HIS JOKES.
Mr.. Prentice's forte as an editor con.
sists In his wit and sarcasm. At his
table, with his spare notes and rapid
Rmanuensls before him, he pulls forth
strings Of witty sayings from bis brain
as a magician pulls forth coils OF silken
ribbons from a hat. Whenever q point
suggests itself he will jot 1t down, no
matter where he Is or what accommo.
dations for jotting down are at hand.
He generally has pencil and a slip OF
paper, sometimes only the debris OF an
old envelope, about him, but for a desk
ho will with equal readiness make use
Of his hat or a dead wall or lamp post,
The note, consisting probably OF only
word, is then consigned to apparent OBJ.
livlon In the depths Of pocket or the
inside Of his hat, to be brought out only
by chance among number of boon
companions In the same place. When he
feels inclined to wit he takes from re.
ceptacles, where he has placed his
more fortunate notes, thick slips OF
tiny manuscripts, with bare suggestions
OF oke. On these he commences a
process OF incubation that Is quite as
rapid as that OF the famous hen-per-
suader. He dictates In aslow and SO.
rious manner, with his eyes fixed alters
nately on his own llttleslip Of paper ond
on the ceiling, punctuating as he goes,
never hating TO supply word or two
to embellsh figure, but straight on as
Auently as Wendell Phillips or Susan
Is. Anthony answers retort. His con-
versational powers, strangely enough,
are very deficient. He becomes palm
fully dull and awkward when brought
Into brilliant company. Introduce him
to a noted wit, and although he may
laugh ut the jokes of his new aCquain-
lance, the laugh Is partially forced, and
hts replies, II he attempts any, are ir-
relevant and pointless. He ia shy Of
any attempt at wit and humor,
and seems strongly inclined to discoun-
tenance such an attempt on the part OF
another. His wit Is apparent only in
tue columns ola newspaper, for 1t re.
quires 10 be pruned and finished before
1t is presentable. He does not saw
things that are bright, but he thinks
and writes a great many.
PERSONAL RENooNTREs,
II may we'll be assumed that Mr..
Prentice, although comfortably exempt
from all vexatious law suits, was fire..
quently involved in dangerous per-
sonal rencontres. He does not know
how often he has been shot or how often
bis life has been despaired OF. In ali
his numerous rencontres he has seldom
II ever come out second best. MANY Of
them we're sought by himself In retail.
alton for abuse heaped upon him BY
rival editors, for, free as he is In his
abuse Of others, he is peculiarly sensi.
tive TO abuse heaped upon himself.
Reuben Dnrrett was editor OF the
Louisville Courier, the principal local
opponent OF the Journal, In 1858, and
Kept a sly paragraph In Its columns,
for several days, intlmating that Mr..
Prentice, while under a cloud had
fallen from Rang.plank of steam
boat into the water. Mr.. Prentice was
intensely aggravated by this little par.
agraph. He did not deny It's truth, i'll
might have been true, but was certain
~ no less Objectionable on that &C.
count. Probably he felt that even his
great command Of language would not
permit him TO do justice to the subject.
he simply announced that II the para-
graph appeared again he would hold
the editor personally responsible, OIL
course the paragraph appeared next
Mr.. Prentice Immediately
waited upon Mr.. Durrett, fired twice at
him, received two shots In return, the
police interfered, honor was satisfied,
the paragraph was cancelled and each
editor had ball extracted from under
his hide.
VIM. L, Hughes, another rival editor,
sent his belligerent card up to Mr..
Prentice during q popular excitement.
and received the following reply:
Tell Mr.. Hughes that l will be down
as soon as l load my pistols