The union Democrat., 1870-03-12
NUMBER 40.
anecdore. Of Prentice.


From among the numerous anecdotes IN
circulation illustrative of the celebrated jocr-
nalist's character, we select the following;
lie accepted tue kentucky civilization with
true Yankee grit, and fought his way inside
Of ii. Once man met him on the sidewalk.
and fred deliberately at his heprt. Prentice
knocked him down aud put his foot on him,
get up,' he said 81 don't care TO kill
you," They met again, years asterward. ct
Kentucky Watering place: ehe assailant
was dying Of consumation, and Ia came up,
o coughing spectre, and thanked Prentice for
his life.
Mr.. Prentice said cfiournalism in the days
of Clay and the journalism of thu present:
"It did not take the money nor the enterprise
in those days that ara now required 4
newspaper did not try to do much; \ political
4 head was mainly necessary. Now. she news
papers are able to get on without any politics
in some instances. "If your life wore to 60
over again, would YOU choose journalism for
your profession - ~ don't know" he
said. with smile, ''I dare say would"
| Reuben Durrett was editor cf the Louisville
Courier, the principal local opponent nf the
Jouraal, in 1858, and kept sly paragraph in
its column for several days, intima,ipg that
Mr.. Prentice. while, ''under a cloud" had
fallen from gang plank of steamboat into
TIE water. Mr. Prentice was intensely sg-
gravated by this little paragraph. lie lid
| not deny its truth. 1t might have been truV,
but it was certainly no less objectionable ou
that account. Probably he felt that even hin
great command of language would not permit
him TO 90 justice to the subject. He simply
announced that if the paragraph appeared
again he would hold the editcr personally re-
spouSible. OF course tire par acraph appeared
again next morning. Mr.. Prentice immedi-
atey waited upon Mr.. Durrett, fred twice at
him, received two shots in return. the police
interfered, honor was satisfied, the paragraph
was ''canceled,n ard each editor had ball
extracted from under his hide.
William Z. Hughes, another rival editor,
sent his belligerant card up to MIR. Prentice
durinc o popular excitement. and received
the following reply: "Tell Mr.. Hughes that
will be down as soon as load my pistols"
Hughes. however, unwilling to give his enc
my every advantage of ground and prepare
tion. Withdrew in haste.
When the news Of the Bull Run fight reach
cd Louisville, tho intensest excitement pre-
vailed, and the rebel population paraded the
streets swearing vengeance against all loval
men who came in contact with them. The
Journal Office had long been floating United
States flag from staff oa the roof, but the
staff being too short for the flag. carpenter
had been sent for early in the day to put up
longer one. lie arrived at the time that q1ite
threatening demonstration was being made
in front. The Courier office, which was on
the opposite side of the street. was intensely
rebel. and it was brulted about that confed-
crate flag would be hoisted upon it during the
daY. The crowd between the Offices was clam
orous for the raising Of one flag and tbe low
ering Of the other. At this irncture Mr..
Prentice was informed by an excited employee
from the counting-room that somebody was
on the roof pulling down the flag. The old
man 8 eyes flashed fire. "Then, bv c."
said he. go up there sud throw the scoun-
drel down among the mob
During the days just preceding the war,
Mr.. Prentice became great favorite with the
hardy backw oodsmen of Kentucky. who usu-
ally came to see him when they were in Louis-
vile on business; not that they were ac-
quainted with him, but, rs they themselves
would tell him, just to see what he looked
like. Such visits were of course peculiarly
painful to q sensitive nature, though Mr..
Prentice had no recourse but to endure them
Reception-rooms are not generally in use
among the provincial newspapers, and
knock at the door is the only intimation of
visitor before he enters the room. One Of
these enthusiastic individuals shook Mr.. Prem
tice warmly by the hand one day, when he
had come, as he said, on a visit of curiosity"
and, after scanning the EDITORS features in
various lights. drew himself up and said
" So yon' re old George D. Prentice, mir YOU
Well, I'm mighty glad to see you. Jim Dodd
bet me you was good looking, and bet him
you wasn't; and Iulink Tee acoa it.