Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1871-03-15
BAD PENMANsHIP.
How PendIeton's Greenback Theory
Originated---Greele Manuscript.

A reporter who recently intervie we'd
Murat HaIstsad, gives the following ac-
count of portion of the conversation:
Reporter. If you would not think it
40 impairment question, Mr.. Halstead, L
should like to know if Wash. MCLEAN
ever did really send you written cbal
engeg
MFR. Halstesd. Il do think it most
Internally impairment question; still, as
so many uutruthfuI stories have been
published in regard to that matter, l
have no objection to giving you the cor
rect version of the affair. The challenge
was sent, but MCLEAN let Bloss, the as
sstant editor of the Enquirer, write it
for him. Now Bloss, or Blossy, as be is
called for shortness, writes such an in
famously bad hand that there are only
two men in the country that can read his
manuscript, and neither Of these is Bloss
The note, 10 an Enquirer envelope, was
left in the counting room, where nobody
could make anything either of the ad
dress or the contents. So it was sent up
stairs to the composing room, and put in
the hands of one of our oldest compost
tors, who is considered an expert in the
art of deciphering illegible manuscript.
This man, who will never acknowledge
himself beat, after due deliberation pro-
nounced it to be an advertisement of a
cheese factory for sale somewhere in Lo-
rain county, with an order to insert it
every other day for two weeks and charge
the bill TO the Enquirer. This compost
tor set up the advertisement from Blossy s
manuscript, and no one suspected but it
was all right until the end of the month,
when the bill for its insertion was sent to
the Enquirer office and repudiated. An
investigation brought out the true facts of
the case, but Of course it would have
been the height Of absurdity to take any
notice of challenge which had been
printed for two weeks rs an advertise
ment of cheese factory
Reporter. Il have heard that Mr..
Bloss has acquired a wide spread reputa.
ton for the ilegibilty of bis manuscript,
but have supposed until now that the
stories told of him were somewhat exag
gerated.'
Mr.. Halstead. Exaggerated! No.
indeed. The half has not been told of
it. Why. sir, do you know that Blossy's
damnable chirography once accidentlly
led to an important issue in National
politics!'
Reporter. | have never heard of the
Circumstance bat should be glad to do so.
Mr.. Halstead. Well, Bloss. you
know is something of an agriculturist,
and finds the great delight of his life in
making experiments upon bis little farm,
few miles out of the city. One day, in
moment Of enthusiasm, he undertook
to tell the readers of the Enquirer what
he knew about farming, and SO exhaust
ed himself in the effort that be left the
office for the day without looking at his
proofs. 1t so happened that of the two
printers who could read his manuscript
one was away and the other was inds-
posed. In consequence of this, the fore
man gave the copy into the hands of one
of the oldest and most experienced com
positors in the office, With directions TO
set it up on suspicion. The compositor,
starting in the false theory that the att
Gle was political one, by guessing at
some words, and boldly supplying others
at random, managed to get up something
that read very much like one of Bloss's
productions. The results of all this was
that the next morning the agricultural
treatise appeared as the leading editorial
of the Enquirer. but transformed into an
elaborate scheme for pay ing the national
debt and making everybody rich by an
unlimited issue of greenbacks. plan
which was afterwards adopted by Pende-
ton and PIT forward as an original fnan
cial theory Of his own
GREELEY's PENMANsHIP.
From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Much has been said in the newspapers
about the wretched handwriting in which
Horace Greeley submits his editorials TO
the printer. He does write an execrable
hand, to be sure, and that it has never
caused roit in the Tribune office, &C
companied with the tearing of hair and
| tuO cueuuuS vi OiOOu, ic-dlbIluulSu sOlclf
to the fact that the printer will submit to
any outrage rather than disturb the peace
of the community in which he lives. =
During the reign of Brownlow in Ten
nessee, political gathering Of some kind
was appointed to be held at Nashville on
a certain day, and the incompatible Ag-
riculturalst of Chappaqua was invited to
lend the luster of bis bald head to the
occasion. An answer 10 the invitation
was received in due time, and although
it was given the prayerful attention of
everybody in the city who had been to
school day in bis life, it was never as
certained whether he said he would come
or not. That reply of his passed into the
possession of one of the royal inhabitants
of the city, who still preserves it carefully
and often exhibits it to strangers when
taey ask him to take a drink, as an
autograph letter from the Emperor OF
Japan, offering him high position un.
der the japanese government, with a
salary of fifty thousand dollars year,
and perquisi.es amounting to quite as
much more. There are perhaps not
more than half dozen men now living
who can read Greeley's band writing and
Horace himself, we believe, is not one of