The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-27


loves; while "thrce branches Of the upas
| tree" belongs to Mr.. Gladstone.
| Running kentucky Newspaper Con-
sistent:y.
IG. c. Harding il the ST. Louis Democrat
had the pleasure Of assisting at the birth
of the Louisville Ledger. 1t was power.
| ful cast. | don't remember the exact num-
| hcr OF editors employed on the paper, but it
was immense. There WIS an editor in-chicf,
with two or three assistants; news editor,
| q heavy corps Of reporters and city editors,
| Il foreign editor. an amusement editor, 4 fine
ant editor. a financial editor, and plumber Of
! miscellaneous and uIclassitied editors.
| There were so many editors, III fact, that
| Tie huildium was uncomfUrtably crowded,
and thcv were in each others way. There
was always scramble for the lounge and
| the Cincinnati papers. Many Of these
editors were amateurs with rather crude
iGeas of neutrality-suspicious. of 4
leisureiy literary turn Of mind, who thought
it would be Il good thing to stroll into the
office once or twice day, draw of kid
glove, dash oil profound editorial on ma
lioml politics. and then stroll jaunti!y out
again, twiriing il delicate rattan cane with q
horses houf or Il feminine lcg in ivory for Il
handle. Colonel VI. W. Cluskcy. formerly
OF Memphis, was commandrr-in-chiel Of this
rabiie oil courageous but undisciplincd ink
singers. Colonel Cusl;cy is an Irishman,
reared in Alabama where lie acquired most
delicious southern bro9le.
Personally he is one OF the highest toned,
Eintlcst hearted, and most chivairouS OF men,
and in his time he has bccn recognized as
one Of the most vigorous writer's of the
South. \ little work OIL parliamentary law,
of which he is the author, IS still quoted ID
southern legislative bodies. But at the time
Colonel CIuskey took hold of the Ledger,
ilI-Ecalth had greatly impaired his useful
Dess. lie was gallant soldier in behalf Of
the lost cause, and was literally shot to pieces.
The only wonder was that he managed to
live. Colonel Cluskcy made frantic efforts
to discipline his rahble, aud 1T the same time
endeavorcd to cultivate agreeable social rela-
tons 1t WAS one of his theories that Il man
employed Oh the Ledger must necessarily be
a gentleman, and that n man good enough to
associate with him in the Office was entitled
to be received at his house. About once a
week the entire force was invited to bis ele-
CANT mansion to discuss oysters, vcnison,
champagne. and other creature comforts.
The earlier numbers OF the Ledger were
curiositcs in their way. / remember one
ni.;ht when the foreign editor, intensely
prusSian in his sympathics had written an
article on the FrAnco-Gcrman war, and Dir.
Breckenridge, who strongly syupathizcd
with the French. had written one on the
same subject. Of course they contlicted,
and each was stubborn in insisting Oh COM
uniting the paper to his own views. Colo.
mel Cluskey was appealed to. Gentlemen"
said he, oracularly, "by Joye, you must
make your ahticles consist 1t won't Go
TO have an Article in one paint OF the papah
taking one view Of subject, ana an Article
in anothah coiuann taking anothah view.
They must consist Now, l don't care a
copmh about the lrog-etahs or the Dutch,
| but the Iapah must be one thinS or Inc
othah. 1T can't be BOTH" After some
further squabbles, the foreign man aud the
doctor being unable to come to an under
standing, Colonel Mike called out: "Heah
| Give 'em to ME. Pli Tx it up myself"
Taking the two articles, he CIT the head Of
the Breckenridge editorial. sliced sentence
out Of Prices and pasted it on. Then he
scooped out an inch or two Of BreckinridSe
and pasted it on to Price. And so he COLI
tinucd, taking alternate paragraphs from
Breckenridge and Price until he had patched
| up the most remarkable foreign article ever.
| published in the United States, the whole
| thing ending with a sencolon.
| Colonel Citlskey was disposed to assert his
rights, aud took unlbragc ut the frequent
consultations of stockholders. There's too
| much buZZin' about heah TO suit me-" he
| would say. of there's any buZZiu' TO be
done I'll buzz myself. BY Joye! Pye been
elected mauasin' cdiiah of this papah, an
by Jove Pm goin' TO manage it. II thea;
gentlemen amt satisfied with my manage
mert my designations at their suhyice; but
don't want any buZzin' around me. Come,
! Henry, boy. less go au' get 4 caWktail."
Colonel Cluskey had none Of the absurd
| prejudice against personal journalism which
some Of the scGiate and stupid newspapers Of
the day affect. "BoyS," he would say, /" to-
NOAH We must open on 'cm along the whole
line. III go for 'cm Old the second page, and
want Undahwood to so for 'ein in the local,
and Smith can so for 'cm in the telegraph,
and Hentlahson in the commercial, and
among us we'll make it hot. Its about my
time o day for takin a cawktall, aud | want
the whole to'ce to go out with me-"
Colonel Mike came from country where
the code was i'll force. and he had an idea
that nothing helped a newspaper 50 much as
for some Que connected with it to shoot
some one, or get shot himself.
When it became necessary to rC0rganiZe
the Lea,9er force and somewhat condense il,
the difficulties Of the situation began TO
manifest themselves. Ordinarily when q
proprietor or managing editor desires to dis
pGnse with the services OF un employee it is
4 very simple matter to drop him note
politely Informing him That his services are
no longer seqllired. The discharged EN-
ployG bites Iris lip, pockets the note, draws
his salary, catsses paragraph to be in
serted in one of the other city papers
stating that he has "resigned" or "seyered
his connection" and then he proceeds to
get Systematically and thoroughly drunk.
But in Kentucky il Is more serious
matter. Kentucky talent aakes it Us NOR
tai aifront that any proprietor should fail to
appreciate it, and it Is disposed TO hold
somebody to personal responsibility, or at
least to demand explanations a half dozen
affairs of honor only tailed OIL account of the
difficulty of fixing the responsibility. Mat
thews was the Jorkius of the trim and owing
to his divided duties on each side Of the river
it was hard to find Matthews. One employe
whose services were dispensed with spent q
fortnight and half Of his last weeks salary
In travelling between Louisville and New
Albany for The purpose of putting head on
Matthews Fortunately, however, they,
never met until the force Of the indignity
was spent.
How A Doc WAS So1.D."-Here is true
dog story:
A family down town having false CRATE
III one Of the rooms Of the house placed some
red paper behind it to give the effect of fire.