The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-10-10

ssWRITING UP THE SOUTH"
CURTIS, THE CORRESPONDENT OF THE CHICAGO
'.INTER-oCEAN."

CURTIS, THE CORRESPONDENT OF THE CHICAGO
'.rNTER-ocEAN."
A correspondent OF the Chicago Tribune,
writing from Vicksburg, gives an account Of
an interview he recently had with Curtis, the
festive youth sent down South by the immacu-
late Chicago Inter- Ocean to write up the
country. His letters from New Orleans were
never surpassed for barefaced, outrageous
mendacity. The Iritlne's correspondent
thus shows Curtis up:
"You were about to explain your New Or
leans letter." said.
Eyes, I-hy!-well, you see, found things
in very much the condition that l reported
them. saw several gentlemen in New Or
leans who gave me the information which l
embraced in my letter"
"They were all Radicals, put in.
Well-ah yes, generally. l took that
side of the question; bad to do SO, you know;
and gained my information from men who
thought my way-that is, my papers way
and represented things accordingly"
"Your letter contained one statement re-
earding an interview with lady who had
sent tor YOU to ascertain something about her
old frien Is in Chicago. She was born, reared,
and married in Chicago, l believe your letter
stated and had buried two children there,
previous tc her removal South, one year before
the war l think you stated in your letter
that, before YOU left her, she took occasion to
give carpet-baggerS and Northern adventures
thorough dressing down, attributing all the
wrongs and outrages inflicted upon the South
to their villainy; also, complaining very bit
terly of the Northern people for encouraging
such state of things"
eyes. ali +! saw that lady-a Mrs. Shields
and she said some things that dared moi
put in print.
.And yet" sid l, do you not believe that
she told the truth? Don't you think that the
tact of her being a Northern lady gave add
tional weight to her opinion? She saw the
effects caused by the miserable scoundrels
who have sunk Louisiana and other States
South into ruin, creating this very state o.
affairs which Harper's Weekly, the Inter- Ocean
and other vile sheets are trying to magnify
into civil war for political effect, and which is
in realty, an uprising Of honesty against
thievery?"
"Well-ah, yes! l didn't look at it thai
way; but believe you're right. Mrs. Shields
must have known, that's q fact. Now, III tel
you the plain truth Of the matter, drawing
his chair up very close to mine. You see
I've been sent South to represent things in &C
cordance with the line Of argument held by
the Inter- Ocean, The time for the fall election,
is now upon us, or soon will be, and my paper
is making strong point for wavering Repub
licans by showing the South to be in state
bordering almost ON civil war. We must re-
present that it will be dangerous for the
| Democracy in the North to succeed; for
being in sympathy with the South, the negro
Il mot
keep Democracy down by showing terrible
state of affairs in the South, where they hap
pen to be IN the ascendency, or where they
feel that they are gaining strength. Don't
YOU see? southern Outrages' makes o big
point for Northern Republicans; it keeps
them more closely united. And don't you
know that to shoot one niger in the South
makes forty Republican votes? That's the
| idea. Now I'm a Democrat between you
and me); but I am working for bread and
meat. You know how that is yourself. Since
1 came to Vicksburg, I've found everything
| nice and quiet, and really I cannot, if
fell. inclined, say anything else; but pre-
sumo I'll have to do it. That's the policy
l have interviewed Capt Fred Speed, Capt
John Beard, and many Others and
though they are Northern men and Republi-
cans, they tell me they have long been dis
gusted with the villainies Of men high in Office
in this State, and are now members OF the
Peoples party. / noticed last night, at the
meeting of the order of Blue and tray, Re-
publican and ex-Federal soldier in the chair
Co.. Charles E. Furlong; and Capt. Cowan
and Col R. V. Booth both ex-Confederate
soldiers orators of the evening. 1shall pub
fish their addresses in full, if can get them
Oh, yes! Vicksburg is an agreeable city, and
shall leave it with very good opinion OF hel
people"
Suppose should publish our interview
in the Chicago Tribune. said l, "what would
you think2'
..well, should lose my place! But you
wouldn't do that, would You? Are you a
newspaper man." (Astonished, perhaps, that
a newsdealer could possibly be newspaper
reporter).
Eyes. was formerly in that very lucra-
tive, pleasant and very enviable business, but
have retired"
He seemed puzzled. and, it being mail
time, we went to the post-offce, where Curtis
waited very anxiously for the last Chicago
In.er- Ocean, which did not come that day.
Curtis was to call next day, before he left
our city, but he failed.
hope he may not be discharged, for he is a
good fellow but, Lord how his letters do lie.
Yours, JOHN w. LAWNS.