Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-09-26
TIE HERALD.
A Frontier Bulldozer.

Wnen applied for the position
OF city editor on the daily Scalper,
frontier paper Of some pretense. the
man at the helm simply asked my
name, age aud weight and what
knew about the business, and he EN-.
ployed me.
The proprietor is not hard to suit
said to the foremen that evening
as | began business.
why do you think so 2
Because he engaged me at once,
l replied.
The foreman laughed.
That's because he thinks you
won't last mere than day or two.
They never do
Who p
sThe editors-get cleaned out you
know knocked in the head, shot to
pieces-busted. Some of them leave
the first day, others hang ON a week
or two, then We carry them to the
hill you see over there and plant 'em
and there's row of local editors ov-
er there half mile long and all died
with their boots on
Truly this was not very encourag-
ing but did not believe half of it.
Its fact though declared the
foreman. 'This towns not like 9TH
err places, and this is high pressure
newspaper. Ii you wish to be popu-
lar you must pitch into the people
like bIazes. Those fellows over on
the hill are popular
sAnd that's why they got killed,
suppose p l said.
Il reckon so at any rate they are
dead +; Joe Hodges killed Them
Joe Hodges?
'Yes.'
who is he pray?'
The town bully The masher of
the village genuine, double back
action rough. Better not say any
thing about Joe, or hs'll waltz 10
here and mash you into jelly in no
time. Very particular is Joe about
newspaper notices.
Then he shall have none in this
paper | said da:erminedly.
ooh, but that won't do exclaimed
tee foreman. Joe is that sort of a
fellow that won't be slighted-noth.
ing he hates as neglect and then he
is mixed up in every row, so you'll
have to mention him. In fact, Joe
Hodges is on the fight worse than
any man ever knew,
Copy yelled out one of the COM
positors.
The foreman cleaned the hook and
rushed into the composing room.
'Pll fix Joe Hodges said to my
self, when the man had gone. sThe
first blow is the best, so here goes
seized my pencil and wrote q
lit 10 notice comparing Joe Hodges
wit a mule and saying that. accord.
ing to accounts, he was drunken
rascal. unfit for human association.
The notice was put in type at
once, and appeared in the paper next
morning along with other locals, and
that afternoon Joe Hodges called.
/ was busy writing when he cams
in and | looked up when hurried
glance told Inc who be was.
A short, heavy-set, swarthy, low
browed rascal with black hair and
eyes and red shirt-that was Joe
Hodges.
take a seat | said, and went on
writing. In a half drunken way he
fioundered into chair.
Joe Hodges
dashed it down on broad piece
of paper on the table.
How old are your
'Forty-two, with o surprised look.
l dashed that down in the same
way.
Your birth.place?'
Missouri with still more surprise.
put it down and then reached for
heavy revolver, which / cooked
and laid on the table,
Are you married p / asked with q
quiet look at the astonished man.
NO. he replied, staring wildly.
l put the answer down.
what is your business?
"a blacksmith
| made record of the fact, and
then looked up to ask another ques-
ton when saw that the bully had
risen and stood glaring at me with
his hand on the door.
What in thunder are you writing?
he yelled his face almost purple.
AN obituary.
Whose 2
Yours
He may have had urgent business
down on the street do not know !;
at any rate he suddenly withdrew