Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-01
AN OLD NEWSPAPER MAN.
Navigation and JOuFnAIlRm For
Years Ago.

Navigation and JOurnaIiam Forty
Years Ago.
Cincinnati Times
"In November, 1885, said Mr..
John W. Caldwell, of the board of
public works, "I left Cincinnati for
New Orleans as a clerk on the fine
steamboat Albany. We made good
time, and all was lovely until we
hove in sight Of Vevay, Indiana,
when in plain view Of the town,
our inexperienced pilot ran the big
steamboat on a sand-bar, to stick,
as it aiterward turned out, for six
mortal weeks. Well, We couldn't
get of, and nothing was left us but
to stay on and make the best of a
bad bargain. In those days George
D.. Prentice and Shal Penn, of
Louisville, and George w. Bradley,
of the Cincinnati News, were maxi
ing journalism one of the liveliest
professions attainable, aud | got the
papers every day, and imbibed their
enthusiasm to the extent of bring
ing out a paper Of my own, done
in manuscript, and headed as fol-
lows: The Ring Tailed Roarer and
the Vevay Island Recorder, edited
by Peleg Shocks, ESQ.,, and publish
ed by Nicodemus Spoddi & Co.;
motto, 'Facilis Ascensus Sandbar.
but hell to get off again. This
valuable sheet was gotten un en-
tirely on the boat, and consisted of
original squibbs, jokes, etc., and
slashing at the more pretentious
Cincinnati and Louisville journals.
The Vevay Times, then edited
and published by Mr.. Stevens, whom
| afterwards knew and admired,
made great sport of us for getting
stuck on a sandbar, at a time, too,
when other boats were making it
all right. Stevens kept up his
thrusts until l thought I'd scare
him a little, just for fun, so, taking
Len Harbaugh, our big engineer,
along, as the other partner, | went
down to Vevay and into the Times
Office. Can | see the editor of this
paper?' said |, holding out a copy
of the Times; I'm Peleg Shocks,
Esq, editor of the Ring Tailed
ROarer and the Veyay Island Re-
corder, and | want to know why
this slanderous article appears here
against the steamboat ALBANY
There was no one in the Office but a
pale young man at the desk, and a
small chip of a boy doing devil
work, who instantly dropped down
and out, leaving only us three.
'Ah-ah-well-yes, let me see-I
%belieye--I think--well--ah-yes-
really-now what was your primary
interrogative, sir p said the Young
man. Are you the editor Of this
paper? What's your name? Did
you write this article ? Who did
write it? Did you know what you
were talking about? Do you
know who | am? Do you know
, my pard here p said /, running the
questions in thick, to keep from
laughing at his scared appearance.
Yes-Ah, ah, yes-of course
certainly-that is to say, no-sure-
ly Internationally and honestly
yes-I'm SO surprised at the honor
f of this visit-really-that, really,
! | hardly know what to say; Mr..
t Peleg Shocks, Esq, editor of the
Ringtailed Recorder and the VevaV
Island Roarer, but if you will sit
down and give me time to recover
my equanimity, l think l can ex.
plain ALL" We looked at him :
while, and pulling out a revolver !
] piece, and telling him to think abou-
a handy place for a meeting at fivC
o'clock next morning, we told him
: while We rested a few minutes be
, fore starting back to the boat, h,
might have time to excuse himsel
ard then he was scared wors,
than ever, but managed to tell us i
: he had done anything wrong h,
was very sorry, and would make
full corrections next week, and W,
left him in his fear and trembling
promising to call again if due apol
. ogy was not made. The Times o
the next week had it smoothed owe.
nicely, and we went up and tolC
Stevens how it was, and then apo
r ogized to him, and he asked us int,
/ the back room to see him open
r key of nails"
The new six-inch Armstrong guI