Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-30
HORACE GREELEY.


Heed it, school is in"
HORACE GREELEY.
TWO New and Good Stories Of the3 Great
Journalist
The New York correspondent of the
Indianapolis (Ind) Journal writes: Nal
rating something of my conversation
with Mr.. Reid reminds me of an interest
ing talk I had the other day with Pro-
lessor V. B. Denslow, of Chicago, con-
corning Mr.. Reds great predecessor.
Professor Denslow was the chief editorial
writer on the Chicago Tribune when I
first met him, ten years ago, and wonder
ful spirited, bright and attractive articles
did he contribute. He bad been for two
years previous financial editorial writer
of the New York Tribune, but the offer
ola higher salary had transferred his
brilliant pen to its namesake on the lake.
In 1879 he LETT 1t on account Of i'll health,
which resulted in distressing insomnia,
and he has since done little newspaper
work, except to write the series of long
| exhaustive and scholarly articles on
"Mouern Thinkers" now running in the
Chicago Tames
81 we'll remember when I first met
Mr.. Greedy" said Denslow. I was lust
twenty one, and had recently been adj
mitted to the New York bar. was at
the residence of one of my first clients,
| Mr.. Partridge, publisher, when Greedy
called. When 1 went into the room with
his hands under his coat tails looking at
some pictures. Mr.. Greely,' said Part
ridge, this is Mr.. Denslow, a young at
torney.' Greedy uttered a short grunt of
recognition, but did not even look around.
l, embarrassed, shrunk away to one cor
ner Of the room and took chair. He
went on around the room, looking at
pictures and what not, and in about five
minutes when his back was turned on
me and I thought he had forgotten me,
he suddenly, without looking at me said :
"Hem So you're an attorney, are you?'
confessed 1t. 4 hate lawyers; they do
more mischief than their heads are worth y
"'1 suppose they are necessary evil
suggested, deprecatingly.
"Wholly unnecessarily he insisted
II suppose you will acknowledge" I
said, "that they promote good order and
remove impediments to good govern
ment?"
"Just the contrary ust the contrary!''
he squeaked, in his old falsetto: 'they
cause disorder, and they are the chief OBJ
stacle to good governments
| 1 thought the man was crazy. "Per-
haps you will tell me-" suggested, show
debts would be collected without law
yers.'
"Don't want 'en collected don't want
'em collected'' he squeaked; If A lets B
have his property without payment. I
don't see why G, D, E, F and all the rest
of the alphabet should be called on as po-
lice to get it back No debt should b
collected by law. It's monstrous! Let
a man trust another man at his own risk.
Even gambler pays his debts that he
isn't legally Obliged to pay; and calls
them debts Of honor; but men will put
property out of their hands to prevent
the legal collection of their grocery bills.
Abolish all laws for the collection of
debt, and that would abolish most of you
lawy ers-good riddance!'
1t seemed impossible tu talk with a
man with such eccentric notions.
And this story of Professor Denslow's
reminds me of the method by which
Seilheimer got on the Tribune ten years
ago. II brought a letter from my uncle
Thad Stevens - said Seilheimer, sand ur
to Greeley's cubby-hole went. There
he sat with his chair tilted forward
writing away idly, with the paper close
to his nose. The boy thrust mustard
between his nose and the paper but he
knocked it away without looking up.
waited and waited until had been there
an hour. Greeley never looked at anybody
and rarely spoke. When Young wanted
him to sign anything he brought it ane
thrust it unceremoniously between hi
nose and the manuscript, and held i
there till Greedy signed it. At last
thought I would try that with Stevens
letter to him, which lay on the table IN
opened. I opened it, and slowly slid i
along on the desk from the right, the
signature uppermost. He took no notice
I cautiously pushed it little further
Scratch, scratch, scratch-he was obliv
ious. I timidly advanced the documen
till its edge ovcrlapped his writing, bu
when he came across the paper the mex
| time he pushed it away an inch or tw'
} with his pen and kept on. Emboldenet
now, waited moment; then, when b.
reached for ink, I deliberately pushed
the letter till it covered up his manu-
} script. he looked down, saw the sigma
? turc, and gently pushed it off again, mere
ly saying in high, shrill voice, How
| Thad?' told him and that had brough
' him the letter for him to read, but b
\ was again absorbed, and I could not in
: duce him to again permit his voice to fal
on the auditory nerve or my image o.
his retina. After waiting another hal
hour, withdrew.
Young gave me place and went t.
:, work. Mr.. Greeley never came to tn
l Office on Saturdays, but remained 6
t Chappaqua. One Saturday I was SUI
r prised to see him come in and 90 to worl
7 Presently he came out and looked aroun
t surprised. where's Young?' he askct
r where's Sam?' CWilkinson). I saw ths
l.. the old man was puzzled and had mis-
1 taken the day. They do not come Sa
g urday.' is this Saturday. he askec
/ with start. I think it is, I answered
0 as if doubtful. The revelation irritate
: Mr.. Greeley, for he Numbered out as nea
: ly as his curious voice could be said t
f initiate thunder, %, you think it is,
e you? You think it is2 And who tt
n Are you?'"
n have omitted the theological ter