The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-23
HORACE GREELEY.
Two New and Good stories of the Great
Journalist.

Two New and Good stories of the Great
Journalist.
The New York correspondent of the
Indianapolis (Ind.) Journal writes
Narrating something of my conversation
with Mr.. Reid reminds me of an inter-
esting talk l had the other day with
Professor V. B. Denslow, of Chicago,
concerning Mr.. Reid's great predecessor.
Professor Denslow was the chief editorial
writer on the Chicago Tribune when l
first met him, ten years ago, and Won
derful spirited, bright and attractive ar
ticles die he contribute. He had been
for two years previous financial editorial
writer of the New York Tribune, but the
offer of higher salary had transferred
his brilliant pen to its namesake on the
lake. In 1872 he LETT it on account of ill
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 "Modern Thinkers" now
running in the Chicago Times.
81 well remember when l first met
Mr.. Greeley" said Denslow. Il was
just twenty-one. and had recently been
admitted to the New York bar. l was
ut the residence of one of my first clients,
Mr.. Partridge, publisher, when Greeley
called. When l went into the room
with his hands under his coat tails, look
ing Mt some pictures. Mr.. Greeley
said Partridge, this is Mr.. Denslow, a
young attorney Greeley uttered short
grunt of recognition, but did not even
look around. l, embarrassed, shrunk
away to one corner 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 ack was
turned on me and l thought he had for
gotten me, he suddenly, without looking
at me said Hem! So you're an attor-
ney, are youp' I confessed it. I hate
lawyers, he exclaimed emphatically. Il
hate lawyers; they do more mischief
than their heads are worth!
"' I suppose they are necessary evil,
I suggested, deprecatingly:.
Wholly unnecessarily he insisted
"'I suppose you will acknowledge 1
said, that they promote good order and
remove impediments to good govern
mentP'
"'Just the contrary! Just the con-
traryr he squeaked, in his old falsetto ;
they cause disorder, and they are the
chief obstacle to good governmentn
81 thought the man was crazy. Per-
haps you will tell me, suggested, how
debts would be collected without law
yers.'
"'Don't want 'em collected! don't
want 'em collectedn he squeaked; if A
lets B have his property without pay
ment, l don't see why g, D, E, F and all
the rest of the alphabet should be called
on as police to get it back! No debt
should be collected by law. It's mon-
strous! Let a man trust another man
at his own risk. Even a gambler pays
his debts that he. isn't legally Obliged to
pay, and calls them debts of honor; but
men will put their property out of their
hands to prevent tke. legal collection of
their grocery bills. Abolish all laws for
the collection of debt, and that would
| abolish most of you lawyers-good rid
dance!'
"It seemed impossible to talk with ii
| 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. 81 brought u letter from my uncle,
Thad Stevens" said Seilheimer, land up
| to Greeley's cubby-hole went. There
he sat with his chair tilted forward,
| writing away rapidly, with the paper
close to his nose. The boy thrust mus
tard between his nose and the paper but
he knocked it away without looking up.
waited and waited until l had been there
an hour. Greeley never looked at anybody
and rarely spoke. When Young want,
ed him to sign anything he brought i,
and thrust it unccremoniOusly between
his nose and the manuscript, and helC
it there till Greeley signed it. At last
| thought would try that with Stevens
letter to him, which lay on the desk un,
| opened. l opened it, and slowly slid il
along on the desk from the right, the
signature uppermost. He took no notice
Scratch, scratch, scratch-he was obliv
till its edge overlapped his writing, bu
when he came across the paper the mex
time he pushed it away an inch or two
with his pen and kept on. EmboldeneC
now, waited moment; then. when hi
reached for ink, l deliberately pushed
the letter till it covered up his manu-
script. He looked down, saw the sigma
ture,. and gently pushed it off again
merely saying in a high, shrill voice
How's Thadp' / told him, and that
had brought him the letter Tor him Il
read, but he was again absorbed, and
could not induce him to again permi
his voice to fall on the auditory nerve o.
my image on his retina. After waitin!
another half hour, l withdrew.
Young gave me a place and I wen
to work. Mr.. Greeley never came to tn
office on Saturdays, but remained a
Chappaqua. One Saturday / was sur
prised to see him come ihand 60 to work
Presently he came out and looked arount
surprised. Where's YounsP' he asked
Where's Winter Where's Sam |?
(Wilkinson). l saw that the old MAJ
was puzzled and had mistaken the day
They do not come Saturday. is thi
Saturday. he asked with a start. :
think it is answered, as if doubtful
The revelation irritated Mr.. Greeley, fo
he thundered out, as nearly as his curl
GUS voice could be said to initiate thun
der, 'Oh, you think it is, do youp yol
think it is? And who the are youp'
have omitted the theological tern
which Mr.. Greeley introduced torende
his exact meaning plain.