The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-11-02

From en- interview in the Boston Herald.
People have often ordered how Mr..
Forbes has ever been enabled to write those
long and graphic letters, masterpieces of
war literature, and fresh with the spirit of
the event, after the deadly fatigue of long
and perilous ride from the front 10 place
where he could forward them by telegraph.
1t is because he has everything in readiness
beforehand. On the battle.h Id, while shells
are bursting around and bullets whistling
past, correspondent Is apt to be rather
nervous, having nothing 10 dc. bnt to look on,
and not with his attention occupied by solid
work, like the soldier. So Mr. Forbes made
IL point to occupy his attention with good
soldier work, too, in the form of incessant
note.taking. This he does, whatever the si.-
uation, and the occupation given his mind
makes it needless, if not oblivlous, of the
danger surrounding him. These notes he
writes down plainly in the present tense -
something which gives vital actually to his
letters, SO that the reader has a sense of
sharing the writer's participation in the
scenes-and. if he should be wounded, he
could hand his notebook to some one with
instructions what to do. There would be
no difficulty in reading the hotes, and there.
fore the material would not be lost in such
case, though most likely delayed.
In taking these notes, he takes
pans to choose his language deliberately,
carefully rounding his phrases and even ran.
sackng his brains for fitting quotations. If
there is place where he knows quotation
would be appposite, and he cannot recall il
al the time, he leaves space blank for it, 10
be filled in afterwards. So, after all, the war
correspondent, Julian Hardy, in "Fatinitzs,"
who calmly takes his notes in the midst of a
Turkish attack, is not the exaggeration he
has been supposed to be, and as doubtless
intended to be by the author.
BY this means, when, tired out with his
long journey, Mr.. Forbes arrives at tn, place
where there is a telegraph station, he does not
have the labor of composition ON his mind,
but simply that of TRANSFERRING his notes
With many men, composition under such
circumstances would be impossible With
mas of Mr.. Forbes splendid physique and
capacity to bear great menta' strain, il would
not be impossible, but il would doubtless
have had the effect of prematurely shattsr-
ing his system. Besides, letters written af-
ter such excrtions would be quite different
things from those that have given him his
fame; every word straight from the vintage
of war, with the bloom Of battle fresh upon
it. On reaching his journeys end, Mr..
Forbes has sometimes relieved himself of
the labor of writing by debating from his
notes, but he has seldom allowed himself this
luxury, acting on the principle that war
correspondent, to be certain of having his
work reach its destination, must do every
tNir~ himself For ha it known tho 'a'H-
graph clerk upon whom ne must depend
can rarely understand q word of English.
The dispatches must be given them literally,
letter for letter, just as they are forwarded.
Therefore trey must be in plain, school-boy
hand, and Mr.. Forbes has the knack Of
writing school-boy hand rapidly.
80 war correspondent must stand in the
double capacity Of journalist and soldier? %
an triple capacity. He must be a
courier a. we'll. And for the three | would
place the courier above ALL For it does not
need brilliant writing, but clear statements Of
facts. A penny-a-liner with the qualifca
tons of n courier, is worth more than the
best trained journalist without. OF what
avail is the best material if it cannot be for
warded after it is obtained? Some of the
most brilliant fellow have proved complete
failures in the field for lack of taking this
foresight. A war correspondent must care.
fully lay all his plans for getting back to the
place of communication in way 10 be pre-
pared for any emergency. He must be ready
to push his way through and over every
thing; If there is a river, SWIM 1t; he must
brave every danger; he must be prepared to
fight, to,kil if need be; at all cost keep his line
of communication open. He must have fresh
horses for him along the route, with men on
the qui viye for his coming. If his horse
drops dead by the way, ne must take off the
saddle and carry it on his back, Cor a saddle
is of vital importance, and his next horse
would be useless without it. He must know
how to humor his horse. l am heavy man,
but have rode horse thirty miles where
light men have worn out their horses in ten
miles. He must be able TO have solution
on the instant for every problem that pre-.
sents itself. And for oil this he must have O
carte blanche from the journal"