St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-11-19
EPSILON MU IN TEXAS.

AN INCIDENT OF HIS TENAs TRIP-VIC-
TI,IIZED BY A sNIDE NEWSPAPER
NAN" LEADER" UNVEILED IN LOU
IsIANA FOR THE FIRST TIME-OPIN1ON
OF PROMINENT NEWSPAPER MEN
CATCH ADVERTISEMENTS INSERTED IN
WESTERN AND SOUTHERN PAPERS TO
ENSNARE THE UNWARY.
SAN ANTONIO, November 18th, 1881.
Especial Correspondence st. Landry Democrat
A few months ago it dawned upon
my mind that brief ojourn IN the
Lone Star State would be beneficial to
my health and with that idea in mind |
concluded to pay visit to the great
State of Texas.
Just about the time when the afore-
said idea overwhelmed me, an adver-
tisement calling for newspaper re-
porter who would also act solicitor TOR
daily paper published in Austin, ap-
peared in the New Orleans Democrat.
The lad" to use newspaper language
appeared big" and like fish at a bait
| bit at it and was caught. The adj
vertisement had been inserted by man
known in Texas as "W. Y. Leader +"
who represented himself as being the
editor and proprietors of newspapers
published in Austin and known by the
catch names of the "Dispatch " the
Sunday Leader and the "Texas Iron
Age all fictitious Journals with the
exception of one the " Dispatch" which
is diminutive little sheet filled with
eIectrotype advertisements. No doubt
the reader will think these names high
faluting ones. The sequel will show
that they are but snares to delude the
public. But your correspondent like
the guileless child he is, was badly
taken in. He answered LEADERS ;"
advertisement. A few weeks thereafter
he received the following letter from the
aforesaid "W. Y. LEADER:
Edmund Maurin, Esq,l
New Orleans, La,
Dear Sir-I desire to secure a travelling cor
respondent and solicitor and think you would
he the man to Till the place. 1 want to have
this State thoroughly canyassed and will pay
N cash $50 per month and 25 per cent commits
sion On all advertisements and subscriptions
and whenever possible will furnish railroad
passes. I am sure any good man can make
from 500 to $50 per month. If this would suit
you would like to hear from you at once.
orleans for our paper 1 would be willing to
pay liberal commission. mail copies OF our
paper. w. Y. LEADER.
never received copy or copies Of
lis paper. The sharpest man in the
world would have been taken in" by
that letter. Not being the sharpest
man living it was an easy thing for "W l..
information which Mr.. Judson, the
manager Of the New Orleans Democrat
could give me about the advertiser
Leader'D was that he was running a
daily paper in Austin. Concluding that
publisher of daily paper in Austin
must be man OF some responsibility,
at least your correspondent sent the
following telegram to the said "W Y.
Leader:
Proposition accepted. Would like to hear
from you at once"
received the following at his expense,
Naturally Epsilon Mu felt buoyant at
the prospects Of visit throughout Texas
and lost no time to get ready to start for
the Lone Star State. 1t is but right to
state that the valuable and highly ap-
preciated assistance Of Judge w. r.
Whitaker, Grand Master of the Louis
lana Lodge F. & A. NJ, was mainly
instrumental in assisting me to under
take the long journey from Louisiana
TO Texas. The kind and fatherly help
Of this distinguished gentleman will
ever be remembered by me. On my
arrival at Austin l "smelt the rat .
although he was about one hundred
miles off. The gentlemanly and enter
prising young proprietor of the Hous-
ton Post, which journal by the way is
some points about "Leader," and ad-
vised me to avoid Leader and his gang
and to give them a wide berth. Other
equally prominent citizens advised me
in the same tone. But I needed not
Arriving in Austin [ again instituted
inquiries and found that the people
without exception regarded the man
Leader as moral leprosy-that he was
and is man Of no standing-a scoun:
drel, a pimp and a poltroOn. But still
! looked for "W. Y. Leader" I found
him. He sat in his pen which he called
his office and press room-a wooder
shanty near the market place and best
lifted for hog pen. After introducing
myself the subject matter of the above
letter was mooted by me. w. Y. Leader
talked nice and proved himself the pos
SCISSOR OF glib tongue. He was to gel
all the railroad passes by Monday. Al
last however the true nature Of the mar
cropped out. He attempted to borrow
ten dollars from me right there ant
and he happened to be just out of poke
change. 1t wouldn't take on me. Tha
game was too stale to work it on me ani
so expressed myself. "W. Y. Leader
then commenced haranguing me abou
men with capital and stated that b.
must have misunderstood my letter.
showed him his written proposition, my
answer thereto and his telegram sent a
my expense, and reminded him that i
was an impcssibility that any misun
derstanding could have occurred. AT
ter rather animated conversation hi
induced me to accept the position O
- rannrfarV for tho D;n,oo4oL