The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-07-09
WALT WHITMAN.
His Several Ventures as a Journal.
iSt as Described by Himself.

! was Joined by two reporter friends.
81 have a message for you," said one
OF them; "the Courier folks told me
to say they would like a piece signed
by your name to go in their first
number. Can ycu do it for tbem?"
Il guess So" said /. what might
it be sbout?" "WelI, anything on
newspapers, or perhaps what you've
done yourself starting them" And
of the boys went, for We had reached
the Philadelphia side.
The hour was fine and mild, the
bright half-moon shining: Venus.
with excess of splendor, just setting
in the west, and the great scorpion
rearing Its length more than half up
in the southeast. As | crossed
leisurely in the PLEASANT night scene,
my young friends words brought up
quite a string Of "reminiscences.
l commenced when [ was but
boy OF eleven or twelve writing senti-
mental bits for the old Patriot in
Brooklyn; this was ABOUT 1882. Soon
after I had a piece or two in George
2. Norris then celebrated and fash
ionsble Mirror, of New York City.
l used to watch for the big, fat. red
faced, slow moving, very old English
carrier who distributed the Mirror
in Brooklyn; and when ] got one,
opening and cutting the leaves with
trembling fingers, now it made my
heart double-beat to see my piece on
the pretty white paper in nice typeI
My first real venture was the Long
BLander in my own beautiful town
of Huntington, Long Island, New
York, in 1889. l was about twenty
years old. 1 had been teaching
country school for two or three years
in various parts OF Suffolk and Queens
counties, but liked printing. [ had
been at it while lad, and learned
the trade of composition, and was en-
couraged to start paper in the region
where I was born. l went to New
York. bought a press and types,
hired some little help, but did most
of the work myself, including the
press-work. Everything seemed
turning out we'll (only my own rest
lessness prevented my gradually
establishing a prominent property
there.) l bought a good horse, and
every week went all around the
country serving my papers, dsvoting
one day and night to it. never had
happier jRunts-going over to South
Side, to Babylon, down the south
ROAD, across to Smithtown and Oomso,
and back home. The experiences OF
these jsunts, the dear, old.fashioned
farmers and their wives, the stops by
the hsy-felds, the hospitality, nice
dinners, occasional evenings, the
girls, the rides through the brush and
Toe smell from the salt of the South
roads come up in my memory to this
lay, after more than forty years. The
Long LsGnder has stuck it out ever
since--is now in the hands of Charles |
.. Shepherd, who was born to brewer,
he chase and the ink. block, snd
prints the best country weekly for
ocal news I know of anywhere.
I next went to the Aurora daily in |
New York city-a sort OF free-lsnos.
Also wrote regularly fer the Tdtt{er, |
IN evening paper. With these and
! little outside work was occupied
IF and on, until ] went to edit the
Brooklyn Eagle, where for two years
had one of the pleasRnte,t sits of
ny Ists-R good owner, and good
Jay, and easy work and hours (it
iame oul about 8 o'clock every after
loon.) The troubles in tie demo-
ratio party broke forth about these
lines (1S4S-'49) and I split of with
be radicals, which led to rows with
be boss and 'ths party" and l Loaf
by place.
Being now out of g job, l was
,fered impromptu (it happened be-
ween the acts one night in the lobby |
II the old Broadway Theatre, near
Pearl street, New lork City, q g9od
nance to go down to New Orleans
n the staff Of the Crescent, daily to
70 started there with plenty OF capital
'ehind it. in opposition to the Picdy-
ne. One OF the owners. Mr.. Nc
lure, who was north buying mater
81, met me walking in the lobby, /
nd though that, was our first &C
usintsnse, after fifteen minutes talk
and drink we made q formal
and Mcclure paid me 5000
own to bind the contract snd bear
~ expenses to New Orleans. [
.arted two days afterwards; had a
God leisurely time, as the paper
Iasn't to be out in three or four
'eeks. I enjoyed my journey and
ouisisna venture very much. l
elieve the Crescent is an institution
lere yet.
Returning to Brooklyn a year or
70 alterwarj I statedr the Freeman,
ret as q weekly, then daily. Pretty
ION the secession war broke out, and
too, got drawn in the current south
ard, and spent the following three
sars there. l.
Besides starting them, as former.
cned, I have had to do, enc time or
1other, with long list OF papers,
divers places, sometimes under
leer circumstances. During the
ar the hospitals at Washington,
nong other means OF amusement,
tinted a little sheet among them