Morning journal and courier., 1882-06-13
Walt Whitman.
His Several Ventures as q JournaIist as
 Described by Himself.


 From the First Number of the Camden cour!er.I
 As I sat taking my evening sail across the Delaware in the staunch ferryboat Beverly, 8 night or two ago, I was joined by two young reporter friends. II have 8 message for you" said one of them "the C0uraer folks told me to say they would like piece signed by your name, to go in their first number. Can you do it for them ?'' 1T guess so,'' said I: ''what might it be about ?'' Well, any thing on newspapers, or perhaps what you'y done yourself starting them" And of the boys went, for we had reached the Philadel- phia side.
 The hour was fine and mild the bright half moon shining; Venus, with excess of splen- dor, just setting in the West, and the great scorpion rearing it's length more than half up in the southeast. As l crossed leisurely for an hour in the pleasant night scene, my young friends words brought up quite string of "reminiscences.
 commenced when was but 8 boy of eleven or twelve writing sentimental bits for the old Patriot in Brooklyn; this was about 1882. Soon after I had piece or two in l George P. Morris then celebrated and fash ionable Ni7T07' of New York city. I remen- Der with what half suppressed excitement I used 10 watch for the big. fat red faced, slow moving, very old English carrier who distributed the Mirror in Brooklyn; and I leaves with trembling fingers. How it made my heart double beat to see my piece on the pretty white paper in nice type
 My first real venture was the Long -LsLdIld- CT in my own beautiful town of Huntington, Long Island, New York, in 1889. was about twenty years in various parts of Sui folk and Queens counties. but liked printing had been at it while lad, and learned the trade of composiror, and was encouraged to | start a paper in the region where I WAS born I went to New York bought 8 press and types, hired some little help, but did most of the work myself, including the press work. Everything seemed turning out well (only my own restlessness prevented my gradually | establishing permanent property there. I bought good horse, and every week went | all round the country serving my papers, de- voting one day and night to it. l never had happier jaunts-going over to South Side, to | Babylon, down the South road, across to | Smithtown and Comac, and back home. The | experiences of those jaunts, the dear, old | fashioned farmers and their wives, the stops | by the hay fields, the hospitality, nice din ners, occasional evenings, the girls, the rides 1 through the brush and the smell from the l salt of the South roads come up in my mem ory to this day, after more than forty years. l The Long Islander has stuck 1t out ever since is now in the hands of Charles E. 1 Shephard, who was born to breyier, the chase and the ink block, and prints the best | country weekly for local news I know oi l anywhere.
 next went to the Aurora daily in New | York city-a sort of free lance. Also wrote regularly for the Iattler, an evening paper. l With these and little outside work l was occupied of and on, until I went to edit the 1 Brooklyn Eagle where for two years had one of the pleasantest sits of my hfe-a good owner. good pay, and easy work and hours l J:L nft nOr1l l The troubles in the Democratic party broke forth about those times (lS4S49) and split off with the Radicals, which led to rows witt the boss and ''the party" and l lost my | place.
 Being now out of job, was offered i'm | promptu Git happened between the acts one night in the lobby of the old Broadway Thea Ire, near Pearl street, New York city), a good chance to go down to New Orleans on thu staff of the Crescent, daily to be started 1 there with plenty of capital behind it, in op I position to the PicGyune. One of the own | ers Mir. Mcclure. who was North buying material, met me walking in the lobby, anC though that was our first acquaintance, aftel l fifteen minutes talk (and drink) we made formal bargain, and Mcclure paid me S20C down to bind the contract and bear my ex | penses to New Orleans. 1 started two day. afterwards; had & good leisurely time, as tht paper wasn't to be out in three or four weeks I enjoyed my journey and Louisiana vertaF' very much I believe the CreScsn. IS an in sttution there yet.
 Returning to Brooklyn year or two after ward I started the Fireman, first as a week ly, then daily. Pretty soon the Secession war broke out, and I, too, got drawn in thu current southward, and spent the following three years there.
 Besides starting them, aforementioned I have had to do, one time or another, witl a long list of papers, at divers places, some times under queer circumstances. Durini the war the hospitals at Washington, amonl other means of amusement, printed . lttu
 sheet among themselves, surrounded b. wounds and death the -fraaory Square Ga eette, to which I contributed. The same lonj afterward casually, to a paper-I think was called the Jimpleouts-out Colorado where I stopped at the time.
 When I was in Quebec province in Cana da, in 1880, I went into the queerest littl
 old French printing office near Tadoasac. I
 was far more primitive and ancient than +qy
 Camden friend William Kurtz's plecS up el
 Federal street.
 remember, as yaGAgsteE, several char
 acteristic old printers of a kind hard to D
 seen ct sll these days. If my space were no
 exhausted I should like to say somethiu
 about those quaint old characters,
 So, my dear old friends and typos, if thes
 impromptu yarns will do, you are welcome t | them,