The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-04-08

The editor Of the Norntsg Chronicle
during Mr.. Clemont's. pr0prietorship
WAS John Black, q man with the spirit
Of . Drawcansir ind the habits of Car
thusian monk. He had in person, ac-
cordling to James Grant, all the blunt
and bluff appearance Of thick-set farm
er. He was never during the many
years Of his etlitorship to be seen in the
streets without being accompanied by y
large n,astiff:: and y robust stick. which
he himself called an honest, sturdy cu(l-
gel, in his hand; and generally, accord
ing to the rec0ilectiOns Of another Of his
staff VIII" knows him az well as Mr..
Grant, with.n couple Of bOoks under his
arm which he had picked up as bar
gain ut one Of the secondhand book
stalls that aboundcd ut this time in the
Strand. All his habits were Of piece.
Dressing, Us he did. in the plainest pos
sihle manner, he had an insuperable oh
lection tn have his editorial ,nctun
Kept tidy. This extended even to the
busting Of his bOOks: the dustier they
were the better. They lny, like DR..
Tnir wallis. IN heaps all over the floor.
and the whole rom, was in glorious com
fnsion-l,ap piled upon papers. t."'ks
upon hooks. The place was Chaos.
Black found his way about the room. it
il said, by instinct; but he knew the
place Of every hook. and when cha thing
with Il visitor about amy of the questions
Of the day, he would walk across the
room, take down Il volume tn prove his
point, read the passage, and return the
Volume to- itx place without removing
more Of the dust than the operation al)-
sOlute]y required.
Henry Hunt was once asked, in cross
examination, in libel case against the
jl0rnimy Chronicle, whether he had ev-
or leen in Mr.. Blacks room. eyes"
said Hunt. "And how was the e1litOri-
nj sanctum MISUNDERSTANDING
asked the counsel. II can hardly say
that it was" "(an YOU give the jury
some idea of the interior: What do you
suppose would have been the value Ut
the filrniture:"' said the counsel. II
should not think" was the answer. 1.-THE
whole Of the furniture, ii sOli ut auction,
would have fetched more than seven
pence-halfl.nny." "Are you serious,
ssir::' asked the counsel; ''rei',cnlln.r you
are on your oath. SIR" II do rcnneni-
her that" said Hunt, land, remembers
ing it, l hope l have not put too extrav.
agant a price upon the furniture. I"
"Then please to explain, sir" replied
the counsel. "HOw d. you arrive ut
the conclusion that the whole If the
furniture in the editorial sssnctum Of the
AlOrn;ny Chronicle II not worth more
than seven,wncc-halfpemny: Explain
how yO,, make that out" ''Why.' said
Hunt, amid Il Z inextinguishal'le laugh
ter Of the Court, ''tllere was no furniture
ut all in the room, except table aud two
chairs, and while the table would not
have brought sixpence, no one would
have given more than three halfl'ence,
ut the utmost, for the two chairs to-
gether."
Yet, John Black, with the manners
of u hear, possessed the soul of Salaatin,
and although, he did not care sufficiently
for his best friend tn walk acr~s the
street tn shake hands with him, he was
ready ut q moments notice, to unlock
his pistOl-casc and fight u duel with the
first man who, like ROebuck, impl,gnett
the honor Of thu. fourth estate Of its rep
re@entativt~. He was personally the
soul Of honor, and 40 proud, personally
and professionally, that, although III
constant communication with Her Maj
pstv's Ministers during the administers
ton Of the Wings. he never asked sin
gle favor Of one Of them.
"YOu are the only man." said Lord
Melbourne. tOhim on one ahr:lsiCil, when
chatting with hin, in his study. ''wht
fOrgets that ! avn Prime Minister. u
"How 70, my lord" asked Black. sup
posing, for Il moment, that he had mad
vcrtcntly omitted to nay pr"pcr RESPECT
to- the rink Of his visitor. "Wrll," said
Lord Melb.,urnc, ''you are the only mar!
l know who never asks Il favor Of me. y
II have no favor to ask, my lord" r.
piled Black. II have no favor to ask al
any one in the world. You are Primo
Minister If England, but AM editor ("
the Movu;my CNr0n;t'c, and ] world not
change places with. the proutlest man IN
Ensland-nOt even, my lord, with YOU. =
II. Pcabotiy IL ''EnGti*h Jo"r"aIi*m.'