The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-03-31
A LIFE OF yICISSITUDE.
Che Career OF BriilIa mt bur Errntic New
pnper Writer.


paper Writer.
A New York letter contributes the
following "reminiscences OF brilliant
but dissipated newspaper Bohemian
The mention OF Pfaff's reminds me of
the history, half pathetic, of one OF the
true Bohemians, type now almost ez-
tinct, related the other night in pop
ular resort near "the square" by for
mer associate, one who would not bear
the ills Of newspaper life, but Few
to other that he knew not Of by en-
barking upon the treacherous sea Of
theatrical speculation. OF obscure
origin and the most limited advantages
our Bohemian developed into man OF
marvellous resources, wide knowledge,
incisive wit and brilliant attainments
but in him were united most remark
able combination of good and bad quail
tiles. The peer intellectually of the
brightest men of his day, no delighted
in the companionship OF the dissolute
and debased He would pawn the coat
on his back fer charity but would
never pay debt. lie was born news
paper man, and possessed versatility
that enabled him with equal readiness
to pen scholarly and analytical ant re-
view or describe a sensational murder
with all tho brutal justice of photo
graph. In q reportorial way he was
equal to anything from humorous
paragraph to five column interview,
from an italian opera to base ball
match, from Presbyterian synod to
| prize-hght. He was by turns an idle
and bloated vagrart, and man of clear
brain, untiring energy, fertile in expo
dient, and Incompatible as news
gatherer, but always strictly unreliable.
| When Of his own volition he undertook
a task no obstacle could dishearten him,
no personal hardship was too great, aud
he would persevere until his object was
attained /; but give him q set task, even
though it might assure equal or greater
compensation, and he was quite likely
to neglect it altogether. "Ify you ever have
anything very particular on hand" he
said one day when about to receive an
important assignment, "don't intrust it
to me, but in great emergencies, when
left to myself, look out for me-" One
evening, while dragging out miserable
existence by occasional reporting in
Cincinnati, our Bohemian heard OF O
railway accident few miles distant.
In an instant there was q magic
transformation. The news gather
ing instinct was aroused. The
shuffling vagrant became the alert re-
porter, with cv,ry faculty active.
fastening to tho Office he found every
mouth closed. The facts were to be
suppressed as long as possible, and no
word Of information could be extracted.
This much he knew; the disaster had
occurred near country town about ten
miles from the city. Without q mo-
ment's he tsitation he took to the track.
1t was dark, stormy night, and the
rain came down in torrents, but he plod.
ded along manfully and cheerfully. and
shortly before midnight reached his
dee1'~aCap -Tha station onarotor eaid
Time was precious and tho seeker after
news pleaded in vain for statement OF
the facts. The operator, governed by
instructions, curtly refused to divulge
tho slightest detail. Argument and en-
treaty were alike unvaling, and the re-
porter was in despair, when the tele-
graph instrument began to click. In
stantly he grasped his opportunity, and,
requesting permission to dry his rain
soaked clothing, seated himself by the
stove. where every sound could be dis
tinctly heard. Among his varied ac-
complishments Was Il thorough knowl-
edge OF telegrapby, and as lie sat
shlvering over tac cheerful bllse, his
practiced car, drank IA every word that
passed over the wire From tho station
beyond, where the train employees lad
gone, came. q toieIably comprehensive
account OF the accident Ia collision
caused by the violation ot orjers) the
names of four or five persons killed and
as many wounded. 1t Wa. q supple
mentary report and explicit enough to
serve the purpose. A neighboring
farmer was hastily aroused, and the
promise OF liberal compensation induced
him to harness q team and drive the
reporter with all speed to Cincinnati,
where the Enquirer Office was reached at
2 o'clock in the morning. An hour later
column report OF the accident, en-.
bracing the essential facts with some
imaginative establishment OF details,
had been put in type and the esteemed
contemporaries of the Enquirer were
badly "scooped," while the chagrin
and anger Of the secretive railway
authorities was simply indescribable.
This ingenious bit of work was literally
rewarded, and its author given regular
employment. But the incentive to con-
tinued action WIS lacking the first i'm
portant assignment was deliberately neg
lected and the depths of degradation
we're again sounded.
In time the Bohemian drifted back to
| New York, where LIE underwent every
form Of privation and suffering thai
poverty can infiict because be would
| not be a man.
An artful borrower, he lived chiefly
upon the bounty Of those who admired
him in spite of his faults. His appeals
at least had the merit OF frankness. 1t
was rarely "Will You lend me dollar ?"
but "Give me dollar it's safe to
assert that I'll never pay you" Remon-
stances against his manner CT life were
unavailing. He would listen attentively
to the catalogue of his misdeeds, and
then remark complacently to his
acouser, "My dear fellow, you fatter
me; you positively do" adding con.
fession cf offenses, compared with
which those for which he had been
arraigned were trities of utter insiguifi-
cance. When fckle fortune smiled
upon him at rare intervals he squandered
his small possessions with as much
princely prod gality as if there were
millions in reserve. He would give
his last cent to brother unfortunate.
when not knowing where he himself
would sleep that night, or how he
would procure his next meal. II am
generous, but not just" he would say.
But neither dissipation nor privation
could check the spontaneous flow OF
his wit, which was singularly bright and
sparkling. He wrote numerous sketches
when his nightly bed was upon bench
in Union Square ard five cent mutton
| nia was To him bannnet fit for gods.