Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-05-17

LONDON EDlroR.
The editor Of tho Morning
Chronicle during Mr.. Clements
proprietorship was John Black,
q man with the spirit Of . Draw
cansir and the habits of . Carthu-
sian monk. He had in person,
according to,James Grant, oil the
blunt and bluff appearance Of .
farmer, He was never
during the many years of his au-
thorship to be seen in the streets
without being accompanied BY .
large mastiff, and . robust stick,
which he himself called an honest,
sturdy cudgel, in his hand; and
generally, according to tho reeol-
lections of another of his staff
who knows him az we'll as Mr..
Grant, witha couple of books I'm.
der his arm, which he had picked
up az . bargain At one Of the Sec
ond hand book stalls that
abounded at this time in the
Strand. All his habits were of q
piece. Dressing - he did, in the
plainest possible manner. he had
an insuperable objection to have
his sanctum kept tidy. This ex-
tended even to the busting of his
books; tho dustier they were the
better. They lay, like DR.. Thrill
wallis, in heaps all over the floor,
and the whole room was in glo-
rious confusion - papers piled
upon papers, books upon books.
The place was Chaos. Black found
his way about the room, it 10 said,
BY instinct; but he knew the place
Of every book, and when chatting
with a visitor about any Of the
questions of the day, be would
walk across the room, take down
. volume to prove his point, read
the passage, and return the book
to ito place without removing
more of tho dust than the action
absolutely required.
Henry Hunt was once asked,
in cross-examination, in . libel
case against the Morning Chroni-
Gle, whether be had ever been in
Mr.. Blacks room. Yes, said
Hunt. And how was tho edito-
rial sanctum furnished-splen-
didly ? asked the counsel. Il can
hardly say that it was Can you
give the jury some idea of the in
terior2 What do you suppose
would have been the value of the
furniture9' Il should not think,
was the answer, the whole Of the
furniture, il sold atauction, would
have fetched more than seven.
e-halfpsnny.' Are you &C.
rious, sir!' asked tho counsel: ire
member youare on your oath, sir
j do remember that, said Hunt,
and, remembering it, I hope !
havo not put too extravagant .
price upon the furniture Then
please to explain, sir, replied the
counsel. How do you arrive 1t
the conclusion that the whole OF
the furniture in the editorial
sauctum Of the Morning Chroui-
Gle is not worth more than ssven>
e-halfpenny3 Explain how
you make that out why saidt
Hunt, amid the inextinguishable
laughter Of the court, there was
no furniture ct ell except . table
and two chairs, and while the ta-
bic would not have fetched six
pence, no one would have given
more than three halfpence, 1t tho
for the two chairs to-
gsthsr.'
Yet, John Black, with the man
ners Of . bear possessed the soul
Of . Saladin, and although he did
not care sufficiently for his best
friend to walk across the street to
shake hands with him, he was
ready at . moments notice, to I'M
lock his pistol-case and fight .
duel with the first maa who, like
Roebuck, impugnsd the honor OF
the fourth estate or it, reprssen-
tatives. He was personally the
soul Of honor, and % proud, per-
senally and professionally. that,
although in constant communica-
ton with Her Majesty's Minis.
ters during the administrations OF
the Wings, he never asked . sin
ole favor Of one Of them.
You are the only man, said
Lord Melbourne to him on one
occasion. when chatting With
him in his study. who forgets
that / am prime minister sHow
90, my lord2' asked Black, suppos-
ing, for . moment, that hs had in
advsrtsntly omitted 70 par proper
respect to the rank OF his visitor.
well, aid Lord Nelbeur1s. you
arc the only man l know vhe
never asks . favor Of me- 4
have NO favor 70 ask, ny lord,
replied Black. I have NO favor
to ask Of any one in ths world.
You arc prime minister Of Eng
Ia hutf Am ndit0r Of tho Morn.