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

was joined 0y Two reporter irlenos.
Il 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 them"
81 guess So" said /. "What might
it be about?" "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.
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 / had a piece or two in George
2. Norris then celebrated and fash
ionable Mirror, of New York City.
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, how it made my
heart double-beat to see my piece on
the pretty white paper in nice typel
My first real venture was the Long
Islander in my own beautiful town
of Huntington, Long Island, New
York, in 1889. Twas 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 q lad, and learned
the trade of composition, and was en-.
coursged to start paper in the region
where I was born. l vent 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 q good horse, and
every week went all around the
country serving my papers, devoting
one day and night to it. l never had
happier jaunts-going over to South
Side, to Babylon, down the south
road, scross to Smithtown aud Oomac,
and back home. The experiences OF
these jaunts, the dear, old.fashioned
farmers and their wives, the stops by
the hsy-6elds. 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
day, after more than forty years. The
Long LsGnder has stuck it out ever
siDce--is now In the hands of Charles
9. Shepherd, who was born to brewer,
the chase and the ink. block. and
prints the best country weekly for
local news / know of anywhere.
I next went to the Aurora daily in
New York city-a sort OF iree-lRnos.
Also wrote regularly fer tne Idttter,
an evening paper. With these and
little outside work I wac occupied
of and on, until ] went to edit the
Brooklyn Eagle, where for two years
had one of the pleassnte3t sits Of
my Ists-s good owner, and good
pay, and easy work and hours lit
came Out about 8 o'clock every after
noon.) The troubles in tie demo-
cratic party broke forth about those
times (1848'49) and I split of with
the radicals, which led to rows with
the boss and "ths party" and l Loaf
my place.
Being now out OF q job, l was
offered impromptu lit happened be-
tween the acts one nignt in the lobby
OF the old Broadway Theatre, near
Pearl street, New lork City, q gSod
chance to 60 down to New Orleans
on the staff Of the Crescent, daily to
be started there with plenty of capital
behind it. in opposition to the PicGy-
Wne. One OF the owners. Mr.. Nc
Olure, who was north buying mater
isl, met me walking in the lobby,
and though that, was our first &C
qusintanse, after fifteen minutes talk
land drink we made q formal
bargain, and Mcclure paid me 5000
down to bind the contract and bear
my expenses to New Orleans. |
started two days afterwards; had a
good leisurely time, IS the paper
wasn't to be out in three or four
weeks. I enjoyed my journey ana
Louisiana venture very much. /
believe the Crescent is 81 Institution
there yet.
Returning to Brooklyn q year or
two aiterwari I statedr the Freeman,
first as . weekly, then daily. Pretty
soon the secession war broke out, and
/, too, got drawn in the current south
ward. and spent the following three
years there.
Besides starting them, IS . formen'
tened, / have had 10 do, enc time or
another, with a long list OF papers,
at divers places, sometimes under
queer circumstances. During the
war the hospitals at Washington,
among ether means OF amusement,
printed little sheet among them
selves. surrounded by wounds and