New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-27
THE DETROIT FREE PRESS HUMORIST

From Correspondence OF The Clersdnd L,ader
member Of The Detroit free Itess stan gives me
some interesting gossip about Charles Is. Lewis, or
an Quad who has made that paper famous Oy
his humorous articles Lewis" said he, is now
man of forty-fve, pleasant and joyial IN company;
INF perhaps better satisfied in solitude. lie started
life AZ a printer on a one-hOrse paper IN Lansing,
Mich But he had ambition for something better,
and seeing one day an advertisement IN printer
journal that there paper wanting an editor IN
JonesbOro, Tenn, he applied for the stuatlon anu
his proposition was accepted lie threw up ms SIT
uation in Lansing and started ior J9nesDplo Ooni-
ing into Cincinnati, he was surprised ut the blgness
Of the city and when he saw the steamer when
was 10 convey him down the river puftng
aud blowing out great QUANTITIES OF steam 1t
up to the clerk who was taking bllls
al lading and asked him If he thought there was
any danger of the steamer blowing up as IL so nc
by laughed, and the clerk was inclined TO thlhk
that Lewis was trying TO guy hn. glance AT ms
WINGED him that the young man was IN earnest, and
he assured him that the " Magnolia, for IT was that
famous boat was all ght and that ne GodH o Sig6
bundle from his shoulder and stepped on board.
Now a rival boat had got about fifteen miles start
OF the Magnolia, ard as she left the wharf she pun
ON all steam intendngtO catch and pass her LOWE
snpnosed IL was all right, aud was much Interested
in watching the machinery. .
The Magnolia was the fastest boat on the river,
Int this time she outdid herself, and Just as she
came in sight of the rival boat her boiler burst,
and up went the ship, and Lewis went up with 10,
Int coming down near INC bnoIc no was "''N
10 crawl TO dry land when he sank down insens-
ibie. Being SO near the engine he was badly IN.
iured and his face was 80 covered wlth soot tnaI
lac looked like very negro. Those VINO came 10
the assistance of the other passengers thought him
such and paid attention 20 HIM until All the
others were cared for. Then they took MN IN
charge and sent him to the hospital ut Cincinnati
His eyes were almost put out, ana IL was NOT
thought that he would live. Several doctors came
In every day and discussed his physique and his
prospects of dying by his bedside. -
Notwt hstanding all this, he recovered, aiter q
| pretty hard siege, and concluded TO go back TO
| Michigan lie did so, and obtained work as a
printer on one of the comfy papers IN the interior
of the State. This paper was called me JdcSsonldn
and its editor rather siow-g0lng cOacn, VINO
used the scissors rather than the pen. one day he
| went away from town, leaving Lewis in charge, and
not enough copy TO fill out the paper Lewis was at
his Wits end but he finally decided to write enough
to ill it out himself He then composed the article
giving full account of his adventures on the Mis-
sissippi in detail 1t was headed Howltf eelst DC
| Blown up" And Lewis composed it in a. humorous
ven setting il up as he went along. Inc articIe
was copied widely, aud among other papers In ih'
Detroit Free Press. Qumby, its editor shortly alter
ward engaged Lewis to go to Lansing and write "
the Legislature for him. He did this 80 well
| detroit to take permanent local place on thu
paper He came into the city and directly to thu
he had come TO be one of his locals and said h,
| would like TO write up q dog-hght which he haf
seen on the way from the depot. The local edito
replied that it was not usual to report dog-fghts
but that he might try. He did so, and the article
was copied from Dan to Beersheba. lie wrote othe
local articles and they were also widely copied
The Police Court scenes in which Buah occurs s.
| conspicuously were written by Lewis and thei
| picturesque reality is known everywhere: B1al
actually exists, and he is the curious characte
| which Lewis has so well described. He wrote "
| MANY other humorous sketches that he BEGAN III
leading feature of the paper. Among other [ ( eel
lent work that he has done are the letters he ha
lately written describing Southern battle-ields
He now makes fine salary, and could get employ
ment on any paper in the United States. lie ca
write fine descriptive articles, and is by no mean
confined to the humorous vein by which he is bes
known.