The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-04-05
THE HAWKEYE MAN.
Robert ,. Rurdette Tells n Reporter
About Some OF His Early strug-

but I'll give 'em anything in my shop
that they'll call for. / suppose it will
be the old Rise and Fall of the
Mustaohe,' however That seems to
be the most popular of my lectures"
"How often have you delivered it?"
II don't know, indeed he responded
with laugh. II have been hammering
away at it for seven years now, and it
ought have been killed long ago, but it
isn't. People like the old things BEST
and though I've got new ones, they
hardly ever call for them. I've pub
lished them. too. but no one seems con-
sumed with anxiety to read them"
They want to enjoy your society in
your lectures" suggested the reporter
Thank you, thank you; it's possible
they do. As I was saying, the Mus
tache' is probably more popular. but
then have number of others. How
the World Looks to Funny Man. the
Bright Side and Advice to Young
Men I chuck the young men full of
the last, and they remember it-whiIe
I'm talking. Then there are two others,
but these are the principal ones.
81 don't like lecturing, he ratified on,
with hearty laugh punctuating his re-
marks every now and then. "You have
to wear yourself out travelling around
over the country and speaking the same
thing over and over until you are sick
It's not like law, and it amt equal to
journalism. Ihave been in the last busi-
ness ever since I could do anything, hav-
ing commenced my career of infamy as
proof-reader. I got to reporting
afterward, and tell you, for wild,
free luxurious, lotus-eating existence,
there's nothing like it. At work all
day and all night, when other people
are awake and when they are asleep! I
used to run all over town hunting up
dog-fghts, and then when I'd go home
at O'Clock in the morning if I started
to sing little I'd be collared by a
watchman. tried to explain to him
that people made all the noise they
could while was asleep, and I wanted
TO equalize things, but it didn't have
any effect upon him. Then there was
It was so bad, and the trouble of in
venting items was 80 great that it was
probably the cause of my present
wretched occupation.
"Was that before you started your
paper?"
mo, indeed; must confess to that
crime, but repented it sincerely, be-
ieve me have. Did you ever start q
daily paper? No? Well you ought to
try it. Falling down stairs with stove
on top of you is nothing to be compared
b -
"The name of that paper was The Re-
view, and it was started to fill long
felt want. Jerry Cochrane was my
partner. There were several very COM
forting things about that paper. For
instance, Jerry and always knew on
Monday that we wouldn't have enough
money to pay the hands off on Satur-
day, and we never did. The hands
knew it, too, and so their nerves were
never shocked by a disappoint-
ment We ran that way for awhile,
getting more deeply in debt
all the tin. At last, one morning, I
entered the Office and found Jerry
looking rather solemnly. Jerry says
I. you want partner 'Yes, we need
a new one, Bob he rejoined. A bust
ness man. said I. One with executive
ability said he. A fnancier,' OBJ
served. "A man who can take hold of
the thing and turn it into money he
concluded. Then I've got the man
you want said, and introduced Frank
Hitchcock, the sheriff. Jerry said
Frank was the very man he had been
thinking of, so we installed him at once.
Sir, he proved to be all we had antici-
pated, and he ran the paper with the
| greatest success until he had turned il
entirely into money. When we wound
up the concern there was nothing left
but two passes one to Cincinnati and
one to Burlington. We divided them,
and went In different directions.
II got to Burlington feeling pretty
bad. was about two hundred thou.
sand miles in debt, having managed to
owe everybody I knew. l would have
used the strangers. too, only had nc
way of making their acquaintance. One
day I remarked to Mrs Burdette that ]
believed I'd go over and see If I couldn't
get job on The Hawkeye. I post
poned it for awhile, and one day the
business manager came over to offer me
place. could have hugged the man
but didn't want to be demonstrative
so I held back rather coyly. He asked
me if had an ything in view, and told
him did. 1t was the truth, as I had
an idea of goinQ out to the poor
house, if could get ride on the cars
was too proud to walk. Well, he
urged me, and finally agreed to take
the matter into consideration. was te
go in at o'clock the next afternoon
and bid him chilly good-day. Fol-
fear I'd miss the train, was down there
at quarter to 4, but when I entered
The Hawkeye Office walked in like @
lord and called the business manager
Charley slapping him Familiarity or
the back. I tell you his offering me
the place gave me q great moral ad
vantage, and used it. the result beine
that was allowed the usual princelJ
salary of reporter.
Il worked along for awhile, and finally
got an interest in The Hawkeye, which
then increased its circulation. A curiou,
thing happened after while, which ha.
caused me to laugh many time. There
were four of us on the editorial page
Frank Hatton, John L. Waite and Johr
Burdette, my brother. Frank was tn.
first one taken from that glorious band
and he became. first assistant postmaste,
general. John Waite followed by be
coming postmaster of Burlington, and
my brother was then appointed collector
in the First internal revenue district o
Ohio. Frank was born in Cadiz, Wait.
in Ravenna, and my brother in Cincin
natl, all in the same state. was from
| Ponnnulvania and didn't cak anvthinn