St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-27

store on the corner of Third and Exchange
streets. Some time about 1853 or
1859, he purchased the interests of
Owens 81 Moore in the
Daily 1H6mesotia11, and commenced mis- career
as an editor He was a pungent, caustic
writer, but with very little discretion; believ-
ed in the doctrine of pitching inn to every
| body personally, and consequently soon lost
his influence. He subordinated every thing
else to his own individual opinion. In this
| respect he was an editorial tyrant.
A CUTE TRICK-THE BOGUS DISPATCHES.
James NJ Winslow had opened the first
telegraph office in st. Paul, and when absent
difficulty had arisen with the Times, then
edited by the writer, and the telegraph oper-
ator, concerning the reception of some cleo
ton returns, and this difficulty had extended
to the lHinueesotdn On the return of Wins
low, Goodrich, of the Pioneer, slipped in be-
tween the two disconnected papers, and Sc
cured the exclusive control of the dispatches,
leaving the other two daily journals out in
the cold.
The Pioneer would appear first, then the
other papers would copy from that paper,
and appear simultaneously, and so
matters ran, until Foster conceived the
idea that he would get ahead of the Times by
bribing Pioneer pressman to give him an
advance copy of the Pioneer, which was to be
! placed under certain stone, for q certain
consideration. True enough, Foster got the
paper, put in the dispatches, and the Times
copied from Foster, whose paper had been
circulated. Just as we were about to go to
press, out came the Pioneer with the genuine
dispatches (only one copy of the bogus dis
patches having been printed for Fosters ben
eft), announcing the trick, and we then
whipped into our Office, had the genuine dis
patches set up from the Pioneer, called
our readers attention to the
bogus affair, which we published
along side the genuine, as clear indication
of our superior enterprise, and ended by
Growing loudly over the fact of our unim-
peachable sagacity in not being duped! We
knew better!-of course we did! Foster was
the victim, but we escaped just ''by the skin
of our teeth pas the boys say-'you bet!"
Of course the Pioneer grinned and Foster
growled. ''sold, sold.'
BIT OF HISTORY.
Soon after this the leading Republicans of
the state got together and signifed their de-
sire that the two Republican papers = the
Times and the Wmnesotian-should unite, and
if this could be done, the paper thus united,
should have the public printing. After several
meetings it was agreed that the consolidated
concern should be the MinnesOtian and the
Times, with the firm name of Newson,
Moore, Foster IL Co, and under this arrange
ment Newson and Foster were to have equal
powers as editors, one not to interfere with
the editorials of the others. 1t was also I'M
derstood that the paper should sustain the
action of the party in the legislature, and not
dictate to them, as had been Fosters habit;
so we wrote leading editorial to this effect
and went home, then living at Lake Como.
Foster, in the meantime, garbled this editor
ial and added to it, telling the Republican
members what they should and what they
should not do, and thus it was printed I'M
known to the writer. OF course the next
morning the Republicans were indignant; a
coalition was made against the paper, 0.
Brown, of Faribault, was elected printer, and
the next day we summarily dissolved
the partnership, and ran the
Times separately thereafter, until it
was leased to William R. Marshall, and soon
after the 1HinneSOtidn died a natural death
This little bit of history tells the character of
Foster as an editor and man, better than
volume possibly could.