The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-12-06
A MELANCHOLY RECOLLECTION

Opie Read. in his early writing days, was ] employed for a few weeks on the Cleveland Leader. Edwin Cowles, editorial chief of the Leader, regards humorous writer with the same contempt that the early Puritans did a strollng fiddler. Read looks upon a man who cannot appreciate joke as fit only for "treason and for spoils." One day an old farmer friend of Cowles came into the L<odey sanctum with an immense hens egg. Read was the only man in, and after carefully writ ing up the weight, measurement, etc., of the l egg, added: "Our esteemed friend assures us that this was the work of single hen." | Cowles saw the item only after it had been printed, and, trembling with indignation at what he considered an affront to his farmer friend, sent for Read and spluttered out Reac, this d-d nonsense has gone too far How in thunder de you expect two hens to lay one egg 2" Read, after a rueful sigh, re- piled: "Why Mir. Cowles, it was double yolked oneW Cowles was speeches. at this apparent stupidity, and made break for the counting-room. Perdue |" he shouted to his business manager, "pay that foei Read his salary and ship him home. He will ruin the paper" Read went home, started tha, srarkling humorous journal, THE ARKANsAw TRAVELLER, and devoted half column each week for the first six months to mercilessly lampoonng the man who would not laugh at his jokes.
 find the above bit of pleasantly "going around" credited to the Journal. isf of New York and the Day of St. Paul. The good humored writer is entertaining at the expense of facts. Nothing, with such promise of life as an egg puts forth, ever found its way into the columns of the Leader. The writer does MT. Cowles an injustice when he strips him of his greatest enjoyment-humor Mir. Cowles is a rare joker. have known him to laugh heartily at joke-his own.
 MT. Cowles, seriously speaking, is a generous, big-hearted man. He has many peculiarities which the public does not understand, but withal, he is one of tho best newspaper men in the country. In the collection of news, he spares no expense.
 was employed by the Leader com. pany to do Humorous writing, and my sad attempts at wit must have made the old gentleman's hair stand up like the excited tooth-picks on the back of the agitated porcupine. One day, calling I
 me, he said: "Look here, l wish you wouldn't write any more sketches in the negro dialect. Many of our prominent colored citizens have become offended. Can't you write some other kind of humol '"
 "Yes, sir"
 "All right see that you do." /
 Several days later he sent for me. "Look here," said he, q wish you'd drop that German dialect. You don't un- destand German, do your
 "No, sir"
 "Well, then, don't try to write it. I'd much rather you would attempt English. We can't afford to offend our German citizens"
 "All right, sir"
 A few days afterward, he came to me and gave me few more lines of advice, which found me enjoying the same blessing.
 "Look here, notice that you have taken up the Irish dialect. Were you ever in Ireland3
 "No, sir"
 "Then don't try to write Irish. Another thing wish to say. In writing up the bakers strike, you headed the article On the Loafp What did you mean by that~
 @W'y that was joke"
 "So was told, but took the paper home with me and studied the question pretty thoroughly, but can't see where the joke comes in. must compliment you, though, on one article. That one headed The Widows Last Biscuit, was one of the most laughable pieces of de scrip,ion ever read"
 wy, MT. Cowles, that was pathetic article"
 ~That 90? l thought it was funny. Say, can't you fix 1t some way 90 can | distinguish your humcr from vour