The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-02-12
HORACE GREELEY.
How Couple OF smart Compositors De
ciphered His Manuscript.

F4ow a Couple OF smart Gompositors De-
ciphered His Manuscript.
Horace Greeley was a character in his
way. Among his manyaceomplishmen
was that of writing a very poor hand.
He excelled in many things. but in this
he distaneed all competitors. He was
positively without an equal anywhere.
No living man or woman ever wrote as
Greeley did. Many incidents in this
connection have proven ofmuch interest
to the general reader Tom Kelley an
old printer. who worked on cases in
the ITbunc, tells the following story,
which he says was never in print:
You know says he, Greeley wrote an
awful hand Them days | thought |
couiil read anything. / was working
in Boston, and had heard a great deal
about GreeIey'S awful writing. | made
up my mind TO 90 to New York and
4 OK le it, / went. As it happened,
however. there were only two persons
on the 7riL,Hnc who could set his mat
ter. and they We're given all OF it t" set.
All went we'll fer some days. for Gree
ley was engaged upon his life. "A Busy
Life" for Bnnnrr'- New York Lcdger.
The Lcdgrr :, II no printers who could
read his c:,ry al al. Word WAS given
out that two rl,,.I who could read Mr..
Greeley's writing We're wanted at the
Ledger They were tu apply to Mr.
Greeley and make test. A situation
on the Ledger was looked upon AS
splendid things soft snap. Several
printers invaded Mr. Grce:ey's inner
den. / went in, and rs ! stepped up to
his desk, the old man loo ed up from
his writing-and such a look, | shall
never forget it. | never saw such an
innocent. happy expression in all my
life. 1t was the first time had ever
seen him closely. and | almost loved
him. His eyes appeared to me like
some dear fold memory, so hsppy.
cheerful and placid
You want printer or two to work
on your manuscript, Mr.. Greeley 1
said. - ''S&
Yes" said Mr.. Greeley. two men
are wanted that can read my writing,
They tell me write an awful bad
hand. ," b
$50 they say" / remarked.
..Csn you read it?" he asked, look
| ing me square in the face.
II don t know, l think l can. l have
read almost everything. | have never
| yet been stumped."
need not remark that l felt very
confident was certain l could read
it / had very large opinion of my
ability in that regard.
( Il will try you," he said, at the same
time picking up sheet. from the pile
npon which he had been at work. The
page was picked up at random. Read
this be said, handing the page tc
| me.
took it and read:
.'fiorid. The menagerie swung ovel
three mlrderous eccentric Norman
who had thrown her bat at dog
The next word puzzled me. / stop
ped and after looking at it a moment
looked at Mr.. Greeley. He was al
smiles. / thought he was pleased with
the progress had made. At last haC
| figured out the word, and read on:
..resented to her most pleasant guard
regrets OF these lines, reeking the tym
panum, and consoling these on. .anc
wore against it having
This was the end of the page.
thought it was little ''miNed;" that il
didn't look just right; but had hear,
that Mr.. Greeley was eccentric, ant
| that his wording was always odd anC
profound. looked at AIr. Greeley a
handed back the page. He looked a
me still smiling. He didn't say much
but finally said:
That will do. You may 90. IT
conclude to take yon. I will send fol
YOU"
went ont, feeling that ! read thu
page very nicely.
! Several others made trials. join
| Mcguire, now in Boston, made an eff
| fort on the same page. We went in to
gether. Here is his reading OF it:
"fiends. Her magnetic sway DER thl
/; the waveless uncoflins of worms who
had grown his lest dog revealed tt
her the worst glorious griddle rises
OF their lines. seeking her syrup and
| control. thereon, and wear three stitch
es around the hanging.
When he had reached the end MIR
| Greeley was almost wild with merri
mcnt. His mcrrimcnt knew no bounds
lie told him what he had told me, 8
few moments before and we went on
together. / waited paticptly for some
weeks, fully expecting call. None
came.
Several parties came in rs we cam6
out, but what success they had ! dom
know. However, printers who could
"make out" lis writing, were found
and the articles began appearing regu
larly. kept an idea of that page
and in few weeks discovered it. and
copied the original. | never knew fol-
four months after that day how very
far had 'missed" reading that pag,
after Mcguire and | had compared
what we had taken down, with it rs il
appeared in the Ledger, we had NJ
more to say about our ability to reat
ANYTHING from Choctaw's to Beck
man street lawyers writing. We were
very quiet after that Here is the ori
ginal page:
friends. Her. magnetic sway oyel
these mars elous, unaccountable womel
who had known her but day, revealed
to her the most jealously guarded Sc
crets of their lives. seeking her sympa
/ thy and counsel. thereon, and wer.
! themselves annoyed at having
! haven seen Mcguire since, but
have often thought of that incident.
has fastened Itself on my memory will
hooks of steel. This is scandalous
fact believe il or not PIemiRO iZ