The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1885-08-26
Horace Greeley.

"Well, well. here is volume that Is
becoming quite rare these days" OK
claimed \ book-worm in 4 secondhand
book store tho other day as his eve fell
on worn and musty tome. "What
Know About Farming" well cyory-
body knows this is the book written by
Horace Greeley way back in the COS.
ferhaps the rising generation may be
excepted, as the book is now out of
print and will be curiosity in half
score years hence. At one time it was
pretty extensively read. 1t is difficult
to say, however, that much or any
benefit was derived from its perusal.h
YES, rctortcd the party addressed,
Horace was great man in his time.
1t is not so very long since he has en-
tered eternity, yet his name is now
hardly ever mentioned. 1t was over
thus. Mans deeds. be they good or
bad, they do not remain long fresh aft
er the author is gone. Occasionally Il
flash of his wit is repeated, a line from
his sayings is borrowed, but it docs
not induce posterity in the least in re-
membering, much less in rcverepcing
his memory. During tho forty odd
years that Horace edited the Tribune
every editorial, every farm article,
every news item, every commercial
paragraph, and every advertisement
which appeared in the paper was cred
tied to him by many of his readers and
admirers. People forgot, or did not
take the time to think, that it was a
physical impossibility for the prolific
and versatile Horace to write even
half of tho editorials that appeared,
while his disqusitions on How 10
Plant Squashcs,' How to Raise Gu
cumbcrs, or How to Destroy the
Festive Beetle, were not so very num-
crous. Greeley, when writing about
agriculture, always gave the How
part much prominence.
You seem to bo we'll posted on
Horace, remarked tho book worm by
way of comment to the second gentle
man. "Why, yes; must confess that
know great deal about the philoso-
phcr. Before and during tho best part
of the war laborcd at the case at tho
Tribune office, and on several occa-
sions set up his copy. If you have
the time can relate an incident about
old Horace that has never been print
Cd. 1t was just previous to the war
and when Horace was an amateur
farmer that the event am about to re-
late occurred. One day q letter came
to tho office bearing the following cab
aistic letters: ii. G. N. Y. This is all
that was on tho envelope except tho
postmark, which showed that the letter
come from Lawrence, Kan call it n
letter, but it was not letter, for on
opening tho envelope not q scrap Of
paper was found inside, only a crum-
pied 81 note from some Ohio bank. In
those days letters were sometimes not
prepaid, and this was not; consequent
ly Il duc-bill was attached to tho mis-
sive showing that the sum of 3 cents
was to be collected Mr.. Greeley
promptly paid the cents. Who could
be the sender. 1t puzzled the philoso-
pher just little only. Such doings
can only be placed to the credit of Bill
Reynolds, muscd Mr.. Greeley. Bill
always had idiosyncracics, and when
he had truck farm out in Orange
county would call, and not finding me
in tho sanctum would place dollar
bill for his subscription under paper
weight on my desk and leave. Bill
told mo lie was going out west to try
his luck
'Ihc paper was mailed to William
Reynolds, Lawrence, Kan. according
to MIR. Il. S direction, and upon invcsti-
CATION it was found that Grceley's sur
mise was correct. Bill Reynolds was
the right party. In those good old
times we did not have SO many rail-
roads nor fast-mail trains and the like,
but Il man could mail letter without
a stamp and put only four letters on
the envelope and it would reach it's
destination. Try this experiment now
and your letter will 90 direct to the
dead-lcttcr Office. Too much red tape"
sighed the typo rs he reached for q
volume on tho high shelf bearing tho
title: 'Is Life Worth Living For?"-
81. LOUIS Rcpubhcan.