St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-26
The Early Days of St. Paul, With Brief
Biographies and Anecdotes of
Old Settlers.
W. A. OrOfut, the Correspondent, With
His Peculiar Life and Very
Busy Career.
Donne1ly as Politician, "A Speaker, n
Humorist, a Writer, an Au-
thor, n Man.
lCopyrighted by T. NJ. Newson.

country school, and brought up as a farm
ers boy. When the writer sold out the
first paper with which he was connected as
owner and editor. in the town of Birming-
ham, Conn.,, in the year 1852, Mr.. Croffut,
then very young man, slipped into his
place. and q few years later, while on
visit East, discovering his sparkling abili-
ties, the author of these '.Pen Pictures"
induced him to come West, and
he became connected with the old
St Paul Daily Times as city editor, in the
year 1857. and of which the writer was then
editor in chief He was a young man of
bright intellect, quick of comprehension
and welded ready pen. In the spring of
1857 1 went East and left Mr. Croffut in
charge of my paper, and it was during this
time that he won his way TO public favor as
writer. While in this city he became one
of the ineorpOratOrs of the st. Paul Library
association, now an institution of great
merit.
'FosTER-FATHER.
In letter from New York city dated
May, 1885. Mr.. CrOffut writes me as fol-
lows: In the matter of journalism l re-
gard you as my foSter-father and sponsor.
You gave me my first word of encourage
ment from the ranks editorial, and
You did more than anybody else to give
me scope and draw me out. Your readers
suffered; but while L apologize to them. 1
am grateful to YOU. l was Just 20 years
old when l edited the Times that spring
during your absence in the East"
MISS CLARA LOUISE KELLOGG.
In a biographical sketch of Miss Kel-
lOgg'S life. / learn that the first time she
sang in public was at the age of 10 years.
The biOgrapher says: The song was en-
titled and ended with the words: Who'll
buy my little bOOk?' the little prima donna
extending to the audience her hand in which
was q small book. I will exclaimed
Thomas NJ. NewSOn, then editor of the
Derby Journal as he stepped up and gave
the half-frightened little girl bright silver
dollar. the first one she ever received for
her first song i'm public" The writer also
published the first poem of Miss Virginia
Townsend. who subsequently achieved
reputation in literary circles, so that in
pushing Croffut to the front, in encOuTag-
ing Miss Kellogg in song. and in following
Miss Townsend i'm the realm of story tell
ing. somebody. sometime. somewhere in the
future will give me credit for good taste,
good judgment and due appreciation of
merit, even in infagcy
SOME EVENTS OF MIR. CROFFUT'S LIFE.
Before my return from the East Mr..
CrOlfut removed to Minneapolis and pur-
chased the st. Anthony Republican and
later the Falls Evening News. In 1859 he
returned to Connecticut and originated the
Danbury Je1ferSOnian. and following, puF-
chased the New Haven Palladium: was en-
ployed on the New York Tribune for a year
or SO. when. i'm iSGT-S he wrote his History
of Connecticut during the Rebellion; also,
work entitled The Helping Hand. From
$50 IN N,-aS mn no frirstr a1ifor nF
Chicago Post; in 1878 and 1871 was editor
of the Minneapolis Tribune; bought out and
ran the Evening Mail; went to New York
and joined the Graphic staff i'm 1875. where
he remained four years; was on the Tribune
and wrote the Bourbon ballads, $50, 600 of
which were circulated i'm the campaign of
1850; since that time he has been and is
now the correspondent of nine different
papers.
A LAUGHABLE EPISODE.
1t was in tine year 1857 when Croffut, re-
porter for the Times, went on board of the
Grey Eagle in search of items and Capt.
Harris Immediately went in search OF the
reporter. and ordered him landed on shore.
Soon afterwards it was discovered that
Capt Harris had made mistake and had
abused the reporter for the Times when he
intended TO have punished the reporter for
the Pioneer, and while CrOffut was on his
way TO arrest Harris. Ramaley. reporter for
the Pioneer, was in a secure place with his
hands upon his ham-stringS and almost
dying with laughter over the narrow escape
he had Eade. CrOffut was petrifedly mad,
and was ! good deal madden when Justice
SimOns tined Harris only $40 for his I'M
juStifable assault.
HIS OWN STORY.
4 IL.
Croffut TO tell his own story in his own
peculiar way. Zone thing L recall dis
tinetly. overwOrked, and was
AT the Merchants hotel. There l lay and
suffered for some weeks; when one morning
the doctor told me might 20 out for few
minutes if would he careful L prom
iSed and out tottered, and down to the
levee where the Grey Eagle had just tied
up. pulled myself up TO the pilot house
somehow. and asked for papers from the
States when Capt. Harris jumped up and
shouted to the stevedOres TO bounce me-
| tried to explain. but six big fellows came
for me. They yelled. they seized me by the
collar by the arms, by the legs. by the head,
and they pushed, pulled. hauled and hustled
ne. | struck the deck below like 4 bag OF
meal falling from heaven; and when clam
bered 10 my feet an antic lrislman pOked
me ashore with the business end OF marlin
spike. / was surprised, but the beautiful
scene comes back to me as If 1t were but
Yesterday. [ was as sore as if l had been
through a threShing machine, but l climbed
up the bank high enough so that couldn't
roll back into the river. then l collapsed.
Nobody came to pour Mrs. WinSlOw's
soothing syrup into my wounds. but Capt.
Harris thOughtfully flung quid OF tobacco
into the river and sent his clerk to inform
me that from the biTd's-eye view ne was
able to obtain of me as lay recovering con-
seiousneSs, he judged he had got hold of the
wrong man, and that it was not
/ that he wanted to thrash.
thanked him and went away in
a pensive mood. Harris was always a
sort of left-handed pet of mine after that,
as anybody can see by looking over an old
file of the Times"
PERSONAL
Mr.. Croffut is not only an excel
lent prose writer, but he Is poet
of considerable ability. and has written
some very fine articles in this
vein. As a racy, fresh, piqUant CORE
spondent. he has no superior, and his pub
lished works show not only originality, but
thought and research. He has enlarged
and comprehensive ideas or human life,
growing out of his extensive experiences,
and, possessing very active brain, he grasps
the situation at once, and adOrns the cen
tral thought with flashes OF wit and Sar-
casm. He has been TO Europe twice; has
visited Cuba, Yucatan, Mexico, Bermuda,
Canada and Nova Scotia; has boxed the
compass in this country, so that his ready
pen never wants for material for his always
readable letters. He is a literary humming-
bird. and if he lacks anything it is
a literary anchor to hold him down to one