The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-08-15
HORACE eREELEVs WORK.
The Way He Received Subscriptions for
''The Weekly Tribune"

AH0 way ne 6eCe1V6O SUBSCRIPTIONS xOr
1.-THE Weekly Tribune"
[St. Louis Republican,
"Well, well, here is volume that is be-
coming quite rare these days, F" exclaimed
a book-worm in second hand book store
the other day as his eye fell on a worn
and musty tome "What l Know About
Farming. Well, everybody knows that
is the book written by Horace Greeley way
back in the COS. Perhaps the rising gen
Grafton may be excepted, as the book is
now out of print and will be curiosity in
a half score years hence. At one time it
was pretty extensively read. It is difficult
to say, however, that much or any benefit
was derived from its perusal. Eyes, re-
torted the party addressed Horace was a
great man in his time. It is not so very
long since he has entered eternity, yet his
name is now hardly eyer mentioned 1t
was ever thus. Mans deeds, be they good
or bad, they do not remain long fresh
after the author is gone. Occasionally a
sayings is borrowed, but it does not in
duce posterity in the least in remember
ing, much less in reverencing his mem
Dry:
"During the forty odd years that Hor-
ace edited The Tribune, every editorial,
every farm article, every news item,
every commercial paragraph and every
advertisement which appeared in the
paper was credited to him by many of
his readers and admirers People forgot
or did not take the time to think, that it
was physical impossibility for the pro-
life and versatile Horace to write even
half of the editorials that appeared, while
his disquisitions on How to Plant
Squashes, How to Raise Cucumbers,' or
How to Destroy the Festive Beetle,
were not so very numerous. Greeley,
al
gave the How part much prominence.
"You seem to be well posted on Hor-
ace, " remarked the book-worm by way of
comment to the second gentleman.
"Why, yes; must confess that I know a
great deal about the philosopher. Before
and during the best part of the war | la
bored at the case at The Tribune Office,
and on several occasions set up his copy.
If you have the time I can relate an Incl
dent about old Horace that has never been
printed. It was just previous to the war
and when Horace was an amateur farmer
that the event l am about to relate &C.
Cured. One day letter came to the Office
bearing the following cabalistic letters:
Fl. G.. N. Y. This is all that was on the
envelope except the postmark, which
showed that the letter. came from Law
renee, Kan. call it letter, but it was
not letter, for on opening the envelope
not a scrap of paper was found inside,
only crumpled 81 note from some Ohio
bank.
an those days letters were sometimes
not prepaid, and this was not; conse-
uuently due-bill was attached to the
missive showing that the sum of cents
was to be collected. Mr.. Greeley promptly
paid the 3 cents Who could be the
| sender. It puzzled the philosopher just a
| little only. Such doings can only be
| placed to the credit of Bill Reynolds,
unused Mr.. Greeley. Bill always had
| idiosyncr asies, and when he had truck
farm out in Orange county would call,
and not finding me in the sanctum would
| place dollar bill for his subscription I'M
der a paper weight on my desk and leave.
Bill told me he was going out west to try
| his luck
"The paper was mailed to William
| Reynolds, Lawrence, Kan, according tc
] MIR G. s direction, and upon investigation
| it was found that Greeley's surmise was
correct Bill Reynolds was the right
party In those good old times we die
! not have so many railroads nor fast mail
! trains and the like, but man could mai
| letter without a stamp and put only
| four letters on the envelope and it would
reach its destination. Try this expert
ment now and your letter will go direct
to the dead-letter office. Too much rec
tape, sighed the typo as he reached for &
volume on high shelf bearing the title
| ais Life Worth Living For3h