Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-02-19
GEORGE D. PRENTICE.
Incidents In the Career of the Renowne
HumOrist.


Incidents In the Career of the Renowned
Hpmorist.
There is a sort of general idea that
Prentice was ga bad man with a gun, -
a duelist, and all that sort of thing.
Nothing could be more erroneous. The
fact is he never fought duel, but was
sometimes, from the nature of his bust
ness, forced to personal and sudden
rencounters. He was frequently chal-
lenged, but always made fun of mes
sages. Once he wrote his challenger
that it only took one fool to send a
challenge, while it took two to fight,
and he didn't wish to be classed in the
category. On another occasion he ac-
cepted the challenge, and having the
choice of weapons, insisted that each
man should be armed with straw and
a cask of whisky, and that each should
suck with his straw from his own cask
until one fell, and that one should be
considered vanquished and the other s
honor satisfied.
Prentice was an exceedingly candid
man, as the following anecdotes will
show: Once VIII S. Hays. the famous
song-writer, in conversation with him,
said: II suppose, Mr.. Prentice, you
have seen my last song?" With sly
and quizzical look at the minstrel, he
replied: well, hope so, Bill"
Coming out of a public building one
day, where there were double doors
which swung in and out, young man,
who was coming in, pushed against the
left-hand side of the door in which to
enter. while Mr.. Prentice was pushing
against the other side of the door, try
ing to make his exit. The result was
a ridiculously awkward halt. Finally,
when the two had managed to get the
door open, Mr.. Prentice said to the
stranger: '.My young friend, in max
ing your way through the world, if you
will only keep to the right you will
never run against anybody but fool,
and you needn't apologize to him."
Somebody stole the unabridged die
tionary once from the editorial room OF
the journal, and Mr.. Prentice. having
occasion to use that valuable tome, dis
covered the loss. Forthwith he ordered
that another copy of the book be pur-
chased at once. For said he, mo
one but shameless egotist would at
tempt to edit a newspaper without a
dictionary"
Mr.. Prentice's hat was one of his &C.
centricities. He always had it more
than half full of bits of paper not larger
than postal stamp, on each of which
he had written a word or two, in the
way of memoranda. Besides, he car
ried his pocket-knife, penc. Is, scissors,
spectacles and portem onnaie in it, and
sometimes, in an abSent-minded way,
he would put a well-masticated chew
of tobacco into it instead of THROWN Q
f., the cud away.
Many persons from abroad used to
call on Mr.. Prentice when they were in
Louisville, as though he was one of the
curiosities of the city, or just for the
purpose of being able to say that they
had talked with such a great man, and
this was peculiarly annoying to him, as
he was inclined to be retiring and
really never thought of comprehending
his own fame. On one occasion an old
friend called on the editor, and brought
with him a callow young man from
some underlined locality IN the rural
districts. This youth was particularly
curious, and actually asked Mr.. Prem
tice to say something funny.
The ludicrous remark was smoothed
over as quickly as possible by
the gentleman who brought the
young man in, and shortly there
after some liquid refreshments
were ordered to be brought up to
the sanctum. Mr.. Prentice had chosen
a m1nt-julep, and when it came he held
it up and asked the gentleman why
that drink was like his young friend?
OF course the young man, feeling flat
tered by the attention, was eager to
know, and begged for the answer to
the conundrum. Finally, turning to
the gentleman, Mr.. Prentice said with
a pleasant smile: This is a green
horn!''
Once Mr.. Prentice met an acquaint-
ance on the street who was very much
intoxicated, and he declared to the wit
that he was all hunkidori.'' "What
do you mean by hunkidori?'' said Mr..
p. Il mean, SIR said the inebriate,
''that l am pretty drunk ''Well,'
said Mr.. Prentice. Elf hunkidori means
pretty drunk, l think you are hunk.
dori." In 1868 Hon. Henry Waiter.
son became editor and part owner OF
the Journal, and Mr.. Prentice, who had
grown quite feeble, did very little
work. In the course of six months
the Journal was consolidated with the
Courier and became what is known as
the Courier-Jour7aat. About a year
after, Mr.. Prentice died at the resi-
denee of his son. Colonel Clarence
Prentice, a few miles below Louisville,
on the Ohio River.
He was powerful editor, and was
the most brilliant Photographer of the
ape-indeed the first one of any note.
His wit was brig ht and sparkling, his
satire keen. his eloquence grand, his
poetry beautiful, his logic unanswer-
able. A deep thinker, profound
reasoner; genial. hopeful, human, and,
therefore, sometimes erring, he had the
best of friends, the bitterest enemies.
and he was, all in all. a great and
gifted mana genius-W. L. Visscher,
in Denrer Opinion.
ANGRY TAIEORS,