Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-03-05
HORACE GREELEY.
How Couple of Smart Compositors De-
ciphered His Manuscript.

Horace Greeley was character in his
way. Among his manyaccomplishment
was that of writing very poor hand
He excelled in many things, but in this
he distanced 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 Tribune, tells the following story,
which he says was never in print:
You know says he. Greeley wrote an
awful hand. Them days | thought l
could read anything. | was working
in Boston, and had heard great deal
about Greeley's awful writing. | made
up my mind to 90 to New York and
tackle it.. went. As it happened,
however, there were only two persons
on the Tribune who could set his mat
ter, and they were given all of it to set.
All went well for some days, for Gree
ley was engaged upon his life, "A Busy
Life" for Bonner's New York Ledger.
The Ledger had no printers who could
read his copy at all. Word was given
Greeley's writing were wanted at the
Ledger. They were to apply to Mr..
Greeley and make q test. A situation
on the Ledger was looked upon as q
splendid thing-a soft snap. Several
printers invaded Mr.. Greeley's inner
den. went in, and as stepped up TO
his desk, the old man looked up from
his writing-and such 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 old memory, so happy,
cheerful and placid.
~ on want a printer or two to work
on your manuscript, Mr.. Greeley" I
said.
Yes, said Mr.. Greeley, 1.-TWO men
are wanted that can read my writing.
They tell me / write an awful bad
hand"
80 they say" remarked.
''Can you read it?" he asked, look
ing me square in the face.
Il don't know, think can. | have
read almost everything. l have never
yet been stumped."
Ineed not remark that [ felt very
confident. / was certain could read
it, had very large opinion of my
ability in that regard.
81 will try YOU" he said, at the same
time picking up sheet from the pile
upon which he had been at work The
page was picked up at random. Read
this, be said, handing the page to
me.
took it and read:
''forid. The menagerie swung over
three murderous eccentric Norman,
who had thrown her bat at a dog"
The next word puzzled me. l stop
ped, and after looking at it a moment,
looked at Mr.. Greeley. He was all
smiles. | thought he was pleased with
the progress L had made. At last Ihad
figured out the word, and read on:
PRESENTED to her most pleasant guard
regrets of these lines, reeking the tym-
panum, and consoling these on, and
wore against it having"
This was the end of the page. I
thought it was little mixed" that it
didn't look just right; but | had heard
that bis wording was always odd and
profound, ] looked at Mr.. Greeley as
/ handed back the page. He looked at
me still smiling. He didn't say much,
but finally said:
THAT viii do You may 90. If I
conclude to take you, [ will send for
you"
went out, feeling that I read the
page cry nicely.
Several others made trials. John
Mcguire, now in Boston, made an eff
fort on the same page. We went in to-
gether. Here is his reading of it;
''fends. Her magnetic sway DER the
the waveless uncoffins of worms who
had grown his lest a dog revealed to
her the worst glorious griddle risest
of their lines, seeking her syrup and
control, thereon, and wear three stitch
es around the hanging"
When he had reached the end Mr..
Greeley was almost wild with merrl-
ment His merriment knew no bounds.
He told him what he had told me,
few moments before and we went out
together. [ waited patiently for some
weeks, fully expecting a call. None
came.
Several parties came in as we came
out, but what success they had don't
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 I discovered it, and
copied the original. L never knew for
Il, !.
far I had missed reading that page
after Mcguire and | had compared
what we had taken down, with it as it
appeared in the Ledger, we had no
more to say about our ability to read
anything from Choctaw's to a Beck
man street lawyers writing. We were
very quiet after that. Here is the orr
ginal page:
friends. Her magnetic sway over
these marvellous, unaccountable women
l. i L l. IL