The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-05-08
c. B. LEWIS.
md Rnl

naS maue the netrolt FfC6 ffSSS paper famous by his humorous articles, i$ now a man of about forty.hve He started life as & printer, on a paper in Lansing. Mich He served for three years in the war of the rebellion, on the Union side, At the close of his military career he aceidently learned of a journalistic open ing This fact was the turning point in a life filled to overtiowing with a certain kind of eventful interest Seeing one day an advertisement in a printer louI> nal that there was Il paper wantinr~ an editor in ,IonsSboro Tenn he~applcd for the situation and his proposition was accepted. He threw up his situation in Lansing and started for Jonesboro Coming into Cincinnati he was surprised at the hignesS of the city, and when he saw the steamer which was to convey him down the river putting and blowing out great quantities of steam he rather feared to enter her He wentup to the clerk, who was taking bills of lading and asked him if he thought there was any danger of the steamer blowing up ss if so he did not care to go. X crowd of passengers standing by laughed, and the clerk was inclined to think that Lewis was trying 10 guy him \ glance at his green, country air. and Il look at his honest face, convinced him that the young man was in earnest, and he assured him that the Magnolia, for 1t was that famous boat was all right and that he could safely trust himself to her, With that NJ Quad took his bundle from his shoulder and stepped on board
 Now. a rival boat had got about fifteen miles star, of the Magnolia, and as she left the wharf she put on all steam, intending to catch and pass her Lewis supposed 1t was all right, and was much interested in watching the machinery The Magnolia was the fastest boat on the river, but this timo she outdid l herself, and just as she came iu sight 1 of the rival boat her boiler burst, and up went the ship and Lewis went up with it. but coming down near the l shore he was just able to crawl to drv land, when lac sank down lnscnsible i Being so near the engine lac was badly injured and his face was so covered with
 soot that he looked like very negro 1 Those who came to the assistance of the other passengers thought him such. and
 paid no attention to him until all the others were cared for Then they took 1 him in charge and sent him to the hos l pital at Cincinnati His eyes were al i most put out. and il was not thought l that he would live
 He recovered. however, and threaten 1 ing the steamboat company with suit 1 succeeded in extracting $l2Oo0 from II i Half of this sum went to his lawyer l With the remainder in his pocket he
 went back to his home in Lansing His ] first journalistic work after his return to 1 Michigan was done on a newspaper bub- ] llshcd at Pontiac One day the editor i went away, leaving l.ew!- ln charge. And l not enough copy to fill out the paper 1 Lewis made enough copy to fill Il hlm. ] -clt--composing an article giving full
 account of his adventures on the Missis- ! sippi IL was headed. |" How it Feels to l be Blown l 'p And Lewis composed II i in humorous vein, setting Il up as he went along The art,el" was copied ! widely and, among other papers, in the ! Detroit tfct Press. He was engaged hy the editor of that paper as n reporter
 and was placed in charge of the local
 criminal, and fire departments of the | journal Ii was while pursuing his du
 ties as reporter that he was struck with | an inspiration which laid the founda. 1 ton for great future popularity l While noting the daily occurrence of l incidents, tragic and amusing. which
 grew out oi the criminal record he con
 ccivcd the idea of originating his 1 " Hour al the Central Station series | of incidents which contained vastly more l humorous originality than truth and
 vcraclty BUah Joy, real person 1 age, was selected as the central iig,ir"
 around which A strange kaleidoscope of exaggerated humanity was daily set iu
 motion. to the unboundcd anus"rucnt of the laughterlovng public
 \ trouble soon arose in tho Fr,t Press camp however. through th" lral of the i rising young journalist, which badc fair { to end di7astro,i-ly for all concerned In originating his series of criminal sketches. Lewis at first used the real | names of parties who wer" summoned before the magistrate, clothing them with exaggerated fictitious raimcnt which, while highly amusing to out -iders. somewhat lacked the ncccsrary humorous element for the appreciation of those most vitally interested in the matter. and the result wa, a vigorou. and concarted kick For time 1t is said to have required the services of sev- cral accomplished peace mak"r- to sat i-fy the mob who daily be4ieged the offices of the new y-creat"d humorous journal After time the novelty of this sort otthing is alleged to have worn of with those most interested. and Lewis-or "A he was now known M Quad was requested as his iuagina- ton was evidently unboundcd. to carry II far enough to cover the matter of cog nomens as well as incidents This smoothed matters over. and the Hour at the central Station becain" one of the features of the paper.
 Az time rolled on, the Hour ai the Central Station began to lose it- fresh