Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-03-25
WATTERSON'S WORK.
THE BEGINNING OF HIS CAREER AS
A NEWSPAPER MAN.
A Penniless Ex-Confederate Soldier In
Cincinnati-His First PoHitiOn on a
Newspaper-Col. Starbuck's Reply-A
Beginning at S12 Week.


Beginning at S12 a Week.
II arrived in Cincinnati one clustering
winter night, ragg, d, hungry stranger,
just out of the rebel army, l had Just enough
money to pay for nights lodging How
well l remember wander ing about the streets
of the city, wondering what the next day
would bring me- 1 believed that had abil-
ity as a journalist, and 1 was satisfied that
if had an opportunity l could prove it 1
was in the act several times of ent ring the
different morning newspapers and applying
for work, but l was so dowl-hearted that
did not have the courage to do so. l took
good sleep that night, and did not get up
until late the next day. My case was
desperate one, and felt that l must secure
employment. l never felt more determined
in my life l felt as if 1 could face the
sternest editor in the land without a quiver.
In this frame of mind started out to make
tour of the various offices At the first office
the editor, in blunt way, told me that his
staff was crowded and then resumed his
work. / visited all the newspapers with the
same result, except The Times Office. That
paper had large job printing Office at
tached to it, which did great deal of theat-
rical printing l also noticed that the paper
had miserably written dramatic column
l called on Col Starbuck, the editor and
proprietor, and asked if there was any
vacancies on his staff
az here are never any vacanies on good
paper, but there is always room for a good
man. said the colonel
BEGINNING AT Sl2 WEEK.
II shall never forget that reply, and it is
one 1 have always made to applicants for
positions ON The Courier-Journal 1 told
Col Starbuck that L thought l could i'm
prove upon his dramatic column, and pro-
posed to write it for nothing if he would give
me 25 per cent commission on all the print
ing and advertisements | secured from the
theatres He declined the proposition As
l was about to leave he turned to me and
said he would give me S12 week to per-
form that service. What a change came
over me. l Immediately felt myself rich. 1
told him l would accept it. He then said
that l must not feel offended if at the end
of the week he found l did not suit and he
dismissed me. l knew 1 would suit, for
knew the full extent of my abilities and
told him that if 1 was not competent
should consider it an offense if he did not
discharge me.
"This was the first of the week, and
started in that day. l never undertook a
task Win more enthusiasm L attended the
theatres every night Before the end of the
week Col Starbuck expressed his approval
On Satur.ay afternoon 1 went to the thea
tres to collect the money for printing and
advertising in The Times. At the National
theatre, after collecting the money, 1 was
handed an envelope addressed to me- Sup
posing it contained an item of news or a
ticket, l put it into my pocket unopened
At Pixies another envelope bearing my
name was presented me, and the same thing
occurred to me at Woods theatre. When
returned to the Office opened the envelopes
and found the ones presented to me at the
National and Pixies each contained $40
The one received at Woods contained $5. 1
told Col Starbuck the circumstances and
rendered him the money. He said that it
did not belong to him, and he would not ac-
cept it l said it certainly did not be-
long to me and that 1 would not accept it
/ returned the donations to the theatrical
managers. They sa d the money had been
given in consideration of the favorable no
tices had given their performances
"Col Starbuck a short time afterward
made me managing editor. Watterson's
Letter.