Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-01-08
IUMORIST AND EDITOR.


thor of the "Spookendyke" articles began
his professional life as lawyer. When he
was yourg rnan he took service upon the
Tribune local staff There is an old story
concerning The manner in which he termi'
mated This connection, which is more or
less untrue. From Mr.. Huntey the writer
obtained the following true version Of the
affair One day finding The legal profession
uureuunerative, be applied 10 idr. Moore,
Of the Rural Ne,e Yorker, who "as !hen tie
city editor of The Tribune, for Il situation.
He was given Il trial When he brought in
his copy at the end Of the first day be no.
tced that Mr.. Moore scut it upstairs INTO
the composing room by an elevator in The
wall. The second day he was cent TO re-
| port Il meeting Of the Farmers Club, which
then MS now met il the Cooper Institute
| building. This particular meeting happen
ed to be prolific in stirring iEcdeDts. Con-
trary to their general rule tbs members be-
came mixed W in Z quarrel over new
breed oil potatoes, and used strong and pic
luresque language in pursuing their argu-
menls. With quick perception of the lu-
dicgous Hunt!ey seized upon the salient fea.
lures Of the meeting with aTid,ty, ami
when he appeared at the Tribune office
early that evening be had column aud
{. half of brilliant descriptive writing, in
which be gave the humorous points OF
the affair in their strongest light. Not find
ing Mr.. Moore 10, he walked over to the
elevator, as he had seen bin do, and sent
the copy upstairs to the printers. When !he
night editor camo 20 make up the forms he
saw the matter in type, and taking it for
granted that il had come upstairs in the reg
ular way, gave il q prominent place in the
mornings paper
When Mr. Huptley picked up copy Of
the Tribune that morning and saw his arti-
Gle OH the first page exactly as be had writ
ten it his bosom swesieG with pride. At noon
no sauntered down to the office with tno
feelings OF hero.
Il Shall be-" said he to himself, ''the
managing editor of this paper in e fort
night. l have struck the right vocation at
last"
When he entered the city room he no.
ticed u smile spread over The other repoT-
ters' faces, but nttributing il to jealousy he
calmly seated himself at MS desk. Ia 81 few
minutes Mr.. Moore called him and said that
Mr.. Greeley wanted to sec hla. Swelling
with pride add casting i LOOK Of triumph
arouad the room, the youGg reporter walk
Ell out Of the Office into Mr.. Greeley s roUu.
The door was closed. He raped gently.
"Coue in responded Il shriil fiisgit3
voice.
Nir. Huntley did SO. Mr.. Greeley was
seated at his desE writing. He waited pa
tieutly until he flushed. Then the old
gentleman wheeled around in his chair and
said
"Well, sir, what can do for you?"
You seut for me, sr."
"For you? What is your name?"
"Stanley Huntley."
"Oh So you are the blamed fool who
wrote up that Farmers Club ?"
The hopes of the future humorist expert
enced sudden decline. He would now be
satisfied with the city editorship.
"Why did you do it ?"
"They acted dlsgracefully, sir"
Eyes, know it; bus what did you do
with your copy ?"
Il dicn't copy it SIR" returned Mr..
Huntley, with dignity, Il wrote it ali my
self"
"Wbat did you do with your manu-
script?"
II showed it in hole in the wall and
whistled twice"
"Young man, how long have you been on
the press ?"
''Twenty -four hours, sir"
"Well, SIR" said the editor, a twinkle
coming into his eyes, you didn't know, of
course, what the rules of our office are.
But you oughtn't to have written that re-
port, indeed you oughtn't to. OF course
they are pack of fools. They always have
been, but you shouldn't have said so in the
Tribune Young man, Pm the president Of
4. NJ