The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-05-27
Rad Manuscript.

There is no end 10 the stories that
might be told of the tronble. fun, acct
dents, and other complications that
have been caused by editorial writers
and others who furnish the copy
from whio.. printers, in all sorts of of
fees, earn their livelihood. Proofread
ers are the court of last resort in the
premises, and many bald and gray
head and premature aged body are the
results of hours OF struggle and days
and years of association with manu-
script that puzzles the author himselfto
read when once ii has become cold. The
writer's experience extends over quite
a period of years, and with quite va
ried collection of authors. and many n
scene of trouble, and discord. and
stormy encounter has come under his
notice, brought about by the positive
inability to decipher the writing, and
consequent misconstruction of what
the author intended to write, and what
he undoubtedly did write if it had been
properly deciphered
John w. Forney, who was too well
known throughout the country to need
elaboration rs to who he was, wrote a
terribly bad hand, and he was made to
blush and worse many time when
living. He was very willing at all times
to read the manuscript of an editorial
when the proofreader appealed TO him
in his dire extremity; but frequently
he would substitute a word, declaring
he could not read what he had origi-
naily written. But, in the language
of the typo, the fathers writing was
copper plate" in comparison with
the son's-John w. Forney, Jr.'s. He
held for a long time the position of man
aging editor on the Philadelphia Press
at the time his father owned and
edited it, and he furnished a good deal
of copy, for it used to be said he could
make copy" as fast as any one was
ever known to make it in those days.
He wrote dramatic criticisms. theatre
cal notes, etc, and his Manuscript was
so horrible that the compositors insist
ed on the payment of 10 cents thou
sand ems extra, which made the price
90 cents thousand for type setting on
this particular manuscript, which, con-
sidering the fact that the proofs were
also corrected for them, made pretty
fair price. At one time there came
into the Press composingrooms-
the story goes-a man who had tray
eled much and whose knowledge of
manuscript WIS by no means limited,
and who was u most excellent news
paper printer. He carefully watched
for "subbing," which In Philadelphia,
as all printers who have been there
know, is no very pleasant job, for there
is not any time very great amount of
it given out, until at last he was re-
warded by regular" going off and
putting him on TO Sub" for him.
Everything went along nicely and
smoothly for an hour or two, when,
upon going to the hook" he struck
"take" of Young Johns" manuscript.
He took it to his frame, put it upon his
case, with his stick" upon it, looked
at it for moment, and then calculated,
punctuating his remarks with words
rather too strong to print in full. and
the dashes will be omitted: We'll,
that's writing is it. Business is too
good in this country for me to waste
my time in trying to make living on
that kind of stuff, and I'll leave it," so
saying he put on his coat and walked
out of the Office.
Not great while after the above oc-
/ Cured this same comp" was working
/ in Denver. The Pennsylvania Editorial
/ Association just about this time were
on Western trip, with John W. For
ney, Jr., as one of the number. Stop
ping in Denver, John volunteered to
write for one of the journals there an
account of the associations trip. The
offer was thankfully accepted by the
editor, and John W., Jr., went to work.
Now, it so happened that this was the
Office in which the aforementioned
printer was working, and, of course, as
1 soon as the manuscript reached the
copy hook stake" of it fell to his lot.
He took it to his frame, and with arms
akimbo cried out, with language more
forcible than elegant: We'll, by -!
L left Philadelphia for that --
-, and I'll leave Denver too" And
he did leave, for he Immediately donned
his coat and left.
Horace Greeley while he lived bore
the reputation of being the greatest of
American editors, and he q so bore the
reputation 70 turning out about as bad
manuscript as it was necessary for any
man to do. He once wrote an elaborate
article in which he found occasion to
quote from Shakespeare the well-known
phrase: "'Tis true, It's pity; and pity
It's, t S true" His proofs were always
sent TO him, and tall stories are told of
the way in which he ragged about and
tore things generally when he read /:
otis two, It's fifty, and It's fifty-two. -"
1t is also said that letter written to a
man employed on the staff of the Trib-
tt1le and intended as n letter of dis
missal from Mr.. Greeley was used rs n
letter of recommendation and did real
ly procure the same gentleman an ed
itorial position in the West.
Not with That Show.
An advertisement of: "A party want
ed to travel with theatrical company
as treasurer" brought about a meeting
between Detroiter and theatrical
man at hotel the other day.