Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-03-16
TOLD BY COLONEL wATTERsoN
A Penniless Rebel Soldier In Gin.
oinnati-His First Position on
a Newspaper.

The last time Colonel Henry Wat.
terson was here he told a story about
his experience in Cincinnati. He
said:
81 arrived in Cincinnati one blus-
tering winter night, a ragged, hungry
stranger, just out of the rebel army.
| had just enough money to pay for
q nights lodging. How well l re-
member wandering about the streets
of the city, wondering what the next
day would bring me. believed that
had ability as a journalist, aud
was satisfied that il | had an Oppor-
tunity l could prove it. l was in
the act several times of entering the
different morning newspapers and
applying for work, but l was SO
downhearted that / did not have the
courage to do so. l took a good
sleep that night, aud did not get up
until late the next day. My case was
. desperate one, and / felt that
must secure employment. never
felt more determined in my life. !
felt as If l could face the sternest edi.
tor in the land without a culver. In
this frame of mind started out TO
make tour of the various offices. AT
the first Office the editor, in a blunt
way, told me that his staff was crowd
ed and then resumed his work.
visited all the newspapers with the
same result, except the Times office.
The paper had a large job printing
office attached to it. which did q
great deal of theatrical printing.
also noticed that the paper had a mis-
erably written dramatic column. /
called on Col. Starbuck, the editor
and proprietor, and asked if there
were any vacancies on his staff.
"'There are never any vacancies
on good paper, but there is always
room for good man. said the colo
mel.
II shall never forget that reply,
and it is one l have always made TO
applicants for positions on the Cou-
rier-Journal. / told Colonel Star
buck that l thought could inn
prove on the dramatic column, and
proposed to write it for nothing If
he would give me % per cent COM
mission on all the printing and ad-
vertisements / secured from the
theatres. lie declined the PROPOSE
tons. AS l was about to leave he
turned TO me and said he would
give me $l2 week to perform the
service. What change came over
me. I Immediately felt myself rich.
/ told him would accept it. He
then said that l must not feel Offend
ed if at the end of the week he
found did not suit and he dismissed
me. / knew l would suit, for l
knew the full extent of my abilities,
and l told him that if 1 was not
competent should consider it all
offense if he did not discharge me.
This was the first of the week,
and started III that day. l never
undertook task with more enthusi-
asm. attended the theaters every
night. Before the end of the week
Colonel Starbuck expressed his ap-
proval. On Saturday afternoon l
went to the theatres to collect the
money for printing and advertising
due the Times. At the National
theater, after collecting the money, l
was handed an envelope addressed
10 me. Surprising it contained an
item of news or ticket, 1 put it in
my pocket unopened. At Pixies
another envelope bearing my name
was presented me and the same
occurred at Woods theatre. When
l returned to the Office, / opened the
envelopes and found the ones pre-
sented TO me at the National and
Pixies each contained $40. The one
received at Woods contained So. /
told Col. Starbuck the circumstances
and rendered him the money. lie
said that it did not belong to him
and he would not accept 1t. l re-
turned the donations to the theatrical
managers. They said the money had
been given in consideration of the
favorable notices had given their
performances.
"ColOnel Starbuck a short time
afterward made me managing
editor"