Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-12
IN A DUAL ROLE.
THE INTERESTING TALK OF AN
OLD BROOKLYN SCIENTIST.

OLD BROOKLYN SCIENTIST.
Once. While Journalist, He Edited Two
Opposing Daily Papers In Holland-The
Amusing Story of His Experience-A
Huge Journalistic Joke.
at was In Zierikzee," DR.. r. b. Van der
Weyde began, after prolonged paro1ysm
OF as merry laughter IS ever was heard. 81
tell you when l was young man had
plenty Of fun, but my journalistic career was
the rarest and mellowest experience Of my
life l was the simultaneous editor not only
OF scientific magazine, but Of two daily
papers, one published in the morning end tho
other in the evening. The fun of it was that
the morning paper was Conservative or
Royalist journal, while the one printed in
the evening was extremely, extravagantly
Liberal Thus enjoyed the peculiar felicity
OF abusing myself impersonally to my hearts
content, and retaliating tmpersonally in the
following issue Of the opposition journal
Sometimes when the king visited the city I
would palaver him in the Conservative paper,
describe his passage along the canals as
sort OF Venetian pageant, glorify his retinue,
and set portion Of the populace wild with
patriotic fervor. On the same evening per-
haps, through the Liberal journal, I will have
the town by the ears with my ridiculous de-
scription OF the kings visit, painting the
alleged gondolas as old mud scows, the ex-
IRENE patriots as fawning ours, the retinue
as uproarious drunkards, the trappings as
tinsel and gewgaws, and the enthusiasm Of
the populace as venting itself in jeers and the
casting Of rotten apples and decayed vegeta-
bles at the royal procession At night, when
went to my club, would be saluted with
good natured taunts from my friends, such
ss All, ha! you caught it this evening, didn't
your OF course was nearly bursting with
suppressed laughter during all those years,
which formed the happiest period Of my life"
81 infer that your connection with this
Liberal Journal was q secret. How did you
manage to preserve your tncognitoT'
''The huge joke was the result Of an acci-
dental combination of circumstances for
which I was in no wise responsible. While
editing The Tydschrift voor de Wis-en Ma
tuurkunde journal Of Mathematics and
Physics), the printer one day suggested that
it was a pity the type should be used only
once month, and offered to print daily
paper If would edit It. I consented on con-
dition that my connection with the new
paper should remain a secret. In this way
The Nieusbode News Carrier) was founded.
The only other daily paper in the city, gov
eminent organ subsisting on patronage,
whose editor dared not maintain that his
soul was his own, was edited with almost
utter imbeciity. At that time QS42 almost
everything was taxed in Holland, and there
was O stamp tax of one cent per sheet on
printingpaper. This tax was graded accord
ing to the size Of the paper, but fragments Of
eight inches or less square were not taxed
Therefore we avoided the tax by making Tho
Nieusbode a sheet 10x8 inches, printed on
both sides After we had made a success
Of the paper-which we sold at about
two-fifths of cent per copy-the
Conservatives succeeded in having the
legislature pass bill repeating the
law e1empting this small sized paper from
taxation. On the last day Of grace The
Nieusbode appeared with a cut of q skull.
and crossbones on one side and a weeping
willow over grave on the other. Every
body thought the paper was dead and there
was great rejoicing among the municipal
politicians. But We were very much alive
On the next evening The Nieusbode, unan
nounced and unexpected, appeared, greatly
enlarged, paying the full stamp tax, and
selling for cents copy. The populace
greeted our new appearance rapturously,
and we received great accessions Of subscrip-
tions and advertising patronage The gov
eminent officials were thrown into state Of
frenzied desperation"
"But you haven't told me how you were
able to preserve your secret and how you
came to bel chosen editor Of the government
paper"
"My wife, who Is French lady, was then |
teaching select school in my house. The |
daughter of my partner. the printer, who
was one Of the pupils, brought proofs to the /
schoolroom twice day, and they were !
secretly transferred to ma On her return ,
she carried away the marked slips and fresh !
copy. 1t thus happened that was known as
the editor Of The Tydschrift voor de Wis-en
Natuurkunde, but my connection with The
Nieusbods was not discovered until long after
had come to America.
''Soon after enlarging our paper received
o visit from the secretary Of the mayor. He
me that he had been authorized by
the common council to offer me the position
Of editor Of The Couant, the government
organ. The paper was SO much enfeebled by
the opposition journal, he said, that some
thing had to be done to improve its standing
Rn6 fortunes. was astounded at the propo-
sition, but, as the salary mentioned was quite
large, asked time for reflection. On the ad.
vice Of learned medical friend, who had an
acute relish for joke, accepted the prof
fered position. without, however, relinquish-
ing my secret labor on The Nieusbode 1t
thus happened that maintained the dual
role until was deposed from the editorship
of the government organ"
"How did that occur, II you were not
known to be the editor of the opposition |
paperT'
I'm this wise: That same secretary of tho
mayor wished to become member Of the
house Of representatives, the elective branch.
He was an extremely interruptions poli1-
clan, unpopular even with tho Conserve
ives An article indorsing him was set up
without my knowledge promptly killed
t in proof Nevertheless, while was at the
hub that night, the article was again In
ruded and appeared on the following morn
ng. The indignation Of the government
party leaders was SO great that lost my
place. "-Brooklyn Eagla
Causing Hss6ness by Tnoe1lss1e4.
nA11 T. y a