The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-16
hartley CAMPBELL IN PITTsBURa
Quaint Stories of the Eccentric Play
wright's Early Days.

Quaint Stories of the Eccentric Play
wright's Early Days.
PIrTsBURG, Aug. 9.-Bartley Campbell
was born and reared in Pittsburg. Those
who knew him when he worked in brick
yard describe him as tall, gaunt, lumber
ing boy, with enormously long arms and
legs, and shock of curly, unmanageable
hair. He received So a week. He and
many others filled small, box-like molds
with plastic clay, smoothed off the top, and
inverted them upon a drying board. One
day a couple of Engllshmen of the "bloody,"
'blawsted" variety stroled In, and finally
stopped near the board where BARLEY was
slapping out bricks.
"Well, me good man." said one of them
patronizingly, you seem to be rawther
busy"
"Ya-as," replied Campbell, scraping off
the mold, "you see we have an order for
10000 for the Orange parade tomorrow"
1.-THE Orange paradel Why, what do they
want with bricksg"
"They don't want 'em at ALL" said Bart
ley Its the Irish societies that gave the
order. Make 'em small they said, and
easy to throw"
''Well, bawst my eyes" calculated the
visitor. Now what do you think of that!
What bloody, murderous country any
how! guess we'd better get out of the
town tonight. Harry"
n After BARLEY left the yard and became a
reporter he had innunerable ups and
downs. He was clever at descriptive work,
but the dry routine of news gathering he
to report meeting of railroad magnates,
but on the way he met some convivial
friends Late in the evening BARLEY recol-
lected about the assignment and was in
despair. One of his Bohemian friends sug-
gested that all railroad meetings we're more
or less alike, and ne could just as well write
up the report at long range, as it were.
Accordingly he dashed off an imaginary
and very spicy account, and sent 1t up to
the office. Next day he was summoned into
the presence of the managing editor, and
found that dignitary chuckling with laugh
ter, and holding copy OF the rival morn
ing journal in his hand.
3iook here Campbell" he exclaimed,
"they have evidently manufactured their
report of that railroad conference; there
isn't word corresponds with your account.
Did you see their reporter at the meet
ing~ ,,. -, ..,.. =, hin, o,.,voro,
BARLEY with perfect truth. "he must have
been guzzling beer somewhere, instead of
tending to business"
About week afterward, when by mere
accident the managing editor discovered
the facts of the case, he said that he would
give Campbell exactly two years in which to
get hanged, and Immediately bounced him.
Before this disaster Campbell discovered
that he had knack of writing short
stories of the penny dreadful order, and
was able to occasionally sell one to'the New
York sensational weeklies. He told the
writer that those accepted averaged about
one in six, and that he received in the
neighborhood Of Sl5 apiece for them.
Whenever manuscript was rejected and
re turned he Immediately remailed it until
it finally found some safe harbor Of edi-
torial commendation or was worn out by
the repeated journeys. In his room he had
a huge heap Of frayed and tattered tales
that he said had been rejected by every
publication of repute in the United States
and Canada and cost him upward of 81
apiece for postage, but were the children of
such dreadful mental toll and travail that
he could not bear 30 put them in the fire.
This room of his was curiosity. he
used the walls as a scrap book, and when
ever he encountered anything Of value in
his reading, either clipped 1t out and pasted
it up or made a memorandum on the
plaster. The only spot not sacred TO clip
pings was near his table, where he screwed
his slippers TO the wall at an elevation OF
about yard and half. In thee he was
won't to insert his feet, and could tilt his
chair back as far as he pleased without