San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-28

scanned me from head to foot, jotting few
strokes on their note books, They were TAX
ing my portrait, which appeared next morn
ing at the head of the articles that the press
Of New York thought fit to devote to me-
Obi that first afternoon in New York,
spent in the company of the interviewers!
shall never forget it!
The office of my lecture manager, Maj
Pond, was situated on the ground floor of the
Everett house, where had put up Thither
repaired after lunch to undergo the opera
ton of tapping by eight interviewers at once.
"Ah!" said one of them, after the usual
salutations, 1--WE are going to bore you, so let
US begin at the beginning"
This made me smile.
81 know your first question:" l said; ''you
are going to ask me whether this is my first
visit to America"
'You are right; that is generally our first
question; but have another to ask you be-
fore You have just eaten your first meal in
America; what did you havef"
Gentlemen" l replied as seriously as
possibly could, II have just been in for
piece of turbot, beefsteak and potato chips,
q celery salad, and a vanilla ice."
"And now" remarked another reporter,
II have an important question to put to you,
hope it will not astonish you"
"Oh" replied, 81 am in America, and
quite ready not to be astonished at any
thing"
"Well, then," said he, 81 want to ask you
what are your impressions of America"
Excuse me-" exclaimed, 81 have only
been in it three hours, and those three hours
have been spent in this hotel You must
really allow me to abstain for the moment
from telling you what 1 think of America
for you will admit, hope, that one must
have passed whole day at least in America,
in order to judge it with any accuracy"
Here rolled a cigarette and rang for a
lemon squash.
The reporters Immediately made an entry
in their note books.
"What is that you have put DOWN. l
asked
A young fellow, with face beaning with
activity and intelligence, replied; Il wrote
that at this point of our conversation you
squash"
The questions they asked really appeared to
me so commonplace so trivial, thai | was
almost ashamed to think | was the hero of
| this little farce.
With the idea Of giving them something
better worth writing, launched into anec-
| dotes, and told few to these interviewers.
This brought about little scene which was
| quite comic If looked at one reporter a
| little oftener than the rest, while | told an
anecdote, he would turn to his brethren and
| say:
This story is for my paper, you have no
right to take it down; it was told especially
to me-"
"Not at ALL" would cry the others, cit was
| told to all of u.s."
Next day procured all the New York
morning papers, more from curiosity, must
| say in justice to myself thar from vanity,
| for was not at all proud of my utterances
of the day before.
Judge of my surprise on opening the first
paper to find nearly two columns full Of
amusing details, picturesque descriptions
| wei. told anecdotes, witty remarks, the whole
cleverly mingled and arranged by men who
| had always supposed, were mere stenogra-
| piers
Everything was faithfully reported and
artistically set down. The smallest incidents
were rendered interesting by the manner of
telling. The major, for instance, who, &C.
customed to this kind OF interview for many
years. had peacefully dropped asleep, COM
fortably installed, with his head on the sofa
pillows and his feet on the back of chair;
my own gestures; the description of the
pretty and elegantly furnished office-an was
very crisp and vivid They had turned
everything to account; even the arrival of
the lemon squash was made to furnish a little
paragraph that was droll and attractive.
You might have imagined that the whole
thing was the first chapter of novel, COM
nencing with the majestic entry of steamer
into New York harbor.
Well, said to myself, the American jour
nalist knows, at any rate, how to make
savory hash out of very little.