The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-07
A PHAoR AND GOOD WILL JOURNAL.
how Col. Shepard Manages the Mail and
Expreaa-Snma Inaida Hiatoru

n"so u" hapeials 10 90 IL justice. Such
facts as leak out here and there produce
such paroxysms Of hilarity that general
request has been made by conservative
subscribers that the owner OF the paper
keep his newspaper business inside the
office. This is polite but impossible.
Col. Shepard's management insists upon
being historic. From the first journalistic
move to the last, his exploits have been
dramatic and corruscating. II is now I'M
derstood that the liberal and excellent
Mrs. Shepard gave her husband 81, 900, 900
to go into the paper, $780, 900 OF it being
paid for the property to Cyrus Field, who
valued II at 100000, and claimed that 1t
was paying per cent. on the investment.
The Colonel had original ideas for running
a newspaper. One of his ideas was to
increase the expenses $50, 900 year. But
that was not specially dramatic. His de-
tails, in fact, were more picturesque than
his results. He or ganized what is known
as the system OF Peace and Good Will. He
discharged all the buns and Bohemians,
and took on pious managing editor, a
missionary foreman, an evangelical dra-
matte critic, and meek aud lowly sport
| ing editor. Each editor had two assistants,
and each assistant was provided with a
clerk and a printed text about Peace and
| Good Will.
When this gentle staff was organized, a
brilliant idea struck Col. Shepard one
day. An evening paper had never had
what is called night editor. Here was
luxury that had always been gobbled by
the morning editors. He would break
through the tradition. He would have a
night editor. The more he thought OF this
the more its brilliancy and audacity de-
yeloped. He then hired young man
from Philadelphia for this position, and he
had organized for him q special bureau
and special electric service. This room
was in the top OF the publication building.
lie came on at nightfall, went 70 bed and
remained till sunrise. lie had chain OF
electric bells round his room, connecting
with series OF knobs on the sidewalk.
lie and the police Of that precinct were
notified that when anything occurred, ii
they would ring one OF the bells, the night
editor would dress and come down and
get their statements. This functionary, to
facilitate matters, had brass rod
10 slide down, and mechanical
harness hung over his bed which
dropped his coat and hat on him after the
fashion used in the engine houses. For a
wear he had sinecure's berth lie slept
all through the evenlful nights and drew
his salary. But after that the boys got 10
working the electric bells TO see him come
down his pole, and in three weeks he had
10 have AN assistant. One OF Col. Shep.
ards original ideas was 10 hire an assistant
Tor IN editor the moment he found out
that there wasn't anything for the editor
10 do.
His next brilliant coup was TO bring on
the cody Mr.. Gray, from Chicago. Two
motives appear 10 have actuatcd him. The
Rev. Mr.. Gray, Sr., was one OF the mos
godly men in that godly city, and Col
Shep ard wanted a personal Lieutenant
who could reflect his own views OF Peace
and Good Will in the establishment Young
Mr.. Gray appears 10 have created a sensa.
ton when he came on from Chicago on 9
five years contract to infu,e some Of the
Chicago peace and p.ety into the
Mad and krpncs Office. Col. Shep
ard was away when he arrived. But
the young man took possession Of the Col.
onePs elegant desk, put his heels on II, or
defed an extra cuspidor and made things
red hot generally. lie got some tips on the
races from the pious sporting editor, he
worked the comic operas through the
pious musical editor, and he bulldozed
everybody in the deep dyed language o
Chicago. which we express here by means
OF dashes aud exclamation points. Mr.
Mitchell, the business manager, re
signed. lie said that local pride
in the blasphemy Of the Eas
made this invasion oppressive. But Col
Shepard oyenruled tho resignation anc
gave him cotton TO put in his ears. One o
Gray's worst habits was that OF rlzzle
dazzling n crowd down from the Hoffman
House at night 20 see the night edito
work mis- pole. The Colonel objected /,
this as lacking in dignity. But il is 70
ported that Gray only said - - ole
hoy, turn on anothertext ON that -
editorial column, thatll equal1e 1
- -"
But the Colonel, with all bis lamb.lik,
enterprise, went on the war-palh occa
sionally aud wrote editorials with Chris
tian scalping. knit Just before election h,
executed one OF those blood and thunde
war documents. IL wellercd In gore
The solid South u Il persisted was q
, be dccimated by another MARTA
invasion. II the Democratic row
, dies Of Philadelphia came her
to stuff our ballot.boxcs they were TO b,
, hanged on the lamp posts along Broadway
! War, nay, rapinc and the flrebrand wer
better than cOwardice and slavery. Tn,
Colonel even drew CHASTITY 4'cslre Of tn
&ndfoS Carnegie .yds al -sSraSN 'H Ser
, not obyed. Il was an editoru,l writer
I with dagger dipped in molten lava, an,
It went on the galleys to await orders AM
was forgotten.
Then Christmas time came along, an,
! the Colonel got new idea. This was tn
! season Of Peace aud Good VIII above al
! others, and the Mail and Erpocu shoul
! reflect Il. Orders wcrc issued TO every
: body TO prepare Peace and Good Will art
: clcs In all departments, and the bushes
J clerks were instructed 10 take per cent
oil all advertisements for that iEsrc, tina
Z managed 10 get In Chrisliai
sentiment Tho whole Of the Ser
mon ON the Mount WIS set up b
be- split into paragraphs for the sportin
= column, the dramatic column, and the re
. ports on tho British burlesqueu. Whci
) all WIS ready for this auroral burst q
4 Peace and Good VIII. the balmy gentlencs
y aud meek love offerings 10 all mankind
the Colonel went home and said 10 hi
, | matrimonial hacker, "My dear | think
\ will delight and asionish you with tn
I Christmas issue. II win come a. softly a
y the Ecphyrs that stole over the vale Q
Sloan. Every line OF Il vii
glow with the gentle eyangel Q
: love. II viii make bit In al
humanitarian hearts" When Il got upol
; the streets both the Colonel and hi
4 hacker grasped II together. II was opened
. The Coloneia law fell. There In the pos