The Washington critic., 1889-01-25
THINGS HEARD ABOUT TOWN.
Kleln. the snmonn Edltor

Klein, the samoan Editor
Charles Smythc. one of The CRITICS
typesetters, and who "set up" part of
this article, has been an extensive
traveller A year and half ago he was
in Samoa, and while there became quite
we'll acquainted with Mr.. Klein, whose
letters about the Samoan difficulties have
been accepted by English speaking
people as the best accounts obtainable.
Mr.. Klein is the editor of little paper
called the Times, published at Appia.
81 have been in his office often" says
Mr.. Smythe. 1T is small building,
that is both European and native in its
construction. You know that the
natives build their houses of reeds and
grasses and mud. Europeans houses arc
built of boards much as in European
countries. The building from which
the Times is issued is compact structure
in which these two styles of architecture
are mingled 1t is of two rooms. The
front one is the editorial room and in the
back room the type is set and the paper
printed. The press is a little affair that
two men could pick up and carry away.
tits an army press" such as was used
during the war TO print army orders.
The form Of type Is laid on flat
plate. linked, the paper laid on the type,
and the whole run through under
cylinder that makes the impression. 1t
takes about minute to print each
paper Mr.. Klein wanted me TO so into
the paper with him, but | wasn't at
tracted by the prospect, and only staid
on the islands few weeks. Klein is
bright young man, and though the papers
u,,nol Df hin, oo fhoir rprractpn1nnt hp
is not such regularly. He writes letters
to the papers now about Samoan affairs,
but he was not sent there as n correspon-
dent by any paper. He is hustler. as
the reporters say, and an intrepid news
gatherer. If there was a fight and he
wanted to write description of it he
would go right into the fight to get it,
He's quick to take advantage Of every.
thing that comes his way, and he is
really an important man in Samoa.
An Ohiciul Oversight.
The little mistakes and oversights Of
public officials are sometimes peculiarly
unpleasant.
For long while the postoftice people
have been anxious to effect the removal
of the mailbag repair shop from its pres
ent narrow and really dangerous quarters
over the City Postoflice.
A month or so ago the necessary money
was appropriated to lease the old E-street
rink and day was set for the removal.
Then it was discovered that there was
no money to pay for fires to warm the
big barn-like structure and now the re-
moval will have TO be delayed until the
necessary red tape can be manipulated to
secure an allowance for fires.
A Gutter Art "Critique."
DE was standing by the door Of the
bank facing the new Franklin statue,
shaking his head vehemently and NUT
tering to himself, "Its wrong; it's all
wrong"
He was half drunk, but he succeeded
in grabbing the reporters coat lapel as
he tried to dodge behind him, and the
reporter had to listen, for the drunk had
something TO say, and he was bound to
say it.
LOOK a-here," he began, "it say on
the pedestal of that there statue that he
was er printer. An Franklin was er
printer. But did you ever see printer
| with good clothes ON like that ? An
the shoes Look at the shoes There
amt hole in them, an they've got
heels on. Look at that coat too Why,
it looks like new coat. No, sir It's
all wrong. Pm a printer myself, and !
know what kind of clothes these oldtime
printers wore.
"And do you see that piece of copy he
has in his hand2 Some blithering idiot
has folled his copy before he sadf Tit IA.
and the city editor run it out that way
and old Ben. got piece of it. And now
you can see what chump the man that
made the statue was. He never saw q
printer Why, when Ben. got piece OF
rolled copy I'll bet he swore just as much
as you and / would. But" continued
the critic, maybe he thinks he's got q
pick up. | guess it maybe that's the
reason he looks so pleasant. But any
way the clothes are all wrong. No prin
ter ever wore such good clothes as that. y
Shade of poor Richard. And this was
one of the race of printers you fathered