Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-02
& CRITICAL SITUATION.

nuSS PosteiS WHICH plcHlllully DeSprlnklt
the walls of the city. In resembling tone.
of red, blue and bright vermilion, it calico
the attention of the public to the fact thai
the stirring sensational melodrama of deer
domestic interest, entitled I" For Life OF
Death or, the Graves Witness" was ther
being performed to overlooking audience:
at the Royal Lorne Theater. Just above
the printed announcement was a picture
representing one gentleman apparently in
the act of boring hole in the floor with
another gentleman'S head, and which |
took to bear reference to the printed noti-
fication below.
My momentary curiosity satisfied. |
turned TO proceed on my way, when my
eyes encountered those of man standing
by my sIde-a man whom | had not no.
tlced before, and who might have been
the very ghost of sandwich man instead
of sandwich man in the flesh, so sud-
denly and quickly had he come upon me.
Yet. there he Enthusiastically was, his tat
tered old froekcoat, once the pink OF
fashion, frayed at the edges, worn to shreds
at the seams, and bullying at the elbows:
the trousers darned and patched in a dozen
different places. but now gone far beyond
the last stage of repair; the patent-leather
boots broken and down at heel, and almost
soleless; the battered white hat, with
black band round it, and the brim all but
gone; the dubious red nose, the trembling
mouth and the bleary eyes that told their
own tale. ! stood for a moment staring at
this sudden appearance without any par
ticular reason, and he, in his turn, staring
at me. The pause, awkward enough in all
conscience, was of that character in which
one of the parties feels impelled to make
an observation of some kind in order to
get decently away. Before | could open
my lips, however, my companion antici-
pated me.
Striking sort of picture that" he said,
in dry, husky voice, and with an apollo
getic kind of sniff.
:" If coloring has anything to do with it,
/ should certainly say it was striking
enough" he replied.
"Ahw he returned, You seemed inter-
ested in it; but I'll warrant you're not
half so interested in it as | am. There's
not soul in this city that understands
that picture as | do. The worst of it is,
when L once start looking Pm unable to
leave it for thinking of what this play
once did for me. Then the police have to
move me on, and that gets me into
trouble. Even if / would forget the past,
may not, for-look herew-he pointed to
the two boards slung over his shoulders as
he spoke, and showed me the inscription,
For Life or Death" in lightning zigzag
letters.
81 IL, y,
here and elsewhere, but there is not one OF
them TO whom it means what it does to me.
To yen aud them it is only picture badly
designed, clumsily cut, and worse colored.
To me ii is the story of my hfe's ruin.
Perhaps you'll wonder what I'm driving
at If YOU care to listen for few mo-
ments viii tell you" He glanced at the
open doorway VI one OF the old city
churches near at hand. "Come in here, y
he sid; its quiet and shady, and when
there's nobody about, they sometimes LET
me go in there for rest. YoI may like
to hear what | have to tell, and shall be
glad to get these internal boards off my
shoulders for a few moments"
Thoroughly interested already in spite
of myself-perhaps more by the man:
manner than anything else-I followed
him. Entering the porch, he took the
boards off his shoulders and placed then
against the wall, and taking his seat on the
bench just inside the doorway, drew ;
pocket handkerchief from his pocket anc
mopped his forehead with it.
''To begin WITH" he said, after mo-
ments silence, "let me tell you that my
name is Edward Morton. Perhaps vol
will not believe if / say that was one,
upon a time-what OF all things in tn,
world do you think-a dramatic critic
Yes, it's true. What is more, dramati,
criticism was the beginning and end o
my downfall and this is how it happened
1t was about ten years ago and soon aftel
l started my journalistic career in The
provinces, that / took situation on on,
of our great daily papers-The Bi,mderer
to wit. This ! succeeded in obtaining
through the influence of friend at Court
and, for a youngster just entering tn,
profession, it was looked upon as an i'm
mense piece of good fortune. However
that may be, up to town l came, and no
being quite a fool, turned my chances {,
such good account that | was spoken o.
ON all sides as promising young man.
| might have gone on this way, and ulti
mately attainad to a bald head and a sub
editorship at fifty or so, but for doing two
exceedingly foolish things / made tn,
acquaintance of Charlie Eastwood, ant
j fell desperately in love with prett,
actress, and one who was quite as cleve
and good as she was pretty-Lizzie Ray
burn-you remember her? This Charlie
Eastwood was journalist like myself
wild, harum-scarum fellow of the specu
latiye sort-you've met this prototype,
dare say; always going off at tangent, o
breaking ont in fresh place when leas
expected; full of extravagant ideas abou
the undiscovered possibilities of the press
always vaporing about the reforms he in
tended to originate if ever he should edi
a paper of his own. /, at that time, ad
miring and looking up 10 Charlie, nc
only rs the best of good fellows, whic
he really was, but as the very prince {
journalists and an original genius, whicl
only too late | have discovered he W.
not, firmly believed in and held 10 him i
spite of the ridicule and chat Of older ar
wiser heads.
AT last, one day Charlie came to me {
the Office in perfect frenzy of exciiemeI
with the news that he had Just taken tn
management of a weekly paper called AZ
Bullsege, which would make its appearance
the following week, and which had, ;
usual, been started to fill the not partic,
larly noticed void. "We're all full u
with the exception Of the dramatics, an
Teddy, my boy, you're the very mani
know you have ideas of your own aboi
the way that sort of thing should be don
and here's the opportunity. Between u
we will make the paper the biggest go
London.
"What Eastwood said was true. l ha
long possessed secret yearnings that wa
which | had at times confded to Charli
For a moment considerations of pruden,
come to my aid and venture the mild SUI
gestion of doubt as to whether ] was qui
fitted for that line of work.
Nonsense, my boy, said Charlie;
know your proper capacity. You're su
to make hit 1t was curious fact tn