St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-01
UPHILL WORK
In Establishing on a Sound Basis
MINNEAPOLIS Department.

IN DISTINGUISHING on q SOuEl Basis
Minneapolis Department..
The first few years of the GLOBES
! career in Minneapolis were marked by
disappointments. In business or
counting room sense ''it was mighty
hard sledding." To enlist a profitable
recognition seemed next to impossible.
| The prejudices With which it had to do
| battle We're deep-seated. When it came
accounting" the people were coy, and
more often cold and suspicious, and it's
corps of solicitors met with discourag-
ing failures almost abject. The adj
vertSer, that most potent of factors con-
| tributing to the progress and prosperity
of journal, was shy and chary, while
| the subscriber was no less reluctant III
responding to the seductive inpOrtu
mites OF the circulator. AS conse
| quence, each monthly balance sheet
showed an important deficit, which had
| to be made up at the home office.
The GLOBES treatment of Minreapo-
| lis institutions was sometimes fair
and just, although, when openly
snubbed in business way, scathing and
sarcastic arraignmentS usually followed.
Occasionally this course would subdue
or intimidate this advertiser with the
| eternal declination, and sometimes it
only tended to intensity the recalcitl ant
| feeling, but at no time up to the advent
of the present proprietorship OF the
paper could it boast of any profitable
business in the Flour City.
A LITTLE ANECDOTE
of the regime of the redOubtable Frank
J. Mead, as envoy plenipotentiary of the
! phase of journalistic ethics and mana
gerial science in the first few months
history OF this paper in Minneapolis:
1t was during the halcyOn days when
/ the Pence opera house was enjoying
popular rage for "ROsedale," Lady of
Lyons" and plays of that ilk, under the
management of the veteran John
Murray. who recently laid down his
temporal burden for spiritual exist. |
ence. The GLOBES advertising solicitor
had met with stubborn refusals and |
positive reflections when he asked for a
card at John Murray's Office. This in |
cited Frank Mead to series of criti- |
cisms OF the plays produced at the |
Pence. These criticisms were some |
times humorous, but more often per- |
Sonal eXpositions of the shortcomings of |
the company. As time went OH they |
increased in bitterness, and now and |
then the company was denounced as |
''rotten." Murray was not blessed |
with skin as thick and tough as that |
of rhinoceros, and consequently he |
felt very keenly the gibes from Mead's |
pen. Aiming himself with ponder !
Gus hickory cane and indulging in his |
characteristic stimulant, he went on |
the war path. Early in The morning |
he paid several menacing visits to the |
GLOBE office. At that hour Mead was
never in, as was well known. This |
In Mno1;S M
thence felt strained. The latter, de- |
termined to have it out, went to the |
theater, but Murray was out. Mead |
wrote letter stating that he would be |
in at given hour, and requesting Muir |
ray to call then and adiustmatterS, etc. |
This was handed to Fred Bryton, the |
leading man OF the troupe. Undue time !
the note reached the hands of the irate !
manager, and at the hour designated !
therein Murray walked with COM
placent sang froid into the GLOBE
office. He carrie d in his hand an omi- |
nously heavy gold-headed cane, but there
could be no mistaking that CHEEKY |
smile and hearty "Good morning, Mr..
mind about clubbing the editor,
and his urbanity and courteousness
were perfectly unconstrained. Before
he left he had contracted for the same !
amount of space he used in any other
paper, and presto, change! the opinions
of the dramatic critic had become SO
absolutely metamorphosed that he
could not say too much of the ''emi-
nent talent" 1.-THE grace and beauty"
1.-THE versatility" ETC., of the company,
collectively and individually.
In August MI. Mead succeeded in Sc
curing the Democratic nomination as
candidate for the house of representa- |
tives from the Thirtieth district. He
canvassed the entire district, speaking |
in every village, in country school |
honses, and diligently kissed the farm
ers' babies. He worked indefatigably,
but his efforts were futile. He was de- |
feated. This incident, together with |
the financial loss that the department |
was suffering, apparently disheartened |
him. He resigned shortly after from |
the editorial position. His trenchant |
pen. which had cut such politicians as
W. d. Washburn to the quick, was laid |
down, and new home was sought in |
Mandan, Oak.