The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-04-23
H. X. HETRICK, BOHEMIAN.
A Few "reminiscences Taken
From the Note Book of an
Old Reporter.
"Bohemia, thy cloudlsnd lies,
With ali las rare emnnrnled DIVES

|
Not for away"
Newspaper men never forget. The
hurrying scurryiug old world may spin
cobwebs across the pages of the past,
but they are as often swept away by
some little paragraph, the mention of
name or by that fiood-tide of recol-
lection which sweeps over us all at
times, and makes us remember, wheth.
er we will or no. 1t was simple
paragraph in a newspaper few days
ago that caused the writer of this 10
ransack his note book to find therein
material for a few "reminiscences of q
noted character.
A few days ago Ex-Governor Mar.
tin of Kansas, q member of the board
of directors of national homes for dis
abled soldiers. found among the ap-
plications for admission to the Leaven-
worth home that of Howard r. Het-
rick.
Tim older members of the newspa-
per fraternity in Sedalia remem her
Howard Hetrick who made OCCASION
al trips to this city some years ago
and who, at one time. had brief con-
nection with the BAzoo. There is
probably not city of any Importance
in the country where Howard Het-
rick did not work at times.
The writer of these random remen-
inescences of Que of the most accom-
plished and thorough Bohemians
of the .last half century first knew
Howard Hetrick ABOUT the close of
the civil war. He was city editor of
the Herald of st. Joseph which was
then under the management of Charles
Wilkinson. Hetrick at that time was
as handsome as Apollo. He had the
physique of an athlete, the bouyancy
of youth and a face that flashed
with perpetual humor. He was a
rapid and vivid writer, a fluent con-
versationalist, and as gallant as any
woman could wish for. He became a
favorite in s~ciety, and the society of
st. Joseph in those days had substan-
tial reasons for IFS claims.
And then came the beginning of
the end. The syrens sang their sweet
est songs in the ear of this handsome
favorite and he listened. Wine aud
women worked a gIitterlng, golden
pathway for him, but the end led into
outer darkness. Howard Hetrick be-
came slave to strong drink. He
drifted about the country, however,
for some years, being always able to
get work somewhere. He was CORES
pondent at the state capital for sever
al newspapers at various times. He
knew every member of the legislature
of Missouri. He was always fond of
the gaming table and as he became
more confirmed drinker, he became
more reckless and hopeless gambler.
Then he became chronic borrower of
money in sums from five cents up.
such reputation did ne achieve in
this respect that..when men who still
liked and admired him for what he
once had been, would, when they saw
him approaching, put their hands in
their pockets and ask How much
is it this time, Het ~
1t was during these years that he
used to visit Sedalia and do occa-
sional newspaper work. He would
remain few days and then drift away
to some other point. He soon be-
came known on every railroad of note
I'D the country, and it is probably not
stretching the truth to state that al
though he travelled throughout the
country, ne never paid railroad fare.
Sometimes he would walk into the
office of the highest officer of the road,
ask him for pass, get it, and then,
to use his own expression, "strike
him for Y for incidenfals."
There was an old German in the
Missouri legislature along in the '70's
who could scarcely speak a word of
English and who could not write it.
He was rich. Hetrick told him if he
did not make a speech, some dire
calamity would follow. The old man
protested that he couldn't make a
speech to save him from purgatory.
Hetrick told him that many a speech
was printed III the newspapers that
never was delivered and that he
would write one for him and send it
to his paper, the st. Louis Times,
then owned by SIilson Hutchins,
who was at that time a member of |
the same Legislature. In two DAYS
Hetrick sought the old German,
showed him copy of the paper and
proceeded to read to him a forid |
speech, not one word of which was in !
type or had ever been delivered. !
The cd man was fat
tered and Hetrick "struck him
TT