The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-03-16

of the ST. Paul Globe described Blaine's
adventures with George Nicholas. "Nich-
olas," said Fry, twas reporter OF the
Chicago Times which was during the Gays
of Editor Storey great friend of Blaines.
Blaine was in Chicago at the Grand Pacific
hotel and Clint Snowden, the city editor,
sent Nicholas to interview him. AS he en-
rered the hotel he saw Mr.. Blaine go into
the dining room arm in arm with prom1-
nent politician of Chicago. He waited
until they came out aud saw Blaine go to
the elevator and up to his room. Mr.. Mich
olas then sent up his card to Mr.. Blaine
The boy returned Immediately and said that
Mr.. Blaine was not in. Nicholas waited
half an hour and sent up his card again.
The same result. He waited another half
hour and sent up another card and still Mr..
Blaine was not IN. BY this time he was
rather angry and seeing across the street
an old Chicagoan who looked very much
like Mr. Blaine it occurred to him that he
would get even with Mr.. Blaine by making
this man personate him. Nicholas was
curious fellow. He suffered in his speech
and he was q good deal of wag. He went
over the way and patted this man on the
shoulder and said: How do you do MIR.
Blaine.' The man looked around and re-
piled: What is it Nickl What's the lay
Said Nicholas L have been sent out to in
terview Mr.. Blaine and as you lock like
Mr.. Blaine 1 will interview you,' and he
thereupOn began to ask questions. The
man took the cue and he answered the IN
terrogatories in a characteristic manner,
saying just the things, however, that Blaine
should not have said. He referred in i'm
polite terms to General Grant and criti
cised Garfield. Nicholas wrote up the in
terview and it was published in the Times.
Blaine noticed it the next day when he was
travelling somewhere in the central part OF
Wisconsin. He was very angry and he
telegraphed Mr.. Story that he had had no
interview with any of his reporters and
asked what he meant by such an outrage
cited over the telegram. He called ia
Snowden and asked who had WTltten that
interview 1T was George Nicholas,' re-
piled the city editor.
"'You must discharge him at once said
Mr.. Story Theinterview never took place
and | have just gotten this telegram from
Senator Blaine Snowden went back to
his Office and moment later Nicholas came
in. We'll, Nicholas, you're fired, said
Snowden. Blaine has telegraphed that he
had nothing to do with that interview and
the old man says you're to CO.
Indeed, said Nicholas. L think both
Blaine and Mr.. Storey have not read the
interview. 1t does not pretend to be talk
with Blaine but it expressly states that 1t
is talk with a man who looked like
Blaine;' and thereupon Nicholas told the
story of how Blaine had illtreated him, how
he had sent up his card three separate times
and how Blaine had refused to receive him.
That alters the matter, said Mr. SnowdeD,
and he thereupon went into in to Mr.. Sto-
rey and the two looked over the article to-
gether and found it was as Nicholas had
stated. Mr.. Storey was very angry at the
treatment of his reporter by Mr.. Blaine
when he had done so much for him and he
asked for Nicholas. When Nicholas came
in he said:
"'Mr. Nicholas if you ever treat public
mai that way again I'll discharge you, but
for the present you may stay, and your sal
airy will be forty dollars instead of twenty
five dollars per week. Good day, Mr.. Mich
olas.'"
INTERVIEWING BLAINE.
1t was short time after this that Mic
holas came to Washington. He was en-
gagged as reporter on the National Repltb-
licdn, at the head of which was George P.
Gorham who hated Blaine and was fighting
him. Blaine's hatred of Gorham was
equally great and Blaine would never have
thought of giving an interview to the Na
tiondL Republican. He was building his
house here then and spent some hours of
each day in watching its construction.
Nicholas was sent to interview him. He
watched for the time when ne went out to
see his new house on DupontCircle and just
as Blaine entered the front door Nicholas
jumped down through the coal hole and
took off his coat, rumpled up his shirt and
in short time appeared before Blaine in
the attire of a workman. Blaine is, you
know, very spproachable man upon GER
tain occasions and Nicholas went up to
him and said:
"Mr. Blaine, we workmen think some
thing about politics as well as other people
and do you know that l have been greatly
interested in your great career. | liked
your speeches in Virginia and as for this
son-of-a-gun who edits the National Reptb
licdn and who is always denouncing you,
we workmen don't think much of him."
This was said in Nicholas suffering way
and Blaine listened to him, sympathized
with him in his effort to talk and was evil
IDENTIFY fattered by his appreciation He
replied to the workman, telling him what
he thought of the issues of the campaign,
and drawn out by questions, gave long
discussion upon the matters which were of
the most interest to the people at that time.
AS the talk went on, however, he thought
his workman seemed to know remarkable
amount for man of his position and sud
denly stopped and asked:
'By the way, young man, who are you!'
"I-I-I- er, L am the man who tried
to interview you for the Chicago Times,
in Chicago, but d. d did not succeed
IL am now in Washington and L er
write for the Republican,
To say that Blaine was angry is unneces-
sary. Nicholas left, however, before he
expressed his wrath in action and the next
day long and important interview ap-
peared in the National Republican in which
Blaine's views were given to the people in
a characteristic way. You would hardly
find correspondent in Washington who
would attempt to get an interview in this
manner to-day and the action of Nicholas
would not be approved of by either editors
or correspondents. The newspaper cor
respondents are as rule fully as gentle
manly in the getting of their information
as the most upolite of the statesmen and
there is not man in the gallery who
would betray confidence or a secret
Most of them are close in the counsels of
the public men and not few of them daily
keep back information intrusted them in
confidence which might make them money
and which often might ruin the public men
who give it to them.
WITH INGALLS,.
The rule, however, in newspaper work is
that public man in giving an expression
to correspondent intends it for publica-
ton unless he absolutely prohibits or re-
quests the contrary. One of the funniest
interviews of the past three years was
that which was unconsciously given by
Senator ingalls, to Mr.. Lewsley, then of
the Washington Post, but now connected
with the New York World. Mr. Lewsley
was sent to interview Senator Ingalls, on
politics. Senator ingalls, did not want to
talk, and he turned the conversation at
every question that Lewsley put to the
subject of shaving. When Lewsley asked
him as to the prospects of the party Sen
ator ingalls, remarked that Mr.. Lewsley's
beard nee ied trimming, and las friend''