The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-10-14
A LOST JOURNALIST.
Many Creditors Mourn the Alb
serce Of Gustav CHASER.
HIS BRIEF CAREER IN SEATTLE.
a Borrower Frsn the Outset. Ne Ne
parts Leaving Many Friends II tAs
Lurch-v Victoria worked.

For about Z week q number Of leading
citizens Of Seattle, chiefly Germans, have
been wondering what has become Of Gustav
CHASER, the journalist Their curiosity
amounts to anxiety. and their anxiety
amounts to several hundred dollars. He
applied to /. A. Nadeau. general agent Of
the Northern Pacific railroad, for pass to
the East for himself and his wife on the
ground that he was journalist-that was
title in which he eloried, though It 10 de-
sptsed by newspaper men. His application
was refused. for he took the steamer to San
Francisco. without the Formally OF bidding
farewell TO his friends.
Mr.. CHASER first appeared IN Seattle last
January, and attracted attention BY his
peculiar personal appearance. He Was
the living image Of = German student, -
depicted in the comic papers. Tall and
angular, with colorless, sunken cheeks,
and eyes Of no particular color, and no
particular use without the aid of glasses,
he wore long cape overcoat and SLOUGH
hat. He appeared to have been waited
directly from the streets OF some sleepy
German university town to the busy thor.
oughfares of the most lively city Of the
Coast.
=
and in proof thereof showed some Of his
writings in the London and Eastern pa
pers. He claimed to have been parlia-
mentary reporter for Reuters News
Agency in London. and showed photo
graph Of . group in the press gallery Of the
house Of commons. in which he figured
conspicuously. His first newspaper work
In Seattle vas on the Erening Press, where
he had to lower his dignity so far - to &C.
cept salary Of SIC week for reporting
the courts. Both the work and the small
ness of the salary were distasteful to him.
and his lack Of success was proportionats
to his lack of interest in his work.
1t was not long before he was trying to
borrow money. He talked of money due
him in London for book he had written
there. and on the strength Of this alleged
fact tried to get an advance from the Press.
This request met with cold refusal, and
an application TO the Puget Sound National
bank met with no better success. He drank
beer with his fellow countrymen and be-
walled the low standard Of culture preva-
lent among the Seattle newspapers which
prevented them from approaching his style
Of journalism.
When the Telegraph was established, q
change occurred in Mr.. Glaserss fortunes.
He left the Press and secured IN engage
ment to write special articles for the new
venture similar to those he had, after much
persuasion, induced the Pyym to print
Then came Transformation. The seedy
clothes and SLOUGH hatsuddenlv gave place
to new black suit and shiny tall hat. The
general air of discomfort was supplanted by
one Of smiling prosperity. He removed
from the modest apartments he hsd for
merly occupied to more pretentious ones at
the Arlington hotel. Fortune smiled
on Gustav CHASER. He made friends and
through them secured credit On Septem-
her Sd he left the Arlington owing little
bill Of $26. SO and rented house ct Banner
and Thomas streets Of George Washington
Crane for $25 month. He furnished it on
the installment plan, with the assistance Of
his friends. When his earnings fell short
Of the amount necessary to provide the
camforts Of life he drew on his friends-not
very heavily, but just about a. much a.
they would stand. Among these were
August Ertz, the draughtsman in the
county auditors ONCE, Paul Riecker, Otto
Ranke. the contractor. and Frank Ham
ford. of Hanford d Beach.
ADOut the beginning d tnls mOutn CAME
q change In Mr.. Glaser's fortunes The
Telegraph ceased to appreciate his learned
dissertations on European politics, and no
other paper was in need Of the services Of .
Journalist OF his large calibre. He had
worked his friends Is much as they would
stand, and his rents and the payments on
his furniture were coming due. II was
time to go, and he tried to work Mr.. Ma
deau for pass. He failed and took an
other route. Many friends mourn his alb
sencs. They were interested in his vel
fare to the tune of several hundred dollars.
A similar tale could be told of his pro-
ceedings in Victoria, if his creditors would
testify. Mr.. CHASER may not be an expert,
but he is not novice at the business.