The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-26
The ddita 1ai1Y Eagle: TuesdaY ormo, qap e. 1891.


for courage.
In 1868 l had call to edit The Stock
ton Gazette, Democratic campaign pa
per. l obeyed the call, ran the paper for
five months, was well paid, but got tired
Of the job and retired to San Francisco,
where skirmished again on the ragged
edge of decent living by throwing ID
contributions wherever they would be
accepted. In the latter part Of 1872 an
inspiration seized me to go to England
to advance by writing and talking the
good and glory of California. raised
about $500 from the business men OF San
Francisco by representing to them the
profitable possibilities OF my self i'm
posed mission.
raised it in about forty-eight hours.
Ralston, the noted banker, handed me
800 in gold after curt and crusty in
terview Of three minutes. 1t was like
boarding the lion in the big banker s
den, but the lion came down with the
dust, and l left the den, shaky and per-
spring with the agitation Of the inter-
view. But the five gold twenties were
in my fist. The San Francisco Bulletin
engaged also to take certain amount OF
correspondence from England.
To England went. did there the
best 1 could in writing and talking Cali
fornia wherever I found opportunity, in
cities, town and villages, and think
earned my $500 advance wages. ispent
two years there.
| One of my greatest troubles was the
English chairman. One cannot give a
lecture there without chairman. The
chairman must be somebody Of impor-
lance also. The English cannot hear
anybody without chairman. The pr.
culiarity and infection of the English
long speech in introducing you and teli
| ing the audience what you are going to
say, so that by the time he is through
most of the wind is taken out of YOUR
sails and the audience want to go home.
In 1872 The Bulletin made it an OBJ
ject for me to visit the Vienna Worlds
| fair. l staid there two months, and got
back to London with four dollars IL my
pocket, thanking my stars that had
run the gantlet successfully of the many
| languages | encountered at different
railway stations, and had not by mistake
got on some train which might have
landed me penniless in Turkey or Siberia.
returned to America in 1878, bring
ing only wife and nine dollars. After
some months of misery as an ''occasional
contributor" the San Francisco Bulletin
sent me as correspondent to the Centen-
NAL at Philadelphia. l forgot 10 say
that | operated the preceding winter in
New York as weekly Sunday evening
lecturer on divers and sundry descriptive
topics, an occupation that brought me
more fame than new shirts.
Once during this phase of my existence
preached from Unitarian pulpit. But
not acceptably. They never called for
me again.
Destiny soon after this placed me on
the editorial staff of the New York
Graphic. There suggested the con-
densed column of local and general mat
ter under the title of History of a
Day" 1t was just what the paper want
ed, for their illustrations took up SO
much room they had not much left for
local news. Mr.. David Croly was the
managing editor, and very good one
too.
One morning while on The Graphic /
found on my table letter from The Bull
letin asking me to serve as their Paris cor
respondent at the exposition of 1878 In
IOht |
steamer.
Returning after six months resi-
dence in Paris l resumed my former
place on The Graphic as the head boiler
down and condenser Of news. | filled
that position for six years, and left it in
1888 because Of being thoroughly tired
and sick Of chronicling in short meter
day after day the eternal round of MUIR
ders, scandals, burglaries, fires, acct
dents and other events which people
deem it indispensable to know and swal-
low after breakfast. l became SO thor
oughly saturated with the horrors con-
seQuent on civilization as to feel some
mornings after | had stewed the preced-
ing days miseries down into a small
mess that l wanted to go for dose of
arsenic, razor, pistol or Paris green
myself. So out Of consideration for my
sanity, if not my life, [ left the paper,
for they would not let me do anything
else.
retired then on very small fortune,
and built with my own hands ram
shackle shanty in a New Jersey wilder
ness, seventeen miles from New York.
1t cost $40 and was not an elegant
piece of architecture But it filed the
bill. There l commenced writing my
white Cross" Library series.
When all this was written out l went
TO Boston in 1884. 1t is for some mys-
ferrous reason necessary to go to Boston
to start any new idea or movement on
this planet There l started the White
Cross Library. had just money enough
TO print the first 500. l had no subscrip-
ton list at all.
| had faith, however, in my ideas /
have more now, and expect TO increase
it in the future. That was in May, 1886.
From that time means and agencies have
come right along to further the bust
ness, which is and always has been,
may add, on self sustaining basis And
always win be. The end
PRENTICE MILFORD.