The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-27

deed. When % years of age he became
editor of the Dayton Ledger. Two years
later lin 1870 he went on the staff of
the Cincinnati Enquirer, and before an
other two years had expired he was its
managing editor. On account of his SUI
perb work, he was sent by the McLeans as
war correspondent to Russo-Turkey, and
supplied his paper with brisk and bril-
liant specials. In 1878 he went to Balti-
more, rejuvenating the Gazette, and the
next year he went to st. Louis, where the
Post-Dispdtch needed his push and enter
prise. In 1883 he came to New York and
took charge of the World under Joseph
Pulitzer. At present he is editor of the
Morning Advertiser and the Commercial Ad-
tertiSer. OF his first work on q newspaper,
Colonel Cockerill says:
THAT paper was called the Scion of
Temperance, when | first knew 1t, thirty
odd years ago. 1t was in the office of this
queer little journal that | learned to set
type, that acted as roller-bov and devil
and it was for this director of public
opinion that | wrote my first article. In
the little Southern Ohio town in which [
was chiefly reared the general industry
conferred around the courthouse, and the
two newspaper offices, in which the rival
weekly organs were printed. There was a
couple of taverns, but the lawyers who sat
under the courthouse trees III the summer
time and discussed politics. and the pub
fishers of the county printing were the
oracles of the town and the controllers of
its destinies.
Il had fancy for printing offices. | re-
member well the drowsy summer after
noon when | strolled into the office of the
Scion and asked the editor-his name was
Samuel Burwell and he is living yet, the
dear, old soul-to teach me how to set
type. He stood me on n candle box in
front OF a case, placed lot of wooden let
tiers in the boxes, and showed me how to
set the types in n stick. Before left the
place | had mastered the boxes-knew
them all. That was the beginning of my
journalistic career.
From setting type | advanced to roller
boy. The paper was issued on Thursday.
The press used in that office was an ancient
contrivance of the Ramage pattern. 1t had
immense wooden uprights, very clumsy
devils tail, and it took two pulls To print
one sheet on one side. That Is TO say. the
plaien was one-half the size OF the bed.
The press that Ben Franklin danced
around in Philadelphia was scarcely less
primitive. The ink was applied with a
short. hard roller. Each page had 10 be
linked IN turn, the distribution being per-
formed on 4 piece Of marble tombstone on
a table We wrenched Of an edition of
about 400 on this ramshacKle press, my
friend the editor, working the ma
chine and q briar-root pine at the
same time. The paper oil l would
help to distribute 1t through the
village That was real delight IN
those quiet, prosy afternoons. With my
little bundle under my arm could wander
llstlessly and bare-tooted through the
side streets and alleys. where cows rumln-
ated and hogs deed stopping here TO
fling a paper over fence, thrust 1t under
a door. or climb upon roof perchance 10
idle away some time with men engaged IN
shingling. Then there were boys 10 play
marbles with, dogs 10 stone aud apples 10
be stolen from branches noddlng over lor-
hidden fences. The route was not a heavy
one but il never took less than three or
four hours 10 go over If. | did good deal
of this sort of work for very light COM
pensation-a promised interest IN car
rier's address
zone day, Just as the Scion was about TO
go 10 press, rural gentleman came INTO
The office with an advertisement of farm
for sale. Nv editorial preceptor rushed To
the case 10 put the notice IN type. Iheh
came my great opportunity. In tnat once
il Was the rule 10 give each new advertise
ment brief local menton-a scrt OF ed-
itorIal endorsement. | asked the privilege
of preparing one iii this instance, anu IL
was granted. | sat down ana wrote my
first ESSAY for print. 1t was as follows:
The attention of our readers is called 10
the advertisement of Farm tor sale
in another column Tins was the
formula in the Office OF the Scion;
Was tempted 10 add word
ar two about the excellence OF this partic-
ular farm ana the desirability OF the Ioca-
ton. but we were pressed for time | car
ried my article 10 the case and carefully
placed il in type. How / watched 1t so
upon the press, and how read and re-read
II with a pride and a sense of importance
that have never felt sincei l carried
that paper home and showed it to my
mother. remember that she seemed
happy. and that she more than once re-
ferred 10 the young gentleman who was
writing for the newspaper God bless her
I'm sure she laid that paper away IN the
big bureau where she kept her Va!ua-
HES"