The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-07-20

lent character. For one such case that
reaches the public eye through the news
papers there are unquestionably not
less than nine of which we never hear
There is not in the world superabun-
dance of that moral courage and pug
nacious love of right for rights sake
which inspires man to resent and pros
ecute to the fullest extent of the re-
sources of his own personality and of
the law an accusation which cannot fail
to bring unpleasant notoriety when
once his indignant protest is voiced
to his fellow men, The number
of 'sshyster'' lawyers who will lend
themselves to such schemes is deplor-
ably large in comparison with the num-
Der of men as morally weak or de-
PRAYED in other professions There are,
too, in existence in New York city
score or two at moderate estimate of
weekly publications calling themselves
Journals" and newspapers which
appeal to no constituency and are in
spired by no motive creditable to their
owners or editors. There being no
special reason for their existence, they
drag out a hand to mouth struggle by
the aid of the victims they are enabled
from week to week to strike" into
subsection to their demands. These
journals deal largely in PERSONAL
ties, and their gratitude for past
favors and still livelier sense of
favors to come inspires every para
graph Of praise; while condemnation
and innuendo are the lot melted out to
those who fail to comply with their de-
mands. A friend was asked to sub
scribe to certain publication of this
kind for ten years and pay in advance;
on his refusal to do SO unpleasant para
graphs began to appear in its columns
about him. But the favorite game of
these human harpies is to demand an
advertisement Of a reputable business
man or commercial establishment, and,
on falling to secure it, to begin series
of insidious sneers and low flung hints,
managing, as far as legal cunning will
compass it, to keep within the limit Of
the law Of libel.
A FAMOUS RACING AUTHORITY.
My old friend Henry g. Crickmore,
whose nom de plume of Kirk" numbers
its respectful admirers and friends by
the hundred wherever honest sport and
the unadulterated love of racing on the
merits of the horse are known, has, I
see, been arrested by the Law and Order
society of Monmouth county, N. j., for
daring to appear at the newly opened
Monmouth Park associations track in
discharge of his duties as secretary
of that association. With the mers
its of the controversy between
the authorities of New Jersey and
the Racing association, of which
the late D. D. Withers was the guiding
spirit, have nothing to do; but it must
be an event in the, life of so interesting
semi-public character as 'sKrik'' to
find himself hauled up by the 'sbob-
bies" along with horde of common
bookmakers and track followers.
There is no more delightful, lovable
and entertaining gentleman in the
country than ERIK, whose iron gray
beard, thoughtful eyes and massive
figure, in the dark pepper-and-salt
suits he has affected for years, are as
familiar among their associates and
friends as those Of the Witherses, the
Lorillards, the SCOTS, the Belmonts
and the Cassatts.
'sKrik" is one of the linen of mystery
to whom have occasionally referred as
losing no opportunity to suppress all
publicity in regard to their lives, per-
sonalities and predictions. The con-
spicuous position into which duties of
necessity call these men offer reason
able ground for public curiosity about
them. Yet large part of their time it
sometimes seems must be occupied in
thwarting that curiosity. Few bio
graphical collections contain any ma
terial of value, much less accurate
sketches of the lives of these men of
mystery. ERIK" is one of them. Henry
B. Hyde of the Equitable Life Assurance
society is another-It believe his por-
trait has never been printed in a news
paper. Mr.. Crickmore came to New
York some fifteen years ago from New
Orleans. The late Capt. Billy Conner
used to claim with pride that he first
induced the sterling fellow to take up
turf writing. He attached himself to
the World in the days when but little at
IenUlOn was pdio ny tlc press W IdcIHS,
and by his fidelity, accuracy and earn
estness he made his turf department IA
nous among horsemen and turf patrons.
TO PREVENT sEAsIcKNEss.
The statement is made by a steam
ship official that when the end of this
year shall have come at least one hun
bred thousand Americans shall have
sailed across the Atlantic. No man
who has ever endured the pangs of sea-
sickness for one hour, much less for
twelve days. as have, can fail Of the
conclusion that each one of the one
hundred thousand would gladly con-
tribute one dollar if not ten times as
much, to the exchequer of any invent
or who can offer the simplest prevent
i've of NAL de mer. Ihear that scien-
tific man of this city has reached the
conclusion that seasickness is largely
the result of an affection of
the optic nerves, and that in
this opinion he has the support
Of a. very DISTINGUISHED member Of the |