Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-11-04
w lIlSll ERS.


isWhiSkcr>n ingcr i'm my mind ask
ing To lie recorded and. though they
do not make much of II story, ] am
tempted To- unbilrIcn myself Ny put
ting them on paper.
III WAS mentally noted us a sure
thing hy everybody who saw him go
INTO the nlailigin" editors room to
ask for u position on The stalI of the
paper ;hai NJ lie should obtain Il place
and become Il fixture i'm the Office he
woliid be generally known as "Wllis-
kcrs' within twenty-four hours after
his inslallncMt.
What tale lie told the managing
editor no one knew, but every one in
the editorial rooms deduccd later that
it must have been something Il trille
out of The common. for the manage
ing editor. who had gone through the
form of taxing the names of three
previous applicants that afternoon
and telling them that he would let
them know when vacancy should
occur on the slall, told the man, whom
we eventually christcncd "Whskcrs, :"
that he might come around the next
day and write whatever he might
choose to- in the way of Sunday
s'Spccals,a comic verses or editorial
paragraphs. on the chance of their
being accepted.
The next day the hairy faced man
took possession Of Il desk i'm the room
occupied by the exchange editor and
one OF the editorial writer's, and be-
.rln Ia, Grind ont tLt.npy T.
He was slim figure, with what is
stoop." His trousers were none too
long for his thin legs, his tightly-tlt-
ting frocll coat. thrcadbarc, shiny.
and unduly creased, was hardly of Il
tit length for his slender body and his
long arms. Ii was his face. however,
that most individuaiZcd his appear
ancc.
The face was pale, The outlines
symmetrical but rather feeble, and
the countcnancc would have seemed
quite lamb!illc but for the fact that
it was framed by thick. long hair and
luNllriant beard which carcsscd his
waistcoat.
These made him impressive at first
sight
Dn the first day of his presence he
said little to the men with whom lie
shared his room i'm the Office On tho
second day he grew communicative,
and talked rather pompously to the
exchange editor. lie pr;ltcd OF his
past achievements as newspaper
man in other cities. He had Il cheer.
full way of talking, i'm Il voice that
was high but not loud. His un.
dalntcd manner of uttcring self.
praise caused the exchange editor to
wink at the editorial writer. 1t en-
gcndcrcd, too, Il small degree of dis
like oh the parts of these worthless
and the exchange editor made it {;
point TO watch for some of the new
MANS work in the paper that ht
might bc certain whether the new
MANS ability was equal to the new
mans opinion of it,
The exchange editor found that il
was not. The new man had been il
the Office four daHs before any of hi
contributions had gone through th,
process of creation. acceptance ant
publication. Some verses and SOM
alleged Jokes were his first matte
printed. They were below mediocrity
The exchange editor ceased to dis
like the whiskercd man and there
after regarded him as quite harmless
and mildly amusing.
This view of him was cvcntuall
accepted 10y every one who came I,
know him: and he was made the oh
jcc, of Il good deal of gentle chailing
llccarncd probably fifteen or twcnt
dollars !; week ut space rates. Il lament
ably small amount for so intellectual
looking Il man, but Il very larg
amount considering the quality .
work turned out 10y him.
Doubtless he would not have mad
nearly as much. had not the man
aging editor whispered something il
lhc ears of the assistant editor il
chief, whose duty it was to Judge q
the aeceptabiity of editorial matte
offered. the editor of the Sunday SUI
plcnemt and other members of TIL
staff who might have occasion t
..tilrn down" the new mans contr
buttons OF to wink at the dcticicnciC
in his work.
One day "Whiskcrs,'' with man
apologies and much embarrassment
asked the exchange editor to len
him aquarter, which request ha,in
been complied with he put on hi
much rubbed high hat and hurric
from the room.
''lt's funny the old mans hard u
so soon," said the exchange editor
the editorial writer at the next desl
''It's only two days since pay dav."
"Where does he sink his money:
asked the editorial writer. s.H
slecping-room costs him only So
week, and eating the way he does. a
the cheapest hash.houscs. his who
expense can't be more than s.. n