The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-11-29
HE CALLED MIR. DAVIS NAMES.
The Creator of Van Bibber Demands Sat.
isfaction for an Insult.

Things are not going pleasantly with
Richard Harding Davis and his letters
on England, which have been pub
lished in Harper's Magazine and the
Weekly. First Andrew Lang made
merry over Mr.. Davis ignorance of
Oxford, next the English papers called
attention to the ridiculous blunderS in
his article on London and parliament
And, most trying of all, writer in the
New York Sun in picking the article
to pieces, playfuly called Mr. Davis
fool" This was insupportable, and
the following letters are the result of
the reporters temerity. They were
taken from the New York Times:
10 East Twenty-seventh Street,
New York, Nov. II, 1893.
| Major Max''-Dear Sir: Just a week
ago in the New York Sun you We're
| pleased to misunderstood a statement
of mine in Harpers Weekly to the eff
feet that we had no guard mounts in
America. You took this literally, and
| so made yourself out a rather stupid
person; but, as your purpose was to
show my ignorance, you were appar-
emily willing to sacrifice yourself for
so excellent q cause. As a matter of
fact. while in the west, have probably
| seen more guard mounts at army posts
and forts than you have ever seen sal
airy days; but, as it was your purpose
| to misunderstood me- that is not, pos
Sibly, a matter of interest to you. I
did not object to your critiSiSm, as
criticism, whether it was fair or I'M
fair, but I did object to the names you
personally called me-particularly
when you called me fool" Fool, 1
think is my cue. That is not a word
you can use to me in person or in pub
lie print, and SO l told your city edi-
tor, Mr.. kellogg, on the morning of it's
publication. l also asked him to tell
you that in taking advantage of your
anonymity to call me names you
| showed yourself to be cad and pos
sibly a coward, and that, if you would
give me the opportunity. l would be
very glad to slap your face for your
| impertinence / have allowed week
to pass, and either Mr. kellogg did not
deliver my message, or you are not so
reckless in your proper person as you
are in your military nom de plume.
Lest Mr. kellogg should not have told
you, I write this letter to INFORM you
that YOU are a cad and a coward, and
also to tell you that before sending
this letter 1 have shown it to several
gentlemen, and it is, our opinion that
you should do something.
1 am, sir. yours, ETC.,
Richard Harding Davis.
The reply to this wordy menace
reads:
New York, Nov. II, 1Ss3.-Dear
Sir: l hasten to reply to your
letter received this evening, and to as
sure you of my regret that a week has
passed since you expressed the desire
to know the name of the Major Max
sketches without that desire being sat
isfied When my city editor, Mr. KEEL
log, informed ME of your visit to the
Sun editorial roms I determined to
write to you and give the information
YOU sought, but two successive assign
ments to stories in Pennsylvania and
ssachusettS deprived me of the OPP
portunity in which to extend the cir
Gle of those whose peculiar advantage
it is to know that l wrote the Major
Max sketches. Your letter to me is
in one respect vague-a fault in your
style which Major Max has deplored.
You say: Before sending this letter
[ have shown it to several gentlemen,
and it is our opinion that you should
do something Please be explicit
What is it you and several gentlemen
think / should do? Awaiting your re-
ply with such a degree of composure
as the circumstances permit, [ re
main, yours very truly,
EDWARD w. TOWNSEND.
p. S.-As I am informed that before
you mailed this letter to me you made
it a topic of discussion in at least two
clubs feel that 1 shall be only aiding
your desire by giving your letter such
further publicity as occasion may offer
E. w. T.
There the mattr rests at present and
lit is 10 be hoped that New York is not
to lose two young literary men on the
field Of honor