The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-04-25
RIVAL EDITORS.

had established The Weekly Herald az
Calabash City and was getting. along well
when an Opposition paper was set up.
"The Calabash City Spy, George Rowe,
editor and proprietor, - appeared in all the
glory of secondhand type-mine was third
hand-and a grade of paper somewhat re-
sembling real "news''-mine did not re-
semble it at all.
Rowe was a good looking, bright, active,
well educated young fellow, with whom
should certainly have been friendly under
different circumstances, but this was now
quite impossible.
One publication day sat down early to
do up the customary batch of 'scathing
exposures and "unanswerable arraign-
ments'' of The Spy when Bud Haskins,
my editorial assistant, compOsitor, job
printer, mailing clerk and man of all work,
came in beaning with joy.
HGot some good news for you, Mr.. War
renl'' said he, grinning. " Cording to
the way it looks now, there won't be no
sSpy this veek-p'r'aps not next week
p'r'aps neverl'' ~
SLOWS that?' Inquired, much pleased.
.tRowe,s sick abed-fever or sunthin.
He can't do a stroke of work, IN that fell
low Mckay he has with him amt of no
great use. No Spy this week, tell you
For a moment, mean as the emotion
was, felt glad. If Rowe missed an issue
or two, he would lose the ground he had
gained and probably would have to give
up altogether. Then I should be left with
the whole field to myself Y ), actually
felt glad
'sI'm going out for few minutes,
Bud, - called to Haskins.
My reception at The Spy office was chill
ing AS l entered the dingy, pine boarded
room Mckay, big, stupid looking man,
stared and then sided toward mallet on
the imposing stone.
81 want to see Mr.. Rowe" said I.
"He's in bed up stairs, " growled Nc
Kay, lifting the mallet.
On a camp bed in the attic lay Rowe,
flushed, breathing with difficulty and roll
ing his head irritably about the coarse pill
low. He seemed a combative person. 1t
took some little time to convince him that
my Intentions were friendly but when he
became assured of this he met me with the
manifest frankness.
you're a good fellow, Warren" he ex-
claimed, Selling my hand. GIVE been
fool'-
''No more than L
''Well, then, we've been pair of fools.
If ever come out of this, Wen be pair
of friends instead, butt He broke off
with a groan.
Come come, - said I, 'you aren't 60
ing to die. You'll be well in a week or
tWo.'
81 know that, but the paper-the paperi
I can't do solitary thing, and Mckay
alone won't get the matter up in a week. "
Fright enough. Now let's see how we
can manage 1t. can do your part of the
composition today and finish up my own
tonight. If we're both a day late, it won't
make much difference. III begin setting
at once"
Hurrying down stairs to escape Rowe's
thanks, came upon a spectacle which
took my breath away. Standing at a case,
sleeves rolled up and thoroughly at home,
clicking the type into his stick at great
rate, was Bud Haskins.
'Hellol'' said he looking around,
"hows your editor, publisher n propi't
today? Fin him pretty conf t 'bles''
"How on earth did you get here?'' de-
manded I.
'Same way you did Got to thinkin-
that's all
In few moments was scribbling away
on an i1nprovised desk by the bedside al
most as fast as Bud was setting the type
below. Scratch, scratch-think an instant
scratch, scratch again-think once more
and SO on until pile of copy had &C
cumulated. This was the beginning:
A FATAL FALSEHOOD.
Our by no means courteous and not in the
least esteemed contemporary, The Spy, which
is at once disgrace to American journalism,
libel upon the name of a newspaper and
blot upon the fair city in which it is as yet
still scornfully suffered to drag out exist
ence noxious to others and of value to
itself, etc.
Rowe listened without saying a word.
At the end he quietly remarked
''That's a powerful article, Warren"
'Well, now, see how this one strikes
you" And began reading again:
DFSPICARTE DECEPTION
We had hitherto supposed that the utmost
imaginable depths of reckless shameless, hon
! orless, constituencies mendacity had long ago
been reached by that sheet unknown to fame,
but intimately acquainted with infamy under
the name of The Herald.
Rowe bounced up in bed.
DO you mean to say you're going to
abuse yourself like that?" said he
81 mean to say that such a savage arti-
Gle as mine has got to be replied to little
more savagely if possible
Rowe by this time had taken the humor
of the situation into his fevered brain. He
replied family:
81 think you better call yourself 'falsi-
fer first and save up the 'ignoramus' for
use later on Toward the last you might
work in some reference to your general re-
semblance to a donkey, if you don't
mind.
''Afind? Why, it's the very point I
want. III say that the only thing in
which 1 dom resemble donkey is my ut
ter incapacity for any useful employment.
"Suppose you attack me again?'' sug
gested Rowe when the article was finished.
''There should be at least two sharp lead
ers in each paper. You might mention tie
probability of my being ridden out Of town
on a rail because the citizens can't stand
my continual lying any longer"
/ Aided by Rowe's suggestions, I wrote
until I had matter enough for four col
urnns, two for each paper. There were
| pair of outrageously abusive leaders for
The Herald pair of outrageously abusive
leaders for The Spy, besides two strings of
satirical verses which CHANGED to ham
mer out.
Bud Haskins and Mckay, working first
/ of ono office than at the othar cot the