The herald., 1895-02-10
THE FANCY TALENT
A Tale of One Celebrated
Local Staff

copy reader on the Daily
j. H. Morning Moderator, should
not now be competent to give
Critics. you truthful account of those
unique occurrences which
made that journal so famous.
As it was, l occupied the same room as
the City Editor sat opposite him at the
same leather-covered table.
1t had been a weary, weary night for
him, and I could see by the lines between
his eyes that he felt discouraged.
And in all consciousness | had little
blame for him, for things did go all to
skies and sevens that night. The wonder
is that we had as good local paper in the
morning as 1.-The old man" himself gave
us credit for.
The trials of the City Editor had been
many. He had sighed over the police re-
porter's copy when he saw that the
dramatic point of the story had been
slurred over in favor of minute descrip-
ton of the pistol and a lengthy argument
as to the exact time the fatal bullet en-
tered the skull" heard him groan aloud
when the Board of Trade man turned in
column of routine and two sticks" of
the personal quarrel between the president
and treasurer. l can say feelingly that
he almost wept when he read the water
front copy. 1t gave four lines to the suf-
fering of four men imprisoned on an ice
berg and a half column to descriptio
of the armor-plate for renovating an old
cruiser.
Once or twice tried to cheer him up
bit by pointing out happy sentence of
4ha b,a hall +a1I Iii l,,
the local rooms humorist But it was
no use; he was bound to be gloomy.
Il don see how the old man can ex-
pect us to keep ahead of the Enuhciator
when he limits us to this kind of reporto-
rial MATERIAL" he said, petulantly
And it didn't smooth his humor much
when | reminded him that we were get
ting out the best local paper in town. as
even the business Office admitted.
1T all comes right down to this, Mr..
1.-THE City Editor always addressed me
as Mister when things were going wrong)
either the old man has got to give us bet
ter local material or I'm going to give up
the ship
"You know what I want-men who
don't have to be told everything, and who
know good thing when they see it and
know how to make the best of it when
they have it, The day has gone by for
the encyclopaedia and statistical news
paper. | won't run local sheet like the
Enunciator, and that's what we are drift
ing into. I've got my own reputation to
think Of
BY the time l had pointed out to him
that our staff comprised the best talent in
the city, and was paid as well as newspa
pet men are paid anywhere in the west
the nights work was over and the last
page OF copy read, the foreman was lock-
ing up the last FORM and the City Editor
leaning back in his chair a-thinking and
a-thinking.
To the rat, tat, tat of the mallet on the
type-planer he closed his eyes, and, so far
as could see, went off into dreamland.
left him seated thus, knowing that the
Night Editor would rouse him when the
forms had gone down.
So much of the occurrences of that
eventful night can vouch for For what is
now to follow must refer you to the City
Editor himself for proof, as it was him
self who told me the whole story, and l
have set it down in as nearly his own
words as l can remember. Said he to
me:
~ must have been nodding, I guess,
when you went home; for little later,
when the Managing Editor came in, he
had to rap on the desk to attract my atten-
ton.
Two distinguished looking men were
and then told me he had been
speaking to the old man about my
troubles, and had advised him to
give me free scope in employing the
very best men that money could
procure. He gave me little taffy about
said the old man appreciated our efforts,
and that after consultation with the
Business Manager he had concluded to
give me carte blanche in the managem emit
of the local department | was to pay any
salaries necessary and procure the very
best material in the world.
"'The old man had settled on this pol
icy, the Managing Editor said, and was
willing to give the fancy priced talent a
six months trial. IT, at the end of that
time l still complained, he would begin to
think that perhaps there was something
lacking in the City Editor.
''These two gentleman, said the Man
aging Editor, whose services | have al
ready been able to secure for you will be
at your command from now on. Allow me
to introduce to you Mr.. Thomas Hardy,
late Of London, England, and M. Jules
Verne, French writer"
"'Our City Editor, gentlemen.
"Both gentlemen rose. Mr.. Hardy
stroked his long, thin mustache and in
clined his head toward me. NJ. Verne
bent himself nearly double.
''Of course, | was trifie surprised, but
was too much delighted at the good news
to ponder much on its strangeness. Be-
sides, l knew how eccentric the old man
was sometimes.
~ shook hands with both the new men
and complimented each a little. You
know that's my way with new men.
told Mr.. Hardy that | had read some OF
his work already and thought it quite
clever. M. Verne seemed pleased when
! said | had heard his name mentioned as
being that of a very good writer.
," You see, " said the Managing Editor,
the Vociferator is going to lead in Western
journalism. Perhaps you'll find these
gentlemen little rusty in news gathering,
but we don't care for that, you know.
What the newspaper of today wants are
features, stories of dramatic interest in
every day life, humorous scenes and tales
of the unique and uncommon occurrences
which are nowadays so common
"The Managing Editor smiled at his own
wit and after assuring me that William
Dean Howells and Hamln Garland
Frank Stockton, Conan Doyle, Pierre Lott
Henry James, Frances Hodgson Burnett
Stanley. Weyman, Rudyard Kipling and
W. Clark Russell had all signed contracts
and would be on in few days, he wished
me luck with the new staff and said good
night.
''Of course I went home jubilant. |
thought it was particularly fine stroke
in securing Mrs Burnett A local staff