Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-01

Il,new Charles Backerton Shoemaker
fairly intimately. He was young man,
mild-eyed, fair-haired, good-tempered,
and-before he went on the staff of
Home NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. He
was fond of describing himself as
good all-round journalist. l was one
of the people who saw him last before
his unfortunate and mysterious dis
appearance; and, as far as anyone can
know why he disappeared, know it.
l think the trouble really began when
Home Happiness, an excellent mag
azine, supplied long-felt want. The,
very first number supplied it fully;
after that first number hardly anybody
seemed to want any more. The streets
of London were filed with crowds of
people, who were doing without the
last issue of Home Happiness, andnot
,ninding it. Wherever the English
language-or any other language-was
spoken, there were earnest men and
women who had never heard of the
magazine, and did not even want to
hear Of it. And yet the editor was a
man of talent. When hardly anybody
bought his second number, he sent
round a paragraph to the other papers
to the effect that their esteemed con-
temporary, Home Happiness, was rap
idly securing the first place among
weekly journals of the domestic class.
1t is true that the other papers never
inserted that paragraph, not consider
ing it to be altogether funny enough,
but still the thing showed enterprise.
| Then again, when the third number
did not sell quite so well as the second,
he advertised Home Happiness at all of
the railroad stations as "a success IN
precedentcd in the history Of Journal
ism!' Some people called this also en-
tcrprise, and some called it something
shorter. And finally the editor did
very clever thing when he secured, at
a moderate salary, the services of
Charles Backerton Shoemaker. Sale
maker loved work; he worked willing
| ly, and he was-at one time, at any
rate-a conscientious man.
The paper started its first number
with great profusion. In return for his
salary, Shoemaker was asked to write
only one column week, column en-
titled politics for Papa" know that
he was uneasy about this, thinking and
saying that he was afraid he was not
really doing enough for the money he
received However, he did the column
well. Any liberal or any conservative
who read it would have found nothing
with which it was possible to disagree.
Shoemaker said it was written from an
Independent standpoint Subsequently
expenses were cut down; journalists
fell off the staff of that paper like
| leaves before the blast, and their work
was assigned to Shoemaker without in
crease of salary.
| , When the art critic went it was Sale
maker who was appointed to write that
| delightful column, Through the Pic
ture Galleries" And this" he said to
me, gives me great pleasure, for l
have never had it practically recognized
that l know something about art" l
could understand that, and told him so.
l do not think he was quite so pleased
when he was given third column to
| do every week, because the third col
umn was called "Notes for the Muir
| sery." However" he said, zone can
always read up subject" He bought
| two secondhand medical works on the
treatment Of children and quoted them
alternately The two medical works
were Numerically opposed to each
other on several important points, and
| in consequence there was little
| trouble. He also invented new game
for infants, to be played with wax
| matches, and the editor got n furious
| postcard saying that if the author of
"Notcs for the Nursery" had the feel
| ings of mother, she would never have
| advocated a game which must lead to
| phosphorus poisoning and incendiar-
ism in the end. Shoemaker said that he
would be more careful in future. and
the editor-to show that he still had
confidence in him-gave him two more
columns to write every week.
l met him in the street fortnight
| afterwards, and he was not looking
quite as enthusiastic as usual "Well, :"
| | said, "how's the paper, and have you
got the feelings of mother yct?'
THE paper is beginning to turn the
corner" he said. It'll do very well in
time. Of course, there is none of the
silly extravaganza that there was at
first. The staff has been very much re-
duccd."
Then who does the work."
well, write eight columns for
every number myself now, and the edi-
| tor does most of the rest. Of course,
it's no hardship to me; a good all-round
| journalist does not want to be tied
down to one subject. Besides, the pa
per is practically turning the corner,
now"
advised him not to overwork him.
self, and he hurried away to the office;
thought he seemed paler and thinner
than he used to be.
That night, after dinner, l was alone
IN my chambers, when suddenly Sale
maker arrived.
Its terrible business!" he ex-
claimed, as he came in at the door. He
did not look himself He seemed in
dignant and distraught. He was wear
. ing his hat very much on the back of