The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-04
Observation-Disclosures
LATEST NEWS REGARDiN0 POPU-
LAR WRITER'S.
MIR. Richard Harding Davis Q~uoted-san
MacLarens Arrived Max Eliot
on Mr.. Gladstone

0ahC ~ Nv a VI lily A L
Would you kindly allow me a place In
tho columns OF your paper to deny hat /
have ever expressed myself as | am said
to have done In the following newspaper
paragraphs paragraph which explains it
self
Mr.. Richard Harding Davis is possessed
either OF some Ingenious and persistent
enemy who devotes his time TO spreading
reports calculated to bring Mr.. Davis into
contempt, or Of a most remarkable capac-
ity for making an ass Of himself In the
ordinary course OF conversation. Every
few weeks there appears in the public
press a report OF some entirely foolish or
entirely caddish utterance alleged 10 have
fallen from the set and shaven lips OF
Richard. that makes men yearn to kick
him. Here is the latest Mr.. Davis is set
ting forth that he Is very tired of being
pointed out as the man who wrote
Gallagher He says:-That story was
all very well. but II has a reportorial curt
ness and capitalization about 1t that I
have now scared far beyond. Gallagher
has the thumb-marks OF the poor, AVN
ticketed, f~ree-lunched hack reporter on its
pages. ] want TO forget that part Of my
existence. i want TO wipe off the news
paper-Shop part Of my life. 1 Will sacri-
flee Gallagher" and the royalties thereon
IL people will only forget that I wss once
That scorned thing-a reporter
I found this In my mail last week, on
my return to New York after an absence
OF six months, and with IL other clippings
in which the remarks that are attributed
to me here were copied and commented
upon. Had 1 been in this country when
the thing-appeared, l doubt If IT would
have occurred to me TO answer II at all.
as i should have thought that the motive
ura1 ton Oh4tone and the invention TOO
badly constructed for anyone to consider
It seriously. But | find that a number OF
people have considered II at least with
sufficient seriousness to repeat II TO others.
and to speed It on its way by means OF
the newspaper press. The fact that II Is
necessary to deny that l ever made such
g. silly and C, ntcmptible speech as this, Is
so humiliating in itself that | do not know
but that it would be better 10 say nothing
about il. 1t is difficult to know just what
one should do. / cannot deny every in
vention that / see printed concerning my
self. nor is IL pleasant TO keep silent. as l
have kept silent for the last two years.
while one story after another has been
circulated about me which I know to be
untrue: while speeches Of the most snob-
Dish and contemplate nature and show
ing the most fatuous c%onceit. have been
put into my mouth; n while people who
do not know me In any way are treating
q personality for me which Is becoming
generally accepted by those who have no
other means Of learning anything about
me. Last winter | collected a number or
these stories with the idea Of denying
them in a block; but j have hesitated. hop
ing that some friend would do this for me.
or that there would be a show Of fair play
eventually. when the inventors grew tired
OF amusing themselves and their readers
at nay expense. l had also hoped that my
being out OF the country for half d year
would cause the inventors to cease for
lack Of material, but ] lind that they get
on even better without me than with me.
As to his particular speech, it should
stand TO reason that l would not hold the
work OF a reporter in contempt, when j
have been a reporter ever since l began 10
write, and shall probably always remain
one; or that / should abuse the particular
story which. though my first, is. l am
afraid. the best ! V done OF shall do.
IL wanted to wipe the newspsDer-shop
part out Of my existence" It Is certainly
contradictory in me to have continued in
that business up 10 the present day, TO
have reported football matches and cOro-
nations for the New York Journal, and to
have interviewed John Hays Hammond FOR
the New York sun and other papers OF
the United Press Association, as did only
a week ago. When ] began newspaper
work | used 70 report fires and the Tombs
Police Court and the Gutenberg races Tor
the daily papers. Now that am able 10
travel farther aheld. instead Of Gutten-
burg, | describe the Derby and the Grand
Prix, or the condition OF the Panama
Canal. OF an English election; but 1t Is
still reporting: / I'VE never considered II
anything else. Publishing what write in
the magazines does not make IL literature.
nor me . literary man; but II can obtain
q larger audience and more money by
reporting for the magazines than Tor TIE
newspapers. l prefer TO write Tor the
magazines. unless. as In the case OF the
John Hays Hammond story. ! have some
thing which 1 wish TO 20 TO a greater
distance and TO reach many different kinds
Of people.
/ have read several times OF the patro-
nizing manner In which / treat my former
| comrades OF the press. ! should be glad
10 learn the names Of these comrades. for.
from what | know Of them. ! am quite
sure. had I been silly enough 70 have acted
so. they would have let me know Of IT by
= method more direct than that OF writing
anonymous paragraphs about me IN the
papers. That is not the way TO advance
The dignity or the interest Of our profess
slOu-IOr one reporter 70 WAAA' NAH''N'
sary and untrue stories about a fellow
worker. The game seems TO me 70 be
hardly worth the candle. and IL ls not
a fair game. For one man stands no
chance against an anonymous majority n
they continue inventing and creating a
character for him which prejudices every
decent reader against his writings and
himself. and which In time will rob his
work OF any possible weight IL might have.
and so destroy over night all that he NAV
have spent much time and labor and
sincere effort IN putting together.
RICHARD HARDING JAWS.
New York. Sept 9, 1896.
Mr.. Davis visit 10 Richmond Is still a
pleasant memory. and 1t is agreeable to
know that he repels the implication Of low
class snobbery with such ea~rnestness.
II.
The Rev. Dr. John Watson clan Mac
laren"). who arrived in this country re-
Gently. Is a pure-blooded Highlander, his
father having been born at Braemar, and
his mother "a Maclaren). at Loeb Fay. He
was born. however, az Manningtree Essex.
49,. .oIon baot IN Scotland uhl sin a