The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-06
AN ODD EDITORIAL DUEL
After the Last Shot the Duellist
Fled the Country.

The appointment of Joseph P. Smith
/ of Ohio as chief of the bureau of Latin
American republics throws out of en-
ployment former Chicago newspaper
man. Clinton ]. Kurdish. who for many
years was a leading member of the
Times editorial staff.
The Chicago Times-Herald tells an
interesting story OF how Kurdish en-
tered into active newspaper work. He
had been specializing in Canadian oil
lands. The young speculator found
I that bread and butter had. become q
| serious problem. There were two al
ternoon dailies in the place. One day
the editor Of the conservative paper
called upon young Kurdish al his ho-
tel.
You undoubtedly are aware" he
said, that a lot of hot-heaced. ire
sponsjble. ignorant politicians over here
have started another agitation for an
neXation to the United States. Nov,
of course. that would be suicide for
Canada. Being from the United States.
you probably are ia a position 70 s)eak
intelligently from that standpoint.
Can't you write a strong editorial fer
my paper tomorrow In opposition to the
annexation movement?
Kurdish demurred but his board bill
was pressing and he must eat. So half
in desperation, he undertook his first
newspaper work. The Bugle next day
contained a double-leaded editorial
thunderbolt against annexation.
The author of it had barely had time
enough to read his work over carefully
in print and to felicitate himself upon
his success as an anonymous writer,
when another visitor called to see him.
L am Mr. Dobbs.'' the newcomer
announced Il am the editor and pro-
prietor of the Bazoo. You probably
are aware that there is strong move
ment on foot here to further the an
nexation Of Canada to the United
States. The Conservatives are strain
ing every nerve to stem the eide that
is setting in against them. You, know
the United States side of this ques-
ton better than we do over here Why
can't you write a strong editorial for
my paper tomorrow in favor of an.
nexation?'
The young man could and did. The
next day the editor of the Bugie called
upon him. The visitor was greatly eX-
cited. See ne cried, exhibiting
copy of the Bazoo. our fhot took eff
feet 1t has stirred them up. They
see that their cause is desperate and
are dying hard. What we need now
is a few more mastery charges like
that of yesterday and they'll be utterly
IOulGu. 10 lOI tlil, 4iN boy dhC al
the space you want. and I'll pay you
well for your work..
1t is needless to say, perhaps, that the
next issue of the Bugle contained an
other double-leaded plea for Canadian
integrity. This brought another call
from Editor Dobbs of the Bazoo. Dobbs
was elated. Have you read what that
chump down the street has tried to
say?" he asked. "Balderdashi Rot! A
schoolboy could have done better than
that I'll tell you we've got 'em on the
run. Go for EN-, my boy. Take all the
space you want, and I'll pay you we'll
for it.
During the next two weeks journal
istic duel to the death ragged fiercely
Every day Kurdish would tear to pieces
in one paper the arguments he had pre-
viOusly set forth in the other. Excite
ment ran high. Everybody in town was
discussing annexation. pro and con, and
on every hand Kurdish heard his own