The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-06-04
AN EDITORIAL DUEL.
HOW AN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER MAN
"DouBLEp" IN CANADA.

"OOO6lCO' TN NAINhORs
a Lively War Between Rival Journals ON
tho Subject OF Annexation to the United
otates--After the Last Shot the Duelist
Fled tho Country.
Clinton J. Furbish. who for many years
wss a Lending mombcr OF Tho Times edi-
torial staff, began active newspaper work
10 long ago that It cncroaches upon tho
sleld of ancient history, but tho circum-
stances surrounding his journalistic debut
are worth recording.
IL occurred just after the great oil excite
ment which drove western Pennsylvania
into speculative frenzy and sent prices
skyward. New oil wells wcre being dis
covered every day, and fortunes were made
and lost in al hour. The Developments OF
the Pennsylvania oilfleids had only begun
when oil was discovered In Canada. A
Wild rush for tho new speculative field en-
sued, Young Furbish hAd little money
and hastened to invest every dollar Of 1t
in Canadian leases. In short time the
"maryelous discovery Of oil" In that terri
tory i1zxled out completely and the bot
tom dropped out of everything. Furbish
was left In Canada to try to straighten out
matters for himself and for several friends
whom he had induced to enter the enter
prise.
It took considerable time to do this, and
in the meanwhile the young speculator
found that bread and butter had become a
serious problem. There were two after
noon dailies In the place. One day the
editor OF the conservative paper called up
ON young Furbish at his hotel.
"You undoubtedly are aware. he seid,
"that lot of hot headed, irresponsible, ig-
norsnt politicians over hare have started
another agitation for annexation to the
United States. Now, of COURSE, that would
be suicide for Canada. Being from the
United States, you probably arc In q posi-
ton to speak kiutelligently from that stand
point. Can't you write strong editorial
for my paper tomorrow In opposition to
the annexation movement" ae.tt..f
Furbish demurred. But his board bill
was pressing and be must eat; 90, half In
desperation, he undertook his first news.
paper work. The Bugle next day contain
ed a double loaded 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 an
other visitor called to see him.
xIap NJ DQhbe the neYcomer an
>nos,ESed. hi am the editor and proprietor
of Tho Bazoo. You probably ore aware
that there is strong movement on foot
hcre to further the annexation Of Canada
to the United States The Conservatives
= - arovx, <f, ctoyv, tho ttda
that is setting In against them. You know
the United States side of this question bet
ter than we do over here. Why can't you
write strong editorial for my paper to-
morrow In favor of annexations"
The young man could and did. The next
day the editor of The Bugle called upon
him. Tho visitor was greatly excited.
"Seel" he cried, exhibiting copy OF The
Bazoo. "Our shot took effect. 1t has stir
red thcm up. They sec that their cause Is
desperate and are dying hard. What we
need now are few more mastery charges
like that of yesterday and they'll be utter
ly routed. Go for 'em, my boy. Take all
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 another
double loaded plea for Canadian integrity.
This brought another call from Editor
Dobbs of Tho Bazoo. Dobbs was elated.
"Haye you read what that chump down
the street has tried to say?" he asked.
"Balderdash! Rot A schoolboy could
have done better than that. / tell you
we've got 'em on the run. Go for em, my
boy. Take nll the space you want, and I'll
pay you we'll for it.
During the next two weeks o journal
istic duel to the death ragged fercely. Ev-
cry day Furbish would tear to pieces in
one paper the arguments he had previous
ly set forth in the other. Excitement ran
high. Everybody In town was discussing
annexation, pro and con, and on every
hand Furbish heard his own arguments
used to defeat or to sustain other views
which he had expressed.
1t was glorious fight, but the man
who was solely responsible for 1t all at
last made most unwelcome discovery.
His landlord was again pressing him for
money, and the newspapers were paying
him now in promises. At first he exacted
pay for each days work when the manu-.
script was handed in, but there soon came
several lapses, and this speedily drifted in.
to absolute suspension of payments. OF
course as the payments became fewer the
promises grew more frequent, but at Last
there came day when Furbish found he
could no longer pay q hotel bill with good
intentions and diplomatic language. He
needed money, pleaded for even portion
Of what was due him and was again pu,
of. Is 1t, strange that he should have felt
sggrieved when he had to pawn his watch
and his trunk?
The next issue Of The Buglo, as usual
contained double loaded editorial over
column In length. So did The Bazoo Th,
two papers came out simultaneously, ant
both contained the same editorial wore
for word. In The Bugle It appeared undel
the headline Annexation Farce" while
The Bazoo's caption was Annexation th'
Hope Of Canada"
Five minutes later two wildly excitet
editors, each clutching newspaper In hi
hand, rushed into the Office Of the LITTLE
Canadian hotel
where's Furbishf" shouted one.
"Mr. Furbish has gone" said the clerl
calmly.
e "Gonef" echoed the other editor. ICON,
lhsyef"
"He left for New York this afternoon
by Vey Of Buffalo, think" replied th