The San Francisco call., 1897-08-15
BUFFALO HENRY.
Chicago Times Herald.

Chicago Times Herald.
Before Mr.. Hansbrough was sent to the
United States Senate from North Dakota he
held some minor offices in his State, and be-
fore that he used to run little paper III The
roaring town of Devils Lake. 1t was an aver
age country paper, just as he is an average
country editor. Sometimes it came out on
time and sometimes it didn't, but 1t made
money-plenty of ft-because all of the regis
trations of Government lands in an immense
territory were published in It, Hansbrough
did so well, in fact, that he was able to turn it
over to an assistant and put in his time
whooping up the voters. He is not much of a
humorist, but he likes joke, even when it is
on himself, and one day he told me OF his first
attempt al newspaper paragraphing.
He was working on a small daily in San
Jose, CAL and the editor O it was an old fell
low, remarkable chiefly for laziness. One day
he came to Hansbrough. then a young re-
porter, with this statement: "Son, L m feel
ing powerful weak to-day, an if you can get
me out bout half yard o. paragraphs I'll q
home an rest" With his heart beating IKE n
triphammer because of the honor thrust Il pon
him, Hansbrough said, 'iWhy, certainly GER
tainly," and the old man went home. Aiming
himself with hali-hundred exchanges Hans
brough buckled to his work He ran across n
dispatch to the Chicago Times, stating that
i've Indians had been found dead on Da-
kota prairie, and that they were supposed TO
have been poisoned by buffalo meat put I'm
their way by hunters. He remembered the
old ballad of "Vnlikens and his Dinah." and
how 'a bottle OF cold pzen lay down by her
side. " He remembered that the family name
OF buffalo is bison, and he wrote: "a Dakota
dispatch says that five Indians have bee n
found dead on the prairie. They are supposed
to have been slain by buffalo meat poisoned
and put there by hunters. Like the catas-
trophe of 'Villikens and his Dinah,' this is
evidently case OF cold bison" He laughed
when he wrote IL.
They were days when it was customary TO
itaiiclze puns that appeared in the editorial
columns. Looking over the proofs TINT mig IN
Hahsbrough fund that the prin ters hao used
the word poison" He called the foreman
and la boredly explained the Joke to him. The
foreman howled with laughter, said ii was tb q
best thing that was ever written on the n,nar
ana promised TO correct the proof with mis-
own hands. Hansbrough went to he'd
satlshed, and the foreman, as subse-
q eltly developed, took six drinks
Next morning, by the exercise OF
great self-control, Harsbrougn kent away
from the office until 10 O'clock Not BEING
able to stand 1t longer, he rushed in, gathered
up paper from the business coun ter an a
went into the editors room to read his nara.
graphs and laugh. Itwas there all right. "a
DaKota dispatch says that five Indians have
neen found dead on the peairie They are
supposed TO have been siain by buffalo meat
poisoned and put there by hunters Like the
catastrophe OF 'FilikenS and His Dirab this
Is evidently case of cold bnffaIo. with shuf
Ial" IN italics" They ellled him .RuffsIr
Henry" Ia San Jose until he had to Quit and
go to the Territory 9-' ''N