The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-04-10
THE CAREER OF BRANN.

He Began Newspaper Life as a X,
porter and Was Master OF til
+ English Language.
r Washington Post
w. &. Brann, the fighting editor VII
was killed at Waco, Texas, in due
; last week, practically started his news
paper career in ST. Louis on the Globe
Democrat, under Joseph B. McCullagh
That was six years ago, and those VIII,
knew BraDn then knew u man who wa
as II lid ard gentle as could be. Hi
friends little dreamed that he woulC
become the editor of such fiery pub
llcation as the lconoclast. In fac
Brann maze his first hit on the Globe
Democrat with a big Sunday article or
the apple crop of Southern Illinois.
"Brann had been on the paper u few
| wecks,' said a Western newspaper
man in discussing this eccentric char.
acter, and hadn't succeeded in turn
ing in much copy. One day McCullagh
go over into Egypt-as lower Illinois
Is called-and write up the apple in
dustry, which is Il source Of great rev
enue to that part Of the State. Brann
started out, and the rest of us were
moro or less curious to see how he
would come out. His article appeared
the next Sunday, and it is needless to
say that it was Ii first-rate surprise.
Brann had made q rhetorical flower
garden out OF the page that had been
assigned to him. A iive-column article
on the apple industry would have been.
II the hands of the average reporter,
pretty dry reading, but under the pen
OF Brann apples seemed almost to grow
from the tVnn AS funtS
nothing much to the article. and some
members OF the staff had doubts if the
new man. as Brann was called, had
gone any further into Egypt than East
st. Louis. The strength of the story
was its phrases. 1T read like classic
almtst, and some Of the boys undert ook
To speak 10 Brann and compliment
him on this feature of it.
"'Pshaw, that's nothing, was the
reply. L can do anything that Llease
with the English language. | can
make itwave as prettily rs a field Of ripe
wheat or | can SEIZE it by its handle
and make it snap like Il bull whip in
the hands OF a COW puncher.'
so it will ec seen that he was not
without his share of egotsm. We
learned that he had been sort of tray-
cling preacher and lecturer, and that
his home had been in Dallas or Waco
before be appeared in ST. Louis. Socn
after the apple episode Braun went up
to Chicago to the National Democratic
Co.vcatiOu as one OF quite large staff
under Walter b. Stevens. l have
heard .nat Brahms especial assignment
on the Chicago trip was to pay no at
tcntion TO the big political gathering,
but to expose Chi2ago with sharp
pen. And Branp did so, to the great
delight Of all St. Louis.
"When Brann returned to st. Louis
he was placed in charge OF the column
called Hotel Corriders.' This column
had been one of McCullagh's hobbies,
and the rest OF us had taken turns in
extracting interviews from tourists
and travelling men until We were black
in the face. But under the hand of
Brann the hotel column il)urished like
a green bay tree. The widest and
most improbable stories in the choicest
English; dissertations on religion and
on literature ; essays on ethics and cul-
tdrc; in fact, everything. 1t was use
less to pretend that tie interviews were
true. The average run of hotel guests
did not talk as the Globe Democrats
column made them talk, and every one
knew it. But the work pleased Nc
Cullagh, and a little later, when
Brann resigned and returned to Texas
to start newspape., the editor made
q contract with him to send bunch Of
hotel interviews daily by mail.
"ln starting daily newspaper in
Texas Brann had a partner, and the
struggle was hard for them. Their
daily attracted attention, but Brann
was crowded out finally by the stock
holders. Then he started his IconJ-
clast at Dallas, and proceeded to break
the popular idols OF that community.
Among other things he assailcd Bay lor
Institute. His articles against this
college resulted in several duels, in
each o. which two persons were killed,
and in the last one, Brann and his ad-
vcrsary, II. E. Davis, each met death.
Seven bullets were found in the BODY
OF Davis, and it is claimed that Brann's
business manager, w. IL. Ward, took q
hand in the shooting after Brann had
received mortal wound.
I'm app, aranco Brain was tall, slen-
der and Oi dark complexion. His hair
was inky black and as straight as that
of an Indian. His eyes were widely
set, and were mean. He always wore
a slouched hat and long Prince
Albert coat, and pve heard him wish a
hundred times that he could get out
OF the newspaper business. Well, he's
out of it now, poor fellow, after hard
fight