The times., 1898-06-13
HOTEL CORRIDORS.

On the register OF the st. James Hotel
there is funny little signature, written
by a man still funnier. of the name Of
Bob Capels. journalist, wanderer and
modern philosopher. who for many years
was the most picturesque newspaper
character on the Pacific slope. Capels
would have you believe that he hasn't
any home, but he has He Is an elder
son of Judge j. o. Capels, of Montana.
who rejected the appointment of minis
ter to Japan proffered during the Cleve-
land Administration.
Bob's newspaper career began In 'Fris-
co, where from beginning as cub re-
porter on the Examiner he worked up a
reputation as the most monumental faker
west OF the Rockies. That was twenty
years ago. He is now known in nearly
every newspaper office on the continent
usually in hard luck, always sanguine as
to future prosperity and at all times a
good fellow What he is here for no one
knows. and he processes not to know him
self, which he probably doesn't
One of the best stories Bob tells is about
his editorial experience in Tombstone.
Ariz. He repeated it last night to a cred
ulous crowd in the hotel lobby
Very few people know that the Ari-
| zona Kicker stuff, written by NJ. quad
Charles 3. Lewis-is drawn principally
from real life as experienced by him
while trying to run a paper called the
Evening Star in Tombstone. There is such
| a town in Arizona. which is another thing
| few people knew.
THE owner of the paper was a man
| named Newt Reynolds, who put up an
awful bluff at being brave, but as a rule
| left his editors TO carry it. Lewis. now
| known as NJ. Quad. ran the paper for
| over year, and then disappeared sud-
| denly between two hot days after writing
wild, weird editorial about a doctor in
| the town who was the most wicked, sure
| shooting man in the Territory.
| THAT was in 1878, and shortly after
Lewis quit Tombstone, stopped off there
| principally because / didn't have money
enough to go farther. Reynolds heard
was newspaper man and sought me out
| from among the crowd. l agreed 10 take
charge of his paper for $40 a week
THE next day Reynolds came around
1 .
/ meaning could l be sarcastic at the ex-
pense of certain individuals and proba-
| bly, at the cost of several lives. I assured
him that l was so long as my own dear
| life wasn't at all concerned. The result
| was that I agreed to write an editorial
| of exceedingly great bitterness and of
| proportionate length against this same
| doctor whose anger had caused the hur-
/ ri iaH aNi af Trpr riz
| Dip your pen in gall was his final
| instructions as he left the office that
| morning. and l did. For several hours
1 busted myself with the past and future
| of that doctor. not confining my remarks
| as TO his future 10 this world alone, and
when the paper came from the press that
| afternoon l was proud OF that editorial.
Reynolds had promised TO stand for
| the article and say he wrote IL l felt
| sorry for Reynolds as 1 walked out on
| the street, rather listening for the sounds
| OF a shooting duel.
| Lucky for me I had already made
| friends with a barkeeper in q nearby
| saloon and now drifted over 10 see him
| He looked at me in pitying sort of 9
| way and said: The doctor is looking foI
| YOU.
.-In answer to my surprise he explaines
that Reynolds had gone around town tell
ing Of a new editor he had VINO wOul,
| make life a misery for the doctor, II
| fact, he was now writing the first Of
series Of hot articles that would make
the doctor wish he had lived a better life
| Then Reynolds gave II ont with great pub
| lscity that he was going 10 leave town 70,
| a week II began TO dawn upon me tha-
| had been duped. Reynolds was gone i
was known that / wrote the editorial, am
well, at sunrise the next morning I wa:
stiH walking away from Tombstone, ant
L haven't been back there since"
The graduating c,ass of the Agricultu
raj College. Portsmouth, Md, gave them
selves a banquet al the Ebbitt House las
night There were twenty-five of them
and they enjoyed very elaborate spread
Harry Vail. county clerk of Cuyahog;
County. Ohio. is registered al the Port
land, from Cleveland. he mas spent sew
eraI days here in telling Senator Hanna
Congressman Burton. Grosvenor. AM
others how strong a Republican distric
| Cleveland is yet. and now having finishet
telling it. he is ready TO return home
| Harry Vail has the distinction of bein,
the only successful Republican politician
in Cleveland who has not asked for
lucrative appointment from the McKinle.
| Administration.