El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-03-30

pOllS IflDune VI Wnlcn He Is q
Regular Correspondent Full His
tory Of the Enterprise
MANILA, P. l., Jan. 15.-How 1
happened 20 become the editor, pro-
prietor and publisher of THE Ameri-
can Soldier" the first American paper
published in Manila, is story that re-
quires no establishment in the tell
ing TO make it interesting. 1 did not
conceive the scheme until four days
before the first publication was on the
street. When we first got into these
quarters We had practically nothing 10
90. and being naturally disconnected
when idle, L cast about for something
to enRrOss my mind. Il occurred to
me that Spanish typesetters might be
possessed of sufficient intelligence to
follow copy that was plainly written in
the United States language and I oe-
termined to try the experiment of get
ting cut al American newspaper. That
morning L examined Spanish journal |
SCI Espanol." and found the place of |
publication to be Gale San Juan de |
Letran, No. II. l next sscertained |
that ''calle" meant street." and after
showing the address to dozen or
mere natives who could not read, at |
last found Spaniard who directed me
to an Office just inside the walled city.
Picking out the man whom 1 suppos-
ed to be the proprietor, [ made him
understand my desires sufficiently to
get price for 1000 'periodicos Amer
icanos." The rest of the day 1 spent
in rustling around to the various COM
panies arranging for copy. The next
morning l went the rounds again and
obtained collection of manuscript,
written on both sides of the paper in
many instances, and on paper of every
hue and weight imaginable. At that
limo " n a ~ rn mi r11rH nv, n
with superhuous amount of writing
paper.
AT the printing Office was conduct
ed through dingy passage way be-
tween rusty old presses and type cases
to the real editorial sanctum, where 1
found party of Spaniards, among them
being Senior La Font, the editor of Sci
Esponol,' with whom L was to do bust
ness instead of the Filipino foreman 1
had seen the day before. I again went
through pantOmine performance,
having the additional task of trying to
make him understand what price had
been agreed upon the day before. This,
value of American gold, was doubled
by the editor, but there (
was nothing to do but to accept
OOf course he wanted some cash down,
and L think the most difficult work 1
performed on the american Soldier {
WoS NY dGtcupI W e6plSlu GnhG while
had no money was perfect !
ly honest, and that as pay day {
was close at hand he need not fesr for
his bill. My Indebtedness for 1000 7
copies would amount To about S11O, and f
| had not one cent in my pocket and !
less than $50 coming to me on pay day. r
However, was willing to take the u
chances and [ got them to work on the 4
copy that night. C
All next day l hustled for ads and e
the first money L received in revenue t.
from the as yet unpu blished paper was s
B dollar for an ed from a Mr.. GRAY, AM O
American merchant doing business in r.
Cavite; will meyer forget how big fl
hat dollar looked. With two cents of a
his dollar 1 purchased my first Manila a
cigar to nerve me to my work. Then L e
sailed ahead. l got an Interpreter 20 a
write me request for ads in Spanish Il
IND with it l was quite successful, but
found my prices would have to be m
ow and would not bring me anywhere D
lear the cost of publication t;
The Spanish rates had been SIS per D