The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-11

| the foreman OF the composing room.
\ after dlspOsing OF business concerning
which he had come 10 Tny desk, some-
| what hesitatingly told me that one OF
| the compositors Ia his department had
written several editorial articles. by
way OF experiment; and they were very
good, 30 the foreman thought. But the
! young printer had destroyed his pro-
! ductions after passing them around
among his intimates IN the Office.
I Would the editor-in- chief like 20 look
at one OF the young mans writings? |
said should De clad 10 see one and IN
he sent me anything worth printing II
should be used, and the writer should
, be paid for 10.
A few hours later, bundle OF sheets
of Manila paper was laid on my desk
by Mr., Turrell. the foreman, who, with
smile. said thar the young printer
had happened 20 have ready an article
which he was willing ID submit 10 my
Judgment. | read the paper, at first
with preOccupied mind and IN haste,
and then with attentiveness and Won
der. Considering the source from which
10 came. the article was 10 me remark
able. / rcCOllCCt that il was written IN Il
delicate, almost feminine hand in lines
very far apart and making altogether
bulk which had at first misleG me az
10 the actual length of the dlsquisition. d
The article was not long. and was en-
titled The Strides Of a Giant II was
descriptive OF the gradual extension Of
the Aslatlc frontiers of Russia. the
changes that had taken place In the
relations Of the European powers, and
the apparent sympathetic approach of
the United States ana Russia toward
each other.
I'm some doubt as to the originality
OF this paper, sent TO me by a young
ana unknown printer. / first looked
through the American and foreign re-
views on ms table, then, satisfying my
self that the article mad not been
"cribbed' from any of these publica-
tions. ! changed the title To The Two
Giants and printed 1t as the Leader"
in the Times of November 80, 1866.
Let me say that when | told my fore
man that, surprised by the excellence
or the English, ana the eruditiOn eN-
hibitel on the article. | had some
doubts concerning the originality of
the young printers work, he warmly
replied that the young fellow was q
thoroughly honest man and would no
more borrow ideas than he would steal.
Oh no: my good friend Turrell would
risk his reputation on the young COM
positOr's honesty.
The foreman said that, if I were GU
riouS to see the young man, | would
find him at certain ease, so many
cases from the entrance 10 the compo-
sing-room. I looked with some interest.
and was disappointed 10 find that my
vigorous and well-informed contribu-
tor was a little man. so short that ne
had provided himself with a bit of
plank on which he stood at a case too
tall for him. Ho was apparently then
about twenty-five years old, but in fact
was ten years older as he was born in
1881. His auburn hair was thin, and the
yOuthfulness OF his face was disputed
by the partial badness OF his head his
blue eyes were lambent with anima-
ton and a certain look of mirthfulness.
Near acquaintance with Henry
George confirmed me Ia my strong pre-
possession in his favor. He was bright
alert, good -humored, and full OF fun:
yet his talk showed that was a
thinker. that he tght independently
of all writer's. and that he had wide Sc
rious and original views of life. The
mans manner his sim, licity, his dim
dence. and absolute sincerity, capti- /
waited me- and | liked him thoroughly
and at once. He continued to contrib
ute To the editorial page Of the paper.
sometimes with fertility of produc-
ton that dismayed me; ana, after
few weeks. a vacancy having sud denly
happened in my editorial staff. | in
vited George to the place. He was
given comfortable salary, and from
that time forth he set type no more.