The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-22
PARKER OF NEW ORLEANS.
THE DUELLIST STATE TAX COLLECTOR
AND HIS ClhhER.
Became Noted when He Had His Duel
with Burke, the DefRulting Treasurer
of Louisiana Parker q Editor of

Became Noted when He Had His Duel
with Burke, the DefaultinE Treasurer
of Louisiana Parker as Editor of
the "Picayuno" aud "New Delta"
NEW ORLEANS, La, Oct 2l.-CAieb Harrison
Parker, or G. Harrison Parker as he signs him.
self. State Tax Collector for tho District Of New
Orleans. who lies badly wounded by two bullets
from the pistol Of Dominick OMaey. editor Of the
Daily Item Of this city Is the arch type OF that fight
ing Southern gentleman who was common enough
fifty years ago but who has been almost eiaccd
by tho wave Of commercialism. Into the closing
days OF the nineteenth century he has brought the
ideals traditions and standards Of the '4Os, and
for nearly twenty Ave years he has stood ready
TO back their truth with his life. OF gentle voice
and manners and OF sngularly winning demca amor
when he chooses 10 be winning, there underes
his velvet a constant suggestion OF the steel
While he has shown always in business and social
relations a considerable regard for the rights of
Others, and even considerable tolerance for the
foblcs OF others. he is distinctly dangerous man
OF tho frank kind. In his numerous disputes in
this city and in his personal encounters, II is not
recorded Of him that he has sought to take an
unfair advantage. Once reused 10 the slaughter
point 1t Is the instinct Of Parker to kill and to kill
quickly. but TO kill openly and in fair combat
He Is not a man Of exceptional intellectual force
though well educated and well read. He Is now.
and hos been since 1892 In enjoy ent of an Office
which pays from $40 900 to $50. 600 a year, solely
because Of his honesty, 10y atty and perfect sour-
age His sudden rise TO prominence and afIuence
proves that in this day bravery. rightly used is as
valuable possession as il was In the Middle Ages
Parker Is a Mississippian His family is well
known in that State, we'll as in Alabama,
where branch Of II lives. All Of the males of i,
! are honest and fearless. of tho somewhat narrow
! and violent but reliable. type. His father built
. the State House nj JarkSnn h..
born in that town SO years ago. He lived at Jack
! son until he reached his majority and was educated
at ono OF the smaller Southern universities which
| pay good deal OF attention TO the classics and
| very nttlo TO modern science. IL Is an education
| which units man eminently for business and
! things practical, but gives him liking for the
humanties and taste for things artistic without
the means OF gratifying IT, The boy drifted into
the newspaper business naturally enough as he
had no regular profession and did fairly well a, il
from the Southern point Of view. Large journalist
ic earnings, or salaries, are uncommon in the
| South. Late in the '70s he came 10 New Orleans
| and married Miss Hester sister OF Henry G.
Hester who has been for thirty Ave years score
tary Of the New Orleans Cotton Exchange, BE.
coming dissatisfied with conditions in Louisiana
Parker took his young wife to California in 1873
and lived for year and half the coast doing
desultory newspaper work and making very little
moLcy or reputation L mere was no demand for n
man OF his stamp in San Francisco, and It Is said
that during his life in that city he had hard struc-
gle to get along He returned to New Orleans in
1880. and Hester. because Of his place as score
tary OF the Cotton Exchange. was able TO get him
place as commercial reporter for the Picduure
Hester gave him all the commercial news worth
having. and Parker though totally unused TO the
work and. for that matter untitled for it, made A
creditabo showing in the papers columns At
that time the Pfcdyune, the leading daily Of the
Gulf country. had come under sole control Of Mrs
Eliza j. Nicholson, a woman of tact and business
Judgment whose policy was TO conserve the prop
erty as far as possible without subjectinR IL to ad
ditional expense.
On Dec 81. 1881, the notorious E A. Burke
now fugitive from justice and believed TO he in
Honduras. purchased the Times and the Demo
Graf and consolidated them under the tile of The
Times Democrat In a sensational way he had
been prominent In New Orleans politics for some
years, his most noted action having been an at
tempt to shoot Gov. William Pitt kellogg while
Kellogg was seated In carriage Burke had
married Mrs Montgomery. wealthy widow, had
some means OF his own and was heavily backed
by coterie Of Democratic politicians The two
papers were made one and dollars put into them
with the announced purpose of running the Plea.
pune of the earth, at least throwing il from It's
position as the news and political organ Of that
part OF the South. The Burke campaign from in
ception to end was one OF abuse In addition to
establishing remarkably expensive though not
remarkably efficient, news service, he filed his
editorial columns day after day with attacks upon
the Pfcdtune. It's policies It's management! and its
personnel The older paper was silent So far as
Its expressions went 1t did not know that the
Times Democrat was in the world. It's editor
William j. Walker. gentle and kindly soul was
not believer in personal journalism and held
that dumb contempt was proper treatment of the
haring rival next door. Mrs Nicholson, being a
woman. was naturally on the side OF peace The re-
porers for the wojournnls used fig hit sometimes
and sometimes drink when they met on assign
ments but there no open war. Parker con-
tnued to get market quotations from his brothcr-in.
law say nothing and chafe nightly. He scented
the battle and saw his opportunity but IS subordi-
nate position kept him still. Finally one day,
stung to the quick by some paragraph in the
Times Democrat he broke over. He walked into
Mrs Nichoson's dingy little Office and this Is the
talk that followed;
Mrs Nicholson. I have como In tJ an you tina.
l am going TO quit
What is the matter. Mr.. Parker
Il am only a commercial reporter. but want
to say that will not work another day on paper
which submits TO continual insult abuse and
assault and does not LIT a finger to defend It.
self / can't afford it, and won't try"
we are sorry that you feel that way about IL
MI Parker but you know what is best for your
SO Parker damned his soft hat down upon his
head and walked out. He was devoid OF a lob
but he felt better His brother in aw told FIN
that if he kept up his gait he would land in the
state ASYLUM for the insane but that did not
bother the knight Grant at all He at least,
had enjoyed speaking his mind Five DAYS al
terward Mrs Nicholson sent for him Evidently
some OF the old patrons Of the Picdvune had been
talking 10 her She said to him: 1904
d. Iii ii
OF this paper at 2 salary Of 5000 a year, viii !
you sec that tho dignity Of the Picavune is upheld
and its honor is not smrchcd?"
Parker smiled broadly and bowed with the !
arms and legs ~ 49, '''
I'll be glad to do 1t, Mrs Nicholson" he said
The following morning older and more con |
servatlvc New Orleans which was the Picavune's
New orleans was astonished to find a radical
change Of tone in the utteranccs of the venerable
sheet During the night printers, who had grown
long white boards while working ut its cases
hnd held informal "chapes". and discussed the
had got an inkltnE from the proofreadcrs. had !
gone out and hunted up tho Times DcnoryGt
reporters and bought beor a