Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-02
sPOOPENDYKE IN REL LIFE.
stanley HuntIey's First Work on the
TrIbnne Under Horace Greclcs.

Stnntfy HuntifyS ttrtt WORK ON INC
Tribune Under Horace Grecic..
Fourteen years after his death the writ
ings OF the late Stanley Huntley have been
resurrccted from their newspaper tomb and
presented to the world anew between book
covers. Stanley Huntley was as original
character as his Spoopendyke. He was
lawyer in New York in the sos, re-
porter, newspaper correspondent and editor
in Chicago and Dakota in the '70s and
humorist on the leading paper in his native
city in the SOS. He gave to Bismarck, n.
D., its only fame by editing the Tribune OF
that place and he found and interviewed
Sitting Bull for the Chicago Tribune in his
hiding place in British America after the
Custer massacre. His entrance to journal
ism is worthy OF record.
Huntley had tired of law and sought en-
ployment upon the New York Tribune early
in 1870. relates the Philadelphia Post. His
first assignment was to report a meeting
to discuss a proposed insurance law. AS
Huntley was an authority on insurance
law, he made a good story out of 1t, and
the next day he saw 1t on the first page
of his paper. His second assignment was to
cover meeting of the Farmers club, which,
then as now, met in Cooper Union. AS
rule the club, which comprised several pro-
fessional gentlemen who knew even less of
agriculture than they did of other things
discussed optical maladies in early potatoes
and aural Affections in late corn, and such
peaceful topics, but on this occasion temper
was aroused and the meeting ended in a free
fight.
Huntley wrote a vivid and eloquent ac-
! count of the affair sparing no one. When
| he finished writing, the city editor being
absent, he thrust the copy into chute and
sent it whirring to the printers Then he
| went home Early the next morning he
| found the story on the first page, with ut
/ the alteration Of letter To say that he
was proud feebly expresses his conceit. He
| even showed 1t when he went down to the
| office at noon. Before he had been there
! long the city editor called to him.
| "Mr. Huntley, Mr.. Greeley wants to see
you"
Thereupon Huntley walked out Of the
| room with conscious strut, while the other
and wiser reporters smiled. Mr. Greeley
was In his paper Uttered den on the floor
below and the door was ajar. Within sat the
| old man in his shirt sleeves, deep in an
editorial. Huntley knocked.
Come in," called out Mr. Greeley, in his
high, squeaky voice. Huntey went in.
well, sir Well sir! Who the devil are
you?" asked the chief impatiently
| I'm Huntley, SIR" said the reporter
Strengthening up.
"Oh!" answered the old editor, noddns
his head. $50 you're the iufernal idiot thai
wrote that Farmers club story?" Huntle!
flushed, as he said that he was.
"What did you do with your copy?'
IL didn't copy it. l wrote 1t all myself
young man." put in the editor in a soft
ened voice. "how long have you been OF
this paper?"
Forty EIGHT hours, sir; and that article
is true-every word OF it, and II they den.
1t, I'LL
mo, you won't. They haven't denied 1t
They are the blamedest lot OF idiots alive
But you shouldn't have said it in this paper
sir. Indeed, you really should not. / an
the president OF that club"