Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-07-28
ORIGIN OF THE
PY-HERALD.
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The Calabash City Spy, George Rowe,
editor and proprietor" appeared in all
the glory of secondhand type-mine was
third hand-and grade of paper some
what resembling real "news''-mine did
not resemble it at all.
One publication day | sat down early
to do up the customary batch of ''Scath-
ing exposures and "unanswerable ar
raignmcnts' of The Spy when Bud Has
kinS, my editorial assistant. compOsitor,
job printer mailing clerk and man of all
work, came in bcaming with joy.
Got some good news for you, Mr..
Warrcn,' said he. grinning. 'COrding
to the way it looks now, there won't be
no Spy this wcck-p'raps not next week
-p'rapS never.
Flows that?' | inquired, much pleas
ed.
"Isowc's sick abcd-fevcr or sunthin.
He can't do Il stroke of work, n that fell
low Mckay he has with him amt of no
great Use. No Spy this week, tell you"
I'm going out for few minutes,
Bud | called to IIaskins.
My reception at The Spy Office was
chilling. As l entered the dingy, pine
boarded room Mckay, big, stupid look
ing man. stared and then sidled toward
IL INd!iet on tnp imposing stone.
II want to see Mr.. Rowe" said I.
lies in bed up stairs" growlcd Nc
Kay, lifting the mallet.
On a camp bed in the attic lay Rowe,
flushed, breathing with difficulty and
rolling his head irritably about the coarse
pillow. He seemed Il combative person.
1t took some little time to convince him
that my intentions were friendly, but
Ilbnu hn hnrorno ~ tbic bn
me with the manifest frankncss.
''loure a good fellow, Warren" he
exclaimed, Selling my hand. 1--WE been
a fool
''No more than |"
"Wcll. then, we've been a pair of fools.
If ever come out of this. we'll be a pair
of friends instead, but He broke off
with a groan
"CoIne. come" said !. you aren't go
ing to die. You'll be we'll in week or
two"
Il know that, but the paper-thc pa
per! | can't do a solitary thing, and Nc
Kay alone won't get the matter up in a
week"
fright enough. Now, let's see how we
can manage it. I can do your part of the
composition today and finish mp my own
tonight. If we're both day late, it
won't make much difference. I'll begin
setting Mt once"
1Iurrying down stairs to escape Rowe's
thanks, | came upon spectacle which
took my breath away. Standing at a
case, sleeves rolled up and thoroughly at
home, clicking the type into his stick at a
great rate, was Bud Haskins.
"IIcllo." said he, looking around.
Flows your editor, publisher n propi-
tor today? Fin him pretty comft'ble"
GLOW on earth did you get here?' de-
manded |.
Same way you did. Got to thinkin-
that's all"
In a few moments I was scrbbling
away on an improvised desk by the bed
side almost as fast as Bud was setting
the type below. Scratch. scratch-think
an instant-scratch, scratch again-thinll
once more-and so on until Il pile OF
copy had accumulated. This was the
beginning:
A FATAL FAISEIOOD.
Our by no means courteous and not In the least
esteemed contemporary, The Spy, which is at
disgrace to American journalism, a libel upon
the name of a newspaper and blot upon the fair
city in which it is as yet still scorntully suffered
to drag out an existence noxious to Others and of
no value to itself. etc.
Rowe listened without saying word.
At the end he quietly remarked:
"That's Il powerful article, Warren"
"WclI. now, see how this one strikes
you" And | began reading again:
DESPICABLE DECEPTION
We had hitherto supposed that the utmost i'm
aginahle depths OF reckless, shameless, honOress
constituencies mcndacity had long ago been reach
ed by that sheet unknown to fame but intimately
acquainted with infamy under the name of The
Herald.
Rove bounced up in bed.
"Do YOU mean to say you're going to
abuse yourself like that?' said he.
Il mean to say that such a savage arti-
Gle as mine has got to be replied to a lit
tie more Sava%c.y if possible"
Rowe by this time had taken the humor
of the situation into his fcvered brain.
He replied family:
Il think you'd better call yourself 'fal-
siticr' first and save up the iGnoramus'
for use later on. Toward the last you
might work in some reference to your
general resemblance to a donkey, if you
don't mind"
"Mnd? Why, it's the very point |
want. I'll say that the only thing in
which don't resemble donkey is my
ull'I lH'dI'acllN LOT any uSeIul employ
mcnt."
Suppose you attack me again?" sug-
geStcd Rowe when the article was finish
ed. There should be at least two sharp
leaders in each paper You might men
ton the probability of my being ridden
out of town on rail because the citizens
can't stand my continual lying any Ion
ger"
Aided by Rowc's suggestions, | wrote
until | had matter enough for four col
umns, two for each paper. There were
pair of outra gcously abusive leaders for
The Herald. a pair of outrageOusly abus-
i've leaders for The Spy, besides two
itringS of SatiIical verses which |
financed to hammer ont.
Bud IIaskins and Mckay. working first
D. one office, then at the other got the
precious stuff into type, and then, with
my assistance. made up The Herald and
ran off the edition that night. Next morn
ing our united forces did the same thing
for The Spy.
All this was ten years ago. CalabaSh
City is beginning to taunt Chicago with
the certainty of being second to her in
population. wealth and resources by A.
j.. 1865 Mt the latest. The Spy-Herald
Is one of the leading journals of the west.
Row" and | might call ourselves rich
men, though we never do. We have al
rays been the best of fricnds.-EX-
thange.