Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1900-06-29
ORIGIN OF THE
SPY HERALD.

uau eSLaDllSled Inc w eekly Herald
at Calabash City and was getting along
well when an opposition paper was set
up. =.
1.-The Calabash City Spy, George Rowe, .
editor and proprietor" appeared in all,
the glory of secondhand type-mine wasI
third hand-and grade of paper some
what resembling real "news''-mine didI
not resemble it at all.
One publication day sat down earlyl
to do up the customary batch of 'scath-i
ing exposures and "unanswerable ar
raignments' Of The Spy when Bud Has
klns, my editorial assistant, compositor,
job printer, mailing clerk and man of all
work, came in beaming with joy. !,
Got some good news for you, Mr.. /
Warren!' said he, grinning. "'Cording
to the way it looks now, there won't be
no Spy this week-p'r'aps not next week
-pr'aps never!'
Flows that?'' I incurred. much nleas-
ed.
'Rowe's sick abed-fever or sunthin.
He can't do a stroke Of work, n that fell
low Mckay he has with him amt of 40
great use. No Spy this week, I tell you
I'm going out for a few minutes.
Bud,'' l called to Hasl:ins.
MY reception al lie Spy ONCE was
chilling. AS I entered the 1ingy, pine
boarded. room Mckay, a big, stupi,. look
ing man, stared and then sided toward
mallet on the imposing stona
Il want to see Mr.. Rowe said 7.
Hes in bed up stairs,' growlel Nc.
Kay, lifting the nlalet.
On camp bed in the attic lay Rowe.
flushed, breathing with difficulty and
iY. I, iIh hon u H.
pillow. He seemed a combative person.
1t took some little time to convince him
that my intentions were friendly. but
when he became assured of this he met
me with the manifest frankness.
YOU'RE a good fellow, Warrenv he
exclaimed, Selling my hand i've been
fool
No more than I.
"Well. then, we've been a pair of fools.
If ever come out Of this, We'll be pair
o. friends instead. but He broke off
with yrean.
''Come, come" sail I. lyon aren't 60
lug to die You'll be we'll 70 a week o.
two
Il know shat. but the paper-the pa
per- l can't do a solitary thing, and Nc
Kay alone went get the matter up in q
week"
Right enough. Now, let's see how we
can manage it. I can do your part Of the
composition today and finish up MY own
tonight. IT we're. both day late. it
won't make much difference I'll begin
setting at once"
Hurrying down stairs to escape Rowe's
shanks, l came upon spectacle which
took my breath away. Standing at
case, sleeves rolled up and thoroughly at
home. clicking the type into his stick at q
great rate, WIS Bud Haskins.
''Hello'' said he, looking around
"How's your editor. publisher a propi'-
tor today? Fra him pretty comf't ble?''
'How on ear.h did you get here?" de-
manded l.
Same way yon did. Got to thinkin-
that's: ALL
In 4 few moments l was scribbling
away on an improvised desk by the bed
side almost as fast Bud was setting
the type below. Scratch, scratch-think
an instant-scratch, scratch again-thinkl
once more-and so on until pile of
copy had accumulated. This was the
beginning:
A. FATAL FALsEHooD
Our by no means courteous and not in the least
esteemed contemporary. The Spy, which is at once
q Disgrace to American journalism, a libel upon.
the name of a newspaper and blot upon the fair
city IN which 1T is as yet still scornfully suffered
to drag out an existence noxous to others and OF.
70 value to itself, etc.
Rowe listened without saying a word.
At the~end he quietly remarked:
THAT'S powerful article, Warren"
well, now, see how this one strikes
you" And l began reading again:
DEsPICABlE DECEPTION
We had hitherto supposed that the utmost i'm
agtnable depths OF reckless, shameless, honorless
constituencies mendacity had long ago been reach
ed by that sheet unknown to fame but infinitely
acquainted with ;nfamy under the name of The.
Herald.
Rowe bounced up in bed.
do you mean to say you're going to.
abuse yourself like that?'' said he.
II mean to say that such savage arti-
Gle as mine has got to be replied to lit
tie more savagely if possible"
Rowe by this time had taken the humor.
of the situation into his fevered brain.
He replied family: :
Il think you'd better call yourself sfal.
stfier' 6Est and save up the 'ienoramus.
for use later on. Toward the last you
might work in some reference to your
general resemblance to 4 donkey, IT you
don't mind"
Mind? Why, it's the very point
want. Ill say that the only thing In
which don't resemble a donkey ia my
utter iacapacity for any useful employ
nent."
Suppose you attack me again. sux-
gested Rowe when the article was finish
ed. There should be at least two sharp
leaders In each paper. You might men
tion the probability Of my being ridden
out Of town on a rail because the citizens
can't stand my continual lying any lon:
ger" 4
Aided by Rowe's suggestions, I wrote
until l had matter enough for four COL
umns, two for each paper. There were a
pair Of outrageously abusive leaders for
rhe Herald. a pair Of outrageously abus-
I've leaders for The Spy, besides two
strings Of satirical verses which T
CHANGED to hammer out =.
Bud Haskins = Mckay, working first
at one Office. th. at the other, got the
precious stuff in type, and then, with
my assistance. made up The Herald and
ran of the edition that night. Next morn
ing our united forces did the same thing
for The Spy. 81: 50 ~
All fhis vvss tas. vn..- 80. r>,.L..,-