Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-11-19
ARreMus WARD. PRINTER.
SOME REcoLLHcTIoNs OF THE DAYS
WHEN HE WORKED AT THE
CASE.
1.-THE Century for Novembsr.l

i THE Century for November.]
| Artemus Ward learned the printer
trade In the Office of the s"Oxford C0un
ty Advertiser" Norway, Maine. He ha'
a brother Cyrus, who was also printer
and learned his trade In the same office
He was q humorist, and more droll thai
his brother, because of a peculiar draw
ing voice which emphasized his drollery
He died some years before Artemus.
DR.. ]. G. Gallison of Franklin, Massa
chusetts, also learned the printers trad
in the advertiser" Office. Artemu
preceded him, and had left something o
his fame for the new boy to look up to
He says: 81 was mere boy, YER,
young man. regarded Charley Brown,
with mingled worship and awe, for hat
he not travelled" 1t was told OF hin
that while ''devil' on the Advertiser
he became disguised because OF the
continual Boosting of the rival paper,
that a new window had been put In, and
the week following that the casing had
been painted. Other small matters were
announced certifying to the enterprise
of the establishment. Artemus wrote
and the Advertiser" published:
1--WE have bored new hole in the
sink and put brand new slop-pail under
it. What will the 'hell-hounds' of the
other Office say to that?" :,
Referring to Wards travelling abroad,
the doctor says: "An old schoolmate OF
his in Waterford, Horace Maxfield, son
of the old stage-driver Maxfield, accom-
panied him, and was with him through
his last illness and death. Maxfield
brought home with him some admission
tickets, which had been used for en-
trance to his lectures. These were dis
tributed among Wards immediate
friends"
The doctor further says: 81 have one
of these tickets, which, together with
my old printers rule, is in the drawer of
the desk at which I am writing, and
which keep as relics, as mementos, Of
Artemus and the old days."
SHOULD read Norway Advertiser;
THE rival paper was the Oxford Democrat
In the course of a personal letter to
the editor of the Democrat, DR.. Gallison
says: 81 wildly recall the great rivalry
of the papers. This was much increased
later when DR.. T. II. Brown was editor
of the Democrat, and Rev. Geo. K. Shaw
wrote the red-hot political editorials for
the Advertiser. Although l was the
devil 1 found the atmosphere decided
ly lurid and uncomfortable"
AS illustrating the luridness of the
war which went on between the papers
at the later period to which DR.. GallisOn
refers, a single paragraph will suffice.
1t was time of intense political excite
ment, when the parties were breaking
up in the process which finally resulted
In the formation of the Republican
party. 1t may seem strange at first
thought that a political convulsion
caused by great issues of national policy
and morality should be accompanied by
q vast amount of personal vituperation
and abuse in the local papers, but such
was the case. 1t is impossible to think
Of courteous old-school gentleman like
DR.. T. Fl. Brown writing in the popular
style of that day; yet under his editorial
the columns of the Demo-
,rat bristled with letters from CORE
,pondents of which this paragraph is
about fair specimen:
"Well, Parsou, have been looking over your
spiritual medium, (the mongrel ,Advrrtiser);
Ind find that you are getting rabfd againW,and
poland that is the general opinion. But this
lint the worst of your case-for you are little
he meanest specimen of humanity there is out"