The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-07-14
The Story of The Friend. :,

Wars Brighter Side" Is the title OF
book recently published lay d, Appleton &
co. II Is written by Julian Ralph. the well
krown war correspondent. aud the story
Il tells Is that OF "rhe Friend" the news
paper published by Ralph. Rudyard Kin.
Ing Lord Stanley, A. Conan Doyle aud
other brilliant writer's, at Bloemfonteln.
while the British army was there waiting
70 march on Pretoria
In addition TO heiug decidedly unlaue. the
hook Is one ~ the most interesting Of the
many written about the South African war,
for II shows a phase Of that sanguiusry
conflict which has been neglected hy tho
others. The Friend" was established at
the suggestion Of Lord Roberts, who very
correctly thought that II would prove some.
thlng OF advertisement 10 his troons dur.
Ing the long and weary walt OF Pretoria.
II was unquestionably oneeof the oldest
publications In the hlstoryRo Journalism
aud since, In Wars Brighter side" an
OF the hest of the contents ct the paper
during us brief existence Is given, one who
nnds things OF Interest IN such matters
may be sure, before tukiug M the book,
that IL Will prove treat IL Is attractive
ly sllustra ted, most Of the pictures heing
made from photographs and being. there.
fore, oil the more valuable as showing the
exact conditions existing in the South A.
rlcan city during the time mentioned. Prob
ably the most interesting OF She nlustra-
lions is one showing a fac smile OF the
menu card In evidence vt she dinner en-
joyed by the British officers and the cor
respondents on March ~, 1900, az Bloom
fonteln. The menu designs were drawn by
Lester Ralph and the last page Of the card
contains the signatures Of all the famous
personages who attended the dipner.
The story OF the indignltes suffered by
the correspondents az the hands of the nj.
chosen oensors, followed by the tale of
the manner In which "The Friend" came
to he established, is quite amusing us well
MS interesting. In speaking of the office in
which the journal was born tho author
says;
"Everythlng IN II was either the color
Of dirt or the tone Of type dust every
thing Including the window paues and the
printers of the latter we never knew the
numbers. names or characters only one
gnomish man ever appeared az large out
upon the uncharted floor Of the composing
room, and he was elderly and silent a man
grown mechanical, and NOW making but a
feeble eight against the dirt and tyne aust
which was slowly covering him IN what
was apparently to hc another such upright
tomb aus held the last Of the wife OF Lot
He sometimes came into the editorial dust
hole II we yelled and stamped our 'ouaest
and our longest. lie came YEARLY ana
softly, heard our orders and vanished IA
the type dust ms we used TO see our arny
friends at Modder step out Of our tents into
dust devil ana disappear on the ocean Of
.veldt At high noon
The author is lust tribe too arpaut AZ
times and one can not ALWAYS agree with
him in hls ideas concerning the Boers, hut
the story he tells is more than read1hle
nevertheless A. before stated, The hook
ls one Of the best written about the hoer
war; aside from those which are strictly
historical