New-York tribune., 1901-02-10
THE HOULTON HORNET"
A MODERN PAsQUIN AND HIS PRINTING PRESS
Lewiston Cle) correspondence Of The Boston
Advertiser

According to reports that reach me from Ban
S0r. The IioultOn Hornet has stung just
4 blt too deep. The authorities talking of
indictlng The Houlton Hornet" at the ap-
preaching Penobscot Assizes. If the inner ma
ture of The Hornet" establishment comes
/ At the time of the trial there will be some in
teresting developments
A few years ago tall. gray and SriZZled old
cobbler named Davis. who lived by himself and
( peSSed shoes in Houton almost directly oppo-
/ site the law office of Ilewcllyn Powers. decided
/ that ne had call TO he an editor. He couldn't
| spell. he couldn't compose very well but he
could think of lot of bitter things that he
wanted To say about certain people.
He bought somewhere old Washington
/ hand press OF about the model that Ben
FRANKLIN Is represented operating in the
familiar old time cuts. He got job lot of type
! from somewhere, and in his odd moments com
Inenced To teach himself how to stick it. lie
wouldn't humOr any one 10 ask them for in
struction BESIDES. he kept the press and equip
ment hidden in his dinSy back shop. He didn't
propose To allow folks tn know at first from
what source The Hornet issued TO buzz in the
ears of the populace.
In week he had several fonts of type all
mixed together, but that fact didn't bother him
/ a particle. He kept right just the same.
Some months later. when he admitted me to the
back shop and his confidence. he said that he
didn't care how The Hornet" looked typo
sraphicaily. so long as the reading was there.
The first issue of the little folio made a great
sensation in AroOstook County. He attacked
most of those in high places. and attacked them
with the most outrageous frankness. The &C.
centricity of the makeup Of The Hornet" its
queer tumble Of type, its astonishing, ort hog
deed. The cobbler sold many copies that hc
was delighted. He no longer hid his new voca-
tiOn.
He ran The Hornet as a side issue of his
shoe pegging business There Was nu regular
day Of publication. lie printed the paper as he
was able The second number WAS more *
Coriating than the first. He dug out the village
scandals and paTaded 'hem- He talked L. OIL
cials in the most direct and offensive fashion
He pitched into his neehbor Governor Powers.
with saIcness that made readers gasp f"r
/ breath.
In ~. -ili,-o 90 IIc,,ltop ,t,..r.. ,y,. ,ari,s
suggestions as To what To- Do with Cobher Davis
and his Hornet" Tar and feathers and bon
fires discussed with much interest. but IL
WAS finally decided IL would h" best to do moth
ing Whatever. Too much attention would be-
Attracted To The Hornet hy any display Of
retaliation, and sympathy would bc aroused for
the old man.
The wise of Houlton and those who were
most venomously attacked counseiled prudence
and fOrbeaTance. Therefore Cobbler Davis de-
cided that people We're afraid of him. and SO his
I old Washington hand press Mapped and groaned
with more yigor STILL as he worked in his back
shop % nights.
No persons would compromise themselves suf-
iicientiy 70 him for his hrazcn lihcs il
would have amounted to nothing No public
man wanted To confess that he cared Tor the
attacks or ever saw th' m But The Hornet's
Stingcr did smart tell you that. have talked
with som" Of the men who We're stUnE.
! In the SECOND or third issue "f The Hornet
appeared soii.c verse correct in rhythm and
spelling that was evidently not written in
/ The Hornet office The was Vet mor'
bitter and stinginE than the prose. for it cN-
Folks began 20 wonder VIII" Cohhior Davis's
4 Anonymous assistant could be- and at last most
p-ople decided in their own minds his identity.
Tn. man who WAS suspected stood high IN
OH cal life himself ana no one made any stir
F against him. because the victims to.-rautly al
lowed that only some Of Elank's fun
4 Iut il MAS precious StinEing fun.
At last The Hornet Xentured a little too far.
The Houlton Company of the National Guard
WAS turned down in lis request - lee allowed 10
go To the front at the time Of the Spanish War.
from Augusta. The soldiers felt very much cut
up. They were patriotic. Right on top Of the
/ rest Of their troubles out came The Hornet,
and III prose and verse made sport of them in
the most iiendisnly satrical manner.
People i'm IIOultOn To this day don't exactly
understand just how the bold soldiery Of the
village restrained that night from pulling
down the cobblcr shop ana riding Editor Davis
out Of town astride Of the lever of the old press.
place joined in entreating that violence bc
done, To the shame of the town. There is hint
that even the Governor himself said word in
remOnstrance. Davis wasn't mObbcd, hut IL was
made plain TO him that Houlton wasn't suf-
ficenty healthy a place for him to issue another
paper and live.
| So THE Hornet" went down 20 Baneor and
hid away and stiil published. 1t kept its name
The HoultOn Hornet" however. Ii still de-
occasions infuriated men have started for Ban
gor wipe the thing off the earth. But two
hundred miles of railroad travel has a deterrent
if not modifying effect SO The Hornet has
kept buZZinS away.
/ by this curious reluctance of people to he
mixed up in a bad matter. offended parties have
kept their hands off C"bhler Davis. Therefore