Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-11-13
THE ARGUS wEDN EsDAY. NOVEMBER 18, 1901
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
A Compromise.

Journalist, purchased the Wayback
Register. Six months befora the paper
changed hands the orders ito cancel
subscriptions when they expired came
I'm by twos and threes and by every
other known combination
Alfred IIibbard had notlinquired into
the financial standing of his purchase,
with the caution that he would have
observed had lie been embarkinS in an
enterprise in which his business inter
ests We're not so completely 'overshad-
owed by his enthusiasm for the ideal
side OF the venture.
When the knowledge.of the imminent
oven throw of his pet scheme gradually
forced itself upon him, it did not IN
nerve him. He was prolific in we'll de-
fined ideas concerning the management
OF a newspaper. and he set about To put
them into practice witlT Il Zest that
augured either to kill or cure the pOpu-
Iarlty of his journal.
From an eight page weekly. issued
every Thursday morning. The Register
bloSsOmed out into Il four page tri-
weekly. with an occasional illustrated
supplement. and the dry as dust col
umns. which for many years had form
ed the mental bone and sinew of Al
toona's population. were transformed
into n sensationalist's paradise of cleo
trifying headlines and sta,tling para
graphs.
He wrote TO numerous prospective
correspondents in sister towns request
| ing them to make their corcmunica-
I cir
| cumstances would permit, and the
amateur pencil showers took advantage
of the license allowed them and went
IN full tilt.
For three months The Register ran
along i'm the broad way Of evildoing,
and for three months it's circulation in
creased from day to day as ii had
never done before and its fame spread
throughout that part OF the state. At
the end of that time one OF the nEally
| threatened lawsuits was brought TO Il
head.
"Lavina Ogden versus Alfred lib
bard. SANDER" was the third case set
for hearing before the Altoona cOun-
| ty circuit court when that body was
convened in May.
! The grounds on which the plaintiff
! brought suit was an item which APP
pcared i'm The Register in April to the
effect that Miss Lavina. then Of I'M
certain age, was about to institute legal
proceedings against Il gentleman of I'M
! certain age. name unknown. for the
puIlOiniu@ of her affections, which in
the course of time had been rUthlessly
thrown aside to- make way for another
set of affections.
! Miss Lavina stOutly affirmed that her
affections We're intact and in her keep
/ ing, ana always had been, and she
estimated the value of statement to
the contrary at $4,000.
The trial lasted more than n week,
and its progress was watched with I'M
bounded interest by the community at
large. which hardly knew whether to
be- pleased or disappointed when the
jury returned a verdict requiring Hib-
bard to pay, to the last penny, the
amount considered an equivalent for
malIgned reputation.
4 month passed after the reading of
the decision. and IIibbard had made no
move toward Il settlement. Through
her lawyers Miss Lavina demanded an
explanation. Hubbard that evening
called on Miss Lavina to conduct the
remainder of the disagreeable suit
from Il personal standpoint.
Miss Ogden" he said bluntly at the
beginning of the interview, Il am sorry
that anything should have been printed
ip my paper derogatory to your char
acter. The item which has proved to
he such Il bone of contention was given
to me by Il correspondent as a piece of
news and ! used it. i assure you that
I'm the publication of that paragraph 1
was actuated by no personal motive,
for until the beginning of this trouble
! you were Il total stranger to me.
You claim that your pride and good
name have been injured to the extent
of $4,000. Miss Ogden, L have been
studying YOU closely during the last six
weeks and am convinced that If there
is any woman deserving OF that
amount it is yourself.
The only property | have in the
world is the Wayback Register. The
whole plant wouldn't figure up to half
that amount l have but one sugCes-
ton to make will give you a half in
terest in The Register. Is that salts
factOry?'
Miss Lavina took ten days to con
slider the matter. Her answer made
Hubbard quail. She wanted $1,000 or
its equivalent within another ten days.
When his second respite drew to an
end, lie called on his antagonist again.
Il couldn't get the money. Miss Og-
den,' he said in great contrition. 81 am
sorry for your sake and my own; more
so on your account than mine. have
come today to offer another com
promise. / freely give you the Way
back Register complete. 1 have but
one other thing to throw in to make up
the balance. That is myself. Do you
think that 1, individually, am worth
the five thousand and some odd dol
! lars? IL so. l can cancel my indebted
! ,,oes ,r,a