The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-07-06

Ao'o lhelr patteDce, but l have no
~ouoI at all that every editor has GER
tam point on his temperamen1al Their
mometer at which he is certain to become
excited. Some years ago received call
from distinguished professional man
who was profoundly moved by the fact
mat IN an article Of recent date bearing
on men Of his calling not rearly SO much
space was given to his achievements, as
had been allotted to those Ct some less
celebrated persons in the sane profession.
Hls pre-emlnence was well Understood
ind in the article it was acknowledged.
but 1t was in vain that I declared his
position was so secure that mere news
paper notoriety wcs no longer OF avail
IN his case. The time had come. 1 said
when the fact that newspapers dismissed
MIN with brief ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of his
superiority should be regarded as the
ancerest praise. He did not look at the
matter In that light. Newspaper notorie-
ty was something that he did not regard
with so much contempt as 1 had sup
posed would be the case. IN tact. It. was
newspaper notoriety that he was pursu-
ing. Finding him unwilling to acknowl-
edge the possibility that the explana-
tion given by me was the correct one
I said:
professor, how may times nave we
published long and apprecative notices Of
your life and work?''
-Four times" was his quick response.
and at the same time he drew from his
pocket clippings Of the indentical arti-
cles, now rwell-thumbed and discolored
with age. I took them in my hand. and
rllmin9
These articles have appeared at inter-
walls Of a year or two during the period
OF eight years. They are all very COM
tplimentary. 1 presume they gave you
great satisfaction. Yet this. is the first
time that I have had the honor of a
call from you. Ir fact, this is the first
time that we have met. Do you not
sec something peculiar in that circu1n-
istance?"
1t is creditable to the human race, as
7 now view it, to say that the professor
saw the point; that he coiored visibly,
and that he dismissed the subject of his
complaint forthwith and sailed out, leav-
ing an expensive umbrella in a chair
from 1 presently took it and sent it to his
residence.
Human Nature in Newspapers.
The popularity which the professor was
invited to consider was this: The average
man who may be praised in a newspaper
does not acknowledge the compliment
even by the m 1st formal note Honest
and Whorty soul, he knows his own gold
ness better than any newspaper can know
it, and when an editor makes some refer
ence TO him his only thought is that at
least one journal is capable of appreciat-
ing the obvious truth. No petted child
ever took meal or a new garment more
as d matter Of course than the average
man takes honeyed words from a news
paper Yet if criticism be passed upon
him he will be heard from in protest with
out delay.
Having become fully conscious Of this
human falling early in life, I am now
willing to admit that on more than one
occasion I have tried the experiment of
praising men repeatedly and :hen in a
single instance tensuring them. I never
saw and l never heard from one of them
until after the publication invoking crit
1cism Then they called promptly and
breezily ard all were confident that the
structures passed upon them were the re-
suit of some unaccountable mistake by a
subordinate. Blessings on all the modest
and ,self-dspreciating men in the world!
1t will not take many to go around.
It must not be supposed that I never
knew a man to acknowledge newspaper
compliment. 1 have known of one such
case. A gentleman whom I never saw,
but whose reputation was good and of
whom some pleasant things were one day
said. sent me a basket of handsome roses
with an arpreciative note. The fragrance
of the former and the kindness of the lat
ter filled the editorial atmosphere during
a long and busy day, and at I p. m.
learned that the gentleman was a candi-
date for an important office. ".g
The writer Of a vicious anonymous let
ter always has been regarded with con-
tempt, but what shall be said of the fussy
1oM lady. familiar to most editors, who is
always in a social or a religious fight Of
some kind and who insists that you shall
isscrmit her to strike man weighing 200
pounds over your shoulder? She general
liz IL interested In the home. for the care
OF the careless, and her mind is usually
lat rest on one point at ieast-that the
Lord sent her on her mission. Now, no
|one need imagine that am about to at
tack the fair sex. Far be 1t from me to
'aay or to think evil Of any member there
or, out II a rotund old lady in satin ano
= crepe, with curls and gold spectacles and
short breath, founces into your Office
and insists that Biggs and Priggs her fell
low directors IN the afosesaid home, ara
villains; that Mrs. Jiggs, the matron, is a
wicked old lady, and that between them
they are robbing the public and oppress-
ing the poor; that you must show Up
these people. but that she relies upon your
honor-miDd you. your .'honor''-not to
mention her name, what are you going to
do about It?
Some Country resHandents.
1t is relief to turn from such as she
ana take the hard hand and look into
the honest face of the country CORE
spondent who is passing through the
city and who merely called to see you
ana to talk for an hour or two about
d zVeWord telegram that he sent to your
paper week before last when the tannery
IN ms town was destroyed by fire. The
correspondent generally is a newspaper
man himself and his visit usually comes
TO an abrupt end Immediately after he
has made the discovery that not very
much is, going on at the theaters and
that even If there were the free list is
suspended. HE'S x, G. sss5 81 49,
t.I have known two country correspond
ents whose memory will be kept green il
N 1t is in my power to do it. 81 One Of
them Lived in a city OF 1900 inhabitants
which was almost annhilated by FIRE
The first morning after the catastrophe
nothing but a few meager bulletins an.
,siouneing It's extent appeared in the news.
papers The next day, by much tele
graphing and at considerable expense,
managed to induce the correspondent il
question to visit the telegraph Office ii