Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-17
HOW HE MET GREELEY

81 once heard Amos ]. Cummings tell,
with considerable gusto. the story of his
first meeting with Horace Greeley" said
an official of the House who was on close
terms with the deceased congressman from
New York. 1T was not long after the war,
and when Mr.. Cummings found himself
back in the big city he was in no financial
shape at all. Not only that, but he looked
to the last degree seedy in an awful suit of
multi that he had picked up somewhere
another.
He walked into the office of the New
York Tribune to brace the great Horace
for printers job. He waited for about an
hour in an ante-room for chance to see
the famous editor, but the boy at the
editors door, contemptuous of Amos rag
ged-looking exterior, held him at arm s
length while dozens of other visitors went
in and out of Greeley's den.
FINALLY becoming impatient, Cummings
took the boy at the door by the Scrun OF
the neck, pushed him aside and boldly
walked into the presence Of Horace Gree
ley. Greeley was at the moment spouting
away profanely to a Observation-Disclosures
visitor on some subject connected with the
war, and CUMMINGS saw that the old man
was in one of his famous profane and
testy humors. But that didn't Tease Amos
any. He strolled up to the old gentleman s
desk during pause in the editors TRADES
anu StOOQ DeIoTe niIn WITH d grin.
Who the devil are you, sir? squeaked
Greeley. regarding the notwithstanding
Amos over the tops of his glasses.
Names CummingsvAmos J. Cum
mings.' responded the Jovial Amos J:
g And what the devil do you want? And
what the devil do you mean by catapuiting
yourself in here without sending in your
name?' Greeley bawled at him.
Want work as a compositor-couldn't
get the brat at the door to fetch my name
in replied Cummings COOlly
His coolness rather made hit with the
old man, who sized Cummings up shrewdly
and permitted the cragginess of his man
ner to abate somewhat.
Want a job as a compositor hey?'
piped Greeley. What makes you think
you need a job compositor, young
man.
Cummings wasn't slow to seize his
chance, and he seized this one. Grinnng
in the great editors face for half minute
he whirled around and gave Mr.. Greeley a
view of his back.
This replied Amos J., and then Gree
ley and his visitor broke into roar. Mr..
Cummings trousers were clumsily patched
with piece of brilliant red flannel.
Give this man work, Greeley scrubbed
on a piece of paper which he told Cum
mings to take to the foreman of the COM
posing room, and Amos ]. began to stick
type for the Tribune that night:
"A few weeks after Cummings began
work as a printer on the Tribune he got
the death on the day before Of q political
friend of his whom he had seen alive and
in perfect health on that very afternoon.
Cummings told the foreman about this,
and the foreman, in a spirit of mischief,
told Amos j. that he'd better see the old
man about it
Cummings. begrimed and gummy-iook-
ing. took the piece of copy straight down to
Greeley'S office.
This mans not dead he said, handing
the piece of copy to the editor. Saw him
this afternoon and had drink with him.
You're a ID fool, young mani was
Greeley's sharp reply. If he's not dead, he
ought to be- for the political man whose
death was mistakenly announced was an
enemy of Greeley's.
Greeley started an investigation as to
the mans death, nevertheless, and he
found, of course, that Cummings had been
right and that the politician was alive and
well, with no idea of dying. Greeley kept
his eye on young Cummings after that in
cident, and it was not long afterward that
he promoted Cummings to one of the most
important positions on the editorial staff of
the New York Tribune"