The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-16
FIRST WOMAN JOURNALIST.
Her Caustic Pen Was Feared by
Washington Statesmen.

Her Caustic Pen Was Feared by
Washington Statesmen.
CNew York SUM
John Lane of 1912 Fifteenth street is
q mighty entertaining old gentleman to
spent an evening with over a pipe of
tobacco. He has lived in Washington
since the year 1888. He was probably
acquainted with more famous Ameri-
cans of the last century than any other
living man.
The other day when Mrs. Croly. bet
ter known as Jennie June. died, said
Mr. Lane. in narrating some of his
remiuisCe nces Of old Washington the
other night. Il saw it set forth in quite
a number of newspapers that she was
the first woman journalist. That state
ment viii hardly do.
That distinction belongs to a wo-
man who practiced the profession Of
Journalism IL Washington back in the
thi ties. She was Annie Royle-
Editress Annie Royle-she was then
called.
she was an attenuated person,
gaunt and terrible in the eyes Of the
gamins-I was one OF them-Who fol
lowed her in the streets when she made
ner initial appearance in Washington.
calash pattern her sharp, sour features
and her long, impeTioUs stride
Il grieve to confess that she once
stopped in the street, removed one Of
. her shoes and threw it at my head.
PrOvidentiallv, her aim was poor. With
some other youngsters I had been fol-
. lowing her. making merry perhaps, at
the expense of her weird head dress.
Hence the hurled shoe, which was
thrown with such force that it had
surely removed my head from my
shoulders had it reached the mark.
g g
II don't know where Annie ROyle
came from. but she started a paper
i here that everybody knew as Annie
Royle's newspaper She did all of the
work herself-WrOte the COPY. set IL UP
1 in type. ran the press and did all Of the
distributing
Her paper was largely devoted 70
political matters. and it is certain that
many of the most eminent men at the
/ capitol stood in fear Of Mistress ROyle
and her newspaper. Indeed. she had
many Of the nOtables under her thumb
/ in way. for she could write the most
violent philirpios and did frequently
write them about legislators and Off
Gals who incurred her displeasure.
"On the other hand. she was quite
/ as sfilled i'm the art of laUding her "a
proved friends among the legislators 70
+ the skies. and there was always q sUs-
] pici0n. ] am bound TO say. that Mis-
+ tress Aunie welded her news
/ Uaper chiefly as a newspaper club. and
/ tat she prOfted imm0dnrately UDOu
/ the paSsage of sUndTy and divers bills
! in the congress.
! cit was astonishing to note the
/ wholesome fear in which she was held
/ ty MANY notable men. At her pleasure
/ he would stop prominent men who had
fallen cut Of her good graces and rate
| them sOundlv in the most forceful il
/ not the most feroirine English, in the
/ very Corridors of the capitoI.
"Tn Annie Rovle's day the mother.
1 and nurses Of oueru1ous children were
. wont to quiet them by saving warn
I ing1v. If YOU do not mend vour be-
bavior Won shall be Given to Annie
/ Povla' and the wa~ni0o never failed
OF its effect such a hugab0o was Mis-
tress Royle in the vision Of the littlt
ones.
Il am an old man, but I feel conf
dent that were any wag to come upoI
/ ne suddenly at nightfall and cry on
the name of Annie Royle I should IoCI
"a ou1d apprehensively. washington
/ may Unquestionably pretend to the dis
| unction Of having given asylum 10 tn
first woman journalist Of this country
at any rate.
During his lifetime opinions ma,
have been expressed to the contrary
but I feel myself safe in maintainin.
that one of the most hearted
men that ever came TO Washington
was Thad Stevens" Mr.. Lane contia
u5d 81 myself was once a witness o
his generosity under peculiar circum
stances.
Stevens often spent whole night
at the gaming establishments on Penn
syIvania avenue. In that day. of course
gaming by public men was by N
means considered off color. and Wash
/ ingtOu was decidedly wide open, TO EN-
pIoy a modern phrase.
at was a day of nigh play, when me-
/ 0f distinction would stand 10 be car
ried almost to the verge Of ruin on ia
turn or C. card at the faro table. Tha
D. Stevens did not permit the gaming pas
sion TO command him. but he ofte
played heavily. as I say.
AT dawn one morning he cam
away from PeudletOn's famous gamin
establishment after a nights play a
8 the tables He had quit about ever
and when he cashed in the dcale
passed him one large bill
As he walked along Pennsylvaui
. avenue toward his lodgings he came Z
an old beegar woman, nOGding on
step. with a ragged old shawl pulie
tightly about her shoulders. The oil
woman set up pIaintive appeal 70
aims.
stevens came TO q halt and wen
r through his Clothing for metal money
, Coins he had none. He thrust his han
into his trousers pocket and drew fort
the large bill that had been given hin
by the faro dealer
In its cruuplad state. and withoU
IoOrin- at 1t. Stevens handed the hi
To the aged crone. The friend wit
whom he was walking demonstrate
with him
Stevens said he. do you know tn
pr1ro~tfons Of that biT2'
We'll 7 recall them. now that va
! mention il he said. passing on. The
he added. Iau~hirglv; Cod moves
mysterious way his wonders tn pe1
form. Beyond a doubt she needs II
money wore than do
E "Speating NJ great men, went O
I Mr. Lane. with a humorous TWINKLE