The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-11
(By Herbert Brewster.)

Greatest American Novel-A School OF
Authorship-New Books.
(By Herbert Brewster)
The "reminiscences of newspaper men
who, through their labors in many lands
have come in touch with many of the
worlds notables, always make interest
ing reading. No doubt those who are
reading a series of sketches by NJ. De
Blowitz appearing serially in one period
ical or a collection of reminiscent ar
ticles by George w. Smalley in another,
will testify to the truth of this state
ment. 1t is to be hoped that both of
these admirable sets of articles will be
brought out in book form during the
year. Curiously enough, one of the best
stories which Mr.. Smailey tells is about
another correspondent, perhaps the great
est of them all. Archibald Forbes.
The one feat which. in Mr.. Smalley's
opinion, placed Forbes at the head of his
profession came in the Russo Turkish
War of 1877. Although seven of the
Cars couriers failed to get through
Shipka Pass, Forbes did it, and after CIV
ing the Car his information and being
complimented on his skill and daring
Forbes rode. without stopping for rest,
rived at eight o'clock in the evening. He
had been three days and nights either
in the saddle or in the Shipka trenches,
under fire, without sleep, often without
food. was dead tired said Forbes,
from whose lips / had this story Not
word of my dispatch was written. and
/ had news for which 1 knew the world
was waiting-news on which the fate of
tho fO,frI of haI
depended. And it was as much as could
do to keep my eyes open, or sit up in
the chair into which I dropped what
did you do?' I told the waiter an
swered Forbes, to bring me a pint of dry
champagne, unopened 1 took the cork
out, put the neck of the bottle into my
mouth, drank it with all the fizz, sat up.
and wrote the four columns you read
next morning in the Daily News AS a
piece of literature. the four columns were
of a high order. AS a piece of news,
they were one of the greatest beats
ever known"
Mr. Smalley is still actively connected
with the London Times. M. De Blowitz,
according to very recent report, has re-
tired from his connection with the same
paper, after a service extending over
if any other single newspaper CORE
spondent ever welded so much power as
NJ. De Blowitz did during his most ac-
tive period. His "reminiscences are the
most sober fact, yet they read like
series of the most highly improbable
romances in which royalty and diplomat
lists of many nations figure. When he
took uD his residence in France nearly
fifty years ago, De Blowitz was a teacher
of German. Afterwards he invented a
wool carding machine and now and then
wrote for the French newspapers. He
took considerable part in the exciting
times of the early seventies and when
he began his work as special correspond
ent for the London Times in II. he was
a good deal of parsonage During the
next ten years he became intimately &C
quanted with Bismarck. Theirs. Gam
BETA, Beaconsfeld, Pope Leo XIII, and
many others. So thoroughly conversant
was he with the affairs of government
that he was able to telegraph to his pa
per the full text of the treaty of Berlin
before it had been signed. He is now
over seventy years of age and has earned
the rest he has at last decided to take.
Those who know him describe him as
remarkably shrewd man, with an enor-
nous egotism and absolutely no sense of
humor
Miss Ida NJ. Tarbell, whose History of
the Standard Oil Company" is probably