The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-19
INCIDENTS
A--2OBsERvArloSs

in this world of temptation than
another, it is a newspaper office and
newspaper work. LuckleSs, in one
sense, is he who enters here. Rare as
are the honors, more meagre are the
returns that come to those who make
the papers, yet the boy who has once
fallen under the spell of either the
pencil or the type, scarcely, if ever,
successfully wrencheS himself away
The fascination is not only stronger
than that of any other work, but it
Is more generally felt. 1t hangs it's
victims with the certainty of spring.
hook. Perhaps it is the uncertainty
the delicious unexpectedness of events
and the rush of work done at fever
heat that is at the bottom of the
charm. Then the satisfaction that
comes when the presses give their
thunderouS announcement of the first
edition. satisfaction that is tenn
pered by the fear of missing a mail
or of failing some news that comes
too late. Most of us have read in j.
NJ. Barries when a Mans Single" of
the grumbling foreman who never
failed, as he, locked his FORMS to
predict the speedy dissolution of Glad
stone-"juSt too late for the last edi-
ton That expression marks a news
paper superstition that is almost uni
verSal-but the pesSimiSm is all on the
surface. Barring a little good-natured
worry over copy-boyS and some harm
less profanity in all departments under
the stress of work, there will be found
as a class no more jOvial, charitable
or more hopeful species than the men
who write and print the paper-from
the EDITORS chair to the black-faced
devil who rolls off the proofs
and one and all, once started, poor but
generous, they stick.
Did you ever hunt for a definition of
what constitutes great writing-that
is, true writing-not merely a brillian-
cy of style? Books have been written
on the subject by men who were them
selves brilliant that have been forgot
ten at once as hack work. And
there have been those whose sem
fences daZzled the mind as diamond
flashes on the retina in the sunlight,
who have sadly missed the mark.
While Others, with no asset save an in
born sympathy. have gripped the great
heart of humanity for all time.
The late Erwin Avery was rapidly
approaching the eXcellencies of both
schools. More and more was it hap
pening that in his occasional columns
he brought to the reader those emo
tons which point to the most consum-
mate art--that he surprised a smile
and compelled a tear and brought
thought.
The writer first knew Erwin Avery
when, as a student at Trinity College,
he was the most feared football
guard" in the South. Towering we'll
above his six feet, broad of shoulder
and deep of chest, with all the Drawn
and activity that follow on regular
f,air1 I'D oil 70 1on for
rible as an athletic antagonist. In the
excitement of a, game, his eyes glitter
ed and flashed as must those of his
gallant uncle martyred in the moment
OF a victorious charge at Gettysburg,
but even then he was known almost
as we'll for the fairness of his rough
play, for the generosity of his nature
and for the kindness to which he af-
forwards gave so frequent and so
beautiful an expression.
When one knows one of those rare
creatures of a magnificent physique
and a big heart and a big brain, it
seems somehow as if the other small
ones of us were in someWay unfinished
products: that the big man is the man
whom God intended to make. And
when the inscrutable fates that hover
ever in the air chance upon such an
CHE. we lose for a moment, in pity
for the greatness of the fall, the sense
of the mercilesS impartiality of myS-
ferrous and always reckoning death
John Allen is wont to say with a
Candor that is not unmiXed with a
touch of pride. that telegraph opera
tors are the biggest set of scoundrels
in the world. John ought to know
whereof he speaks for he himself is
one of the finest in the business, and
it is a liberal education as to how we'll
u quick man may work at high ner-
VOuS tension to watch him making
figures on Ware & Lelands board"
on busy day on "change." 1t should
be here said, also, that if he did not
himself bring the broadside accuSa-
ton, there would be none to suspect.
However, he has recently demonstrate
ed that telegraph operator can at
any rate do" an up-to-date member
of what every one recognizes as one of
the most rascally and "smoothest' of
prOfeSSionS-the gent with the green
goods.
1t all began with the receipt of let
ter marked personal" and a volumi-
nous circular in which it was explain
ed logically and convincingly that
the writer was in possession of certain
government dies from which the real
money is made-from which the writ
er was daily turning out large quanti
ties of the long green. There were
also alleged printed slips from news
papers setting forth the funk into
which the Treasury officials at Wash
ington had been thrown by the dis
covery of these clever commercials
which could be detected only when
two bills of the same number hap
Tened to fall together The letter ex-
planned, also, that if the party receiv-
ing it happened to be at all interested
in making a fortune and still harbored
any doubts as to the writer's truth and
responsibility, all he had to do was
to telegraph such and such a num-
Der this simple legend:
'Mr. Stanton still lives at No. 108."
Whereupon Mr.. Greengoods would
promptly send with his compliments
a sample of his work.
This telegram was sent and the
next day the office reported mo such
rarity at address given" John Allen,
however, merely winked the other eye:
He's got it., he said, stands in with
the operatOr-you'll see."
Three days later Mr.. Greengoods
sent another letter. The telegram
came during his absence be explained.
T'nclncad no con Two