The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-14

those days of self-control and respect
FOR the law. The evil-doers We're given
short shift but under the law. The
next day after the appearance of q
long account of it, Father Patterson
jumped out of Mrs. Mordecai's cor
riage and throwing his arms around
me, said in his warm enthusiasm: INV
dear boy | feel SO for you | know
what you must have suffered in fol-
lowing those misguided souls to the
scaHold. When l told him / hadn't
been nearer Hillsboro than where we
stood, he beat me over the shoulders,
How did you do it. my son % I told
him that it was quite out of the mles
ton Tor me to go, and so I went Tn
the Governors office, read all the
records and papers in the PRAYER for
respite. interviewed people who knew
them personally-l knew the COM
munity-shut myself up and read
Fielding's Jonathan Wild, and wrote
the account of it up to the last few
lines, descriptive of the actual execu-
ton. / will here give the only crumh
of advice I have to give to young
newspaper man. Read everything of
highest merit, assimilate il and write
yourself empty.
If fail to write this paragraph. as
wish to do, shall always feel that
| have used two friends brains with
out honest thanks for their unselfish
aid. If | was depressed and there was :
dearth of news and dizziness brooded
over the pages of my notebook I
went to Col. Tom Fuller. IF | was in 3
a quandry and wanted guide | went
to Col. Fuller If l wanted to look
out of confusion 1 went to Col. Fuller
and when things were bright and were
right | went to Col. Fuller. He never
once turned me away empty handed.
The most eloquent advocate of his
day, the most accomplished raconteur
| ever heard, as fearless as a mother
battling for her child he never struck
but to disarm and literally reyelled
in giving of himself. 1 was deeply
his debtor. OF his friend and mine
DR.. George Blacknall. who can saw
anything but what is of good report
and kind? He had so much sense If
was in his way. He knew more about
what was going on in his day than a
| telephone exchange does today, and
he told less. He forgot more curious
stories about North Carolina people
| than anybody else ever knew, and
after commonplace occurrence had
gone into his mind it emerged coveredg
with fun and the humor that makes
one grow fat. If he ever failed to do
any man a kindness it was the other
mans fault.
Noted Correspondents.
| The dean OF the corps of corre-
spondence, and it was a large corps,
| was of course the venerable Edward
Jones Hale, Of New York. His long
and successful life in newspaper work
in the original Observer at Fayette-
| vile intuitively gave him the talent
of selecting topics that would be in
teresting, attractive and elevating to
his readers and few could tell more
directly and in more delicious phrase
exactly what he wanted to tell and it
always seemed exactly what one want
ed to know. His lines read like Gold
smiths. And Mr.. Hale's New York
letters were a prime feature in a Sun
day paper
For long time it was a most per-
picking question for the reading pub
lie as to who wrote the extraordinary
articles called Sunday Reading. One
day thew would make the MethodistS
Vince, another the Baptists glad. and
another the Presbyterian grieve and
fourth a Episcopalian murmur. But
there was so much in any one of them
that all could delight in that still
they guessed and still the wonder
grew that any Christian could write
words so true. Perhaps not a bakers
dozen people in the capital knew or
were quite sure that Governor Holden
was their author. I fancy that there
were hot-tempered people in those
days (of course there are none now)
who would have refused themselves
the indulgence of reading these lay
sermons if they had known who was
in the pulpit. but even these worthy
people. if they had known the genuine
good it did his lonely heart to write
them, would have read them In the
spirit of penance for their thoughts.
Concurrent with these letters was
10 ,f 1o+4 r Il
in Egypt, written by Professor Davies.
of New Bern and Baltimore. They
were models in construction, covering
the most interesting description of life
today and way back where the uni
verse was young in the land of the
Pharaohs. Read in the light of the
worlds then interest in the Suez Canal
and the restlessness of the provinces
of the Sultan which led to the Russo
Turkish war, they were of more than
ordinary historical value and were cob
lected by many in book form. Over
the signature of the traveller, Pulaski
Cowper used to wear away evenings
at way-side stations where his bust
ness as adjuster of fire loses stranded
him with occasional letters. full of the
best fun and kindliest comment. He
remembered every pleasant thing that
ever happened from the time that he
came to Raleigh as a private secretary
to the great Governor BraPo. and he
could recall them in the freshest and
most entertaining way. He never grew
old and his business energy and
acumen and his cherry heart made
him a delightful companion and
most welcome visitor.
Capt. S. A. Ashe.
When Captain Ashe undertook the
management of The Observer it was
his wish that Mr. Hale and | should
continue our work but Mr.. Hale did
not concur in the plans of conduct
proposed and declined the negotiation.
Both he and Colonel Saunders re-
quested me to stay, and | began at
once an association that / not only
look back upon with satisfaction, but
when l recall his never-fafling cour-
tesy. amounting almost to Difference
in the confusion and hurry of gather
ing a paper, the gentleness of our
daily social intercourse. and the sweet
amenities and provisions he contrived
for me on the greatest event of any
mans life, somehow the pencil lines
run along in a mist and L can only
hope that he can recall them in the
crDirit