Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-20
GRIDIRON PRESIDENT CELE-
BRATES BIRTHDAY
Tells How He Entered Newspaper
Work and Rejoices Because
He Was Fired from
Good Job

Blythe ask any one DuI biylho' ANO OAAN-
has ever been able to discover Wnether
he really knows who he is, and there are
some who are of the opinion that he
has been SO busy all his life finding out
the real who's he's never had time to
catalogue himself. But he's president
of the Gridiron club of Washington-and
that's glory enough for one man.
For a whole week he has been in Los
Angeles nasquerading his brains and
his reputation behind an expansive
smile, and taking life as easy as easy
can be.
Several times during the week he has
been discovered by q bunch Of news
paper men, apprehended in the act of
resting, and carried off to some sociable
table, where he was made to recount
many and varied stories.
His associates upon these occasions
have learned countless things about
celebrities, but they have learned little
about Mr.. Blythe.
Every one knows he is Samuel Blythe,
Washington correspondent of the New
York Wold president Of the famous
Gridiron club, chairman of the standing
committee of correspondents, contribu-
tor to the Saturday Evening Post and
several other things of that kind, that
all small fish and a great many large
ones would like to be, but they don't
know how he arrived.
Was Born Lucky
Sam Blythe was lucky. He came into
the world with the best possible birth
right to make for genius. He was born
in the country of poor but honest
parents. He says there Is nothing to
Indicate that the world paused to take
notice of his advent, and Wall street
did not even appear to have Fremont
ton that g. man had come into the
world who would some day tell the
world some of their children'S secrets of
Wall street.
That was thirty-eight years ago yes
terday away back in little town in
western New York. The next greatest
episode in his life came, as he says him
self, when he was fired from the posi-
ton of editor-in-chief of the Buffalo
Courier and Buffalo Enquirer. If he
had not been born he would not have
been here today, and if he had not been
fired he probably would be In Buffalo
still.
Because yesterday was his birthday
some one induced him to recall little
about himself.
IT can tell you a story about almost
any one you want to mention, but I
can't talk about myself. That's all there
is to that" said he.
Fortunately it was not quite all, and
the big boy, big in reputation and big
in avoirdupois, for he weighs 200 the
big boy pulled back few pages and re-
vealed little of his past.
Born to Profession
my father was country editor. and
1 guess that's enough proof that he was
poor. He was editor of the same little
paper in the same little town for thirty
five years, and it was there that 1 got
my first smell of the printers ink ana
became inoculated with the newspaper
germ.
II had a common school education
and went through normal school, fssu-
ing forth with certificate permitting
me to teach in the schools of New
York. I promptly forgot the privilege,
and that is all the good my certificate
ever did me. I was a kid Of about II
when I first tried to break into the
newspaper game. AS cub I evidently
had a few notions of my own like most
cubs, and these an editor tried to knock
out of me, L objected to the knocking
process, and a young fellow named
Foote, now a New York physician, who
was working on the paper at that time,
seconded my objections. We decided
that the only way to be great and get
along in this world is to have a paper of
your own, and we made up our minds
to be editors.
I'VE had a few hundred dollars be-
tween us, and we bought paper in
Adrian, Mich. It was a very preten-
tious affair, with plenty of ads and
everything else that usually goes to
make a good paper. We thought we
were getting 1t for song and jumped
at the chance.
Such an Awful Bump
"That was when we were handed
gold brick, a great big gold brick. The
ads were phoney and the contracts had
all run out. There was no circulation
and the paper was useless. We tried to
make it go for a week, and then we
closed up the shop. We had no money |
but there were two railway tickets in
the office. The destination on one was
Sioux City and the other was Detroit |
We jeffed to see who should go where |
and that was the last use we made of
our type. We shut up the office and |
never went back. l do not know to this |
day what became of that paper.
81 drew the ticket to Detroit, and |
there I went. From there I made my
way to Buffalo-it was long, long way,
tell you. 1 did not have any money.
1t was the longest trip ever took, and
got In there at night.
Il walked up one of the main streets,
feeling very much in need of square
meal and wondering what would do to
get it. Just then 1 came upon the old
Richmond hotel, which luckily for me
was in the act of burning.
Does a Deed
Il argued that there might be q
chance for story and went to work.
caught man who was way up in the
top of the building when it began to
ourn. He came down with his face all |
burned and swollen and was in q bad
way. l got his story, picked up few
other bits and made rush for the
'ffice of the Buffalo Express. They were
short handed and took my stuff. 1 told
hem I was just about the best news
PAPER man In the United States, and IL
hey did not believe me they at least
credited my story far enough to give me
/ job.
Il went right up the line then and
lid everything that was to be done be-
ore left the Express. I stayed in Buff
alo until had become editor-in-chief
If the Buffalo Courier and the Buffalo
enquirer.
"tChat was when / eot l<iclxed a,,t nf