St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-07-22
INCREASING THE
l. :. CIRCULATION.
[Or!ginaL.l

Clll. uul uON Out Gnu VI lllCs I
was then at the other. In those days
editors were wont to stir up an inter
est in their papers by attacking soma
one. ! was young enough and reckless
enough to adopt the plan In vogue.
was obliged to adopt some method Of
selling my paper or it would have
Bhrunk to nothingness, but | was very
resourceful In averting the conse-
quences. When | attacked a man and
he came into the Office of the Press for
blood told him that wei invariably
used the editorial plural-had based
our allegations on the best informa-
ton. Then when he demanded the
name of 'our" informant 1--WE" prom
ised to give it after consultation with
said informant in case he determined
to face the consequences. If he re-
fused, then we would publish denial,
with an explanation. This usually
STAYED the matter off for a day or two,
when I'VE" published a statement that
1--WE" had been grossly imposed upon.
/ don't know which helped the paper
most, the excitement attending the ac-
cusation or the frank and manly man
ner in which we made the amende
honorable.
Operating as was in civil war time,
when everybody was intensely pep
perry, it is a wonder that escaped
some of my advertising episodes with
my life Indeed, | finally made such a
stir in a certain instance that was
obliged to move my paper to a new To-
cation. though in the case | mention |
had no intention of attacking any one.
| merely perpetrated what | consid-
cred a witticism A certain Colonel n.
had at the request OF his fellow citi-
zens resigned his command to come
home and make a political campaign.
Referring to him in an item quoted:
Grim visaged war has smoothed his
wrinkled front and now instead Of mount
ing barbed steeds to fright the souls OF
fearful adversaries he capers nimbly in a
ladys chamber.
The idea | intended to convey was
that the colonel would have a very diff
ferent time between bullets and bal
lots Unfortunately he was not fa-
miliar with the poets and knew moth
ing of Shakespeare He doubtless had
n guilty conscience with reference to
some fair dame and inferred that it
was to this that the Press referred.
There was also n certain dancing
master in the town. Demaise Robitaile,
upon whom | happened to perpetrate
at the same time another so called bon
mot referred to him as NJ. Bobtail
The morning that these two items
came out in my paper was sitting In
my sanctum getting together material
for my next days issue ! had had a
troubled week with the people | had
used TO advertise the paper and had de-
termined to advertise no more in that
way. 1t was proving hazardous. |
therefore felt very much at ease with
myself and all the world. AS to Colo
mel ~ or Demaise Robitaile. was not
conscious of having insuted either of
them. Hearing step behind me, |
turned and saw the warrior advancing
upon me- In his eye was a blood
thirsty look | had never seen in any
mans eye before
GIVE me the name of the man who
has accused me of being mixed up in a
woman scrape." he said. doubtless re-
ferring to his "capering nimbly in a
lady's chamber"
But like Linden in the poem. II saw
another sight" Demaise Robitalle was
really "capering' up the staircase and
dancing into the sanctum behind the
colonel 1t was a cowardy trick on
my part, | admit, but what is fellow
to do when a sledge hammer fist of a
200 pound warrior is about to come
down upon him? | pointed to Robi-
tale
$50 you're the cur who wrote that
rot about an ex-colonel of the army
and a candidate for the votes of his
fellow citizens. accusing him of founc-
ing around In a womans room"
81? write article about you? Non,
monsieur. come here to demand"-
you lie. you French monkey! You're
just the man to do a trick like that"
The colonel landed a blow on the
Frenchman's jaw. Robltaile got the
idea that his assailant was the man
he had come to the office to punish
and that the accusation was merely
pretext to get in first punishment.
Huh! BY Carr he shrieked. IL
teach you to call me names" He was
an expert boxer and dancing up to the
colonel, landed blow on his nose that
spilled claret over the warriors shirt
front. | got up on the inclined board
on which had been grinding out copy
for the purpose of watching the fight
without personal injury to myself. 1t
was pretty instance of science
against mere strength. The French
man would dance in, land lightning
blow, then dance out of reach Of his
powerful antagonist. The fact that
each believed that the other was the
man who had lampooned him made the
fight far more interesting | was
young enough to enjoy it and silly
enough not to realize the detriment
to myself in case one Of the COM
batants killed the other At last science
won. The dancing master foored the
warrior, who in falling struck his head
against a wood column that held, up