The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-21
ANECDOTES IF
 ARTEMUS WARD Great HumoriSt'S Experiences
 As Reporter ON THE PLAIN DEALER His Work and Life Were Full of Novel Situatons-Mr Hoyt's Death at Cleveland Recalls
 Interesting Career.
ON THE PLAIN DEALER

lie of a project that MT. Hoyt long cher ished but never carried out. This was the writing of a life of Artemus Ward, with whom Mir Hoyt was long associated on the staff of the Plain Dealer. The two were very intimate friends, and it is likely that MT. Hoyt knew more about the great humorist than anyone else.
 Tt is a wonder" wrote Hal P. Denton recently in the Pittsburg Index. "in these days of multiplicity of books that some one has not tried to collect all of Brownes works and have them published. They would make a pretentious volume and would have a large sale.
 .There is one man who could do this if he only would, and he would be doing an honor to the memory of an old friend and at the same time place the reading public under lasting obligations to him. This man is George Hoyt of Cleveland. The last time that the writer conversed with Col. Henry Watterson of the Louis- vile Courier Journal, the latter expressed himself emphatically that MT. Hoyt owed it to the public to write a life of Charles Farrar Browne. Colonel Watterson said that he had intended fetching the matter to Mr. Hoyts attention in the hope of getting him started upon the work.
 Browne has been dead more han 40 years Soon following his death a vol ume was published under the title, "A. Ward: His Book and MT. Hoyt wrote the introduction. This volume was got out hurriedly. Likely a copy may be found in many of the larger libraries, and 1t is equally probable that copy may be found here and there in private li- braries; but 1t is out of print. and has been for many years.
 'Hoyt and Browne began their newspa- per life together on the Cleveland Plain Dealer. and later they were associated on the old Cincinnati Times. when Col Wat terson and A. Miner Griswold, The Fat Contributor in later life one of the edi- tors of Texas Siftings, were also mem bers of the staff. It was in 1S58 or per haps as late as 1859, that Hoyt and Browne were together on the Plain Deal er That paper was then owned and edit ed by Col J. w. Gray, long since dead The city was then an overgrown village and the staff of the Plain Dealer was small Hoyt had fund of stories remi- niscent of his afterward famous collabo- rator, and some of these the writer has had the pleasure of listening to. One Is given herewith
 ! Handling Social Function.
 Browne was sent out to write up a so- cial function. He left the office early in the evening" and on his way drifted into some friends in a neighboring caravan sary. They all engaged in billiards, pune tuating the victories and losses with H. bations. When Browne noted that 1t was after 10 o'clock and that he must hasten to the function his friends chided him for breaking up pleasant evening. They pointed out to him in a convincing way that he knew the names of the persons who were giving the affair; that it would be easy thing for him to describe the floral decorations the costumes of the women In a general way, and so on. Browne fingered, but with a firm de- termination, as he afterward explained to his acquaintances of paying a visit to the house There were more billiards, more liquid refreshments, and when Browne next looked at the clock he was dazed to find that 1t was too late to cover the assignment. With a parting round, and undaunted, he sallied back to the Plain Dealer office and wrote a charming account of the function. He let his inn agination have full sway and he wrote what ought to have taken place, If it didn't. And unfortunately it didn't.
 When he awoke in his lodgings the next morning Browne eagerly sought the morning papers, copy of each of which awaited him at the door He looked over the Leader and was unable to find line about the function. Then he scanned the Herald and there was nothing about it in the paper far as he could see. Then he turned to the local page of the Plain Dealer, and here, under a big cap tion, was his own story. He read 1t over and threw large consgnments of bou- quets at himself at the thought of having
  Yet, hardly satisfied, he turned back to the Herald, and, on closer scrutiny, he was rewarded by finding three-lne par agraph announcing that the function had been postponed.
 He Didn't Go Back.
 Browne did not go back to the Plain Dealer office. Instead he departed from the city. He left no word as to where he was going, and there was speculation galore on the part of his friends, and par ticularly Col. J. W. Gray and Hoyt, as to what had become of him. few months afterward some one from Cleveland while in Buffalo, met him. and still later he was seen by a Cleveander in Detroit Six months or so passed away, and final ly one day Browne drifted back into Cleveland. As he was wa 'Sipg down Su- perior street he ran face to face with Colonel Gray, his old employer, and Gray began to upbraid him.
 Look a-here.' said Gray. for what in the name of heaven did you want to leave me in the lurch that way?'
 Don't ask me, l pray of you Browne retorted.
 '.'But I insist that I have right to know Gray persisted.
 Don't press me to answer Browne replied, and tears yelled to his eyes.
 "'Did you ever ask me for a favor that I refused your asked Gray. Did not always give you the best of treat ment?
 "sYes, yes
 "'Well, then, tell me what you wanted to leave me for in that man. ner.'
 "'Well,' said Browne, If you must know, I couldn't afford to be identified with such an unreliable paper
 Putting the Paper in Wrong"
 Browne had a way of feigning in nocence and injured feelings, and he was able to shed real tears when in creasing the humor of a situation that might otherwise be considered as seri- ous. MT. Hoyt told of another time when Browne was given an assignment to report what promised to be the prin- cipal society event of the season. The elite of the city were to give a con cert for the benefit of charity. It was held in the Academy of Music, managed by Uncle John Ellsler, later we'll known in Pittsburg. Browne's copy went in without being passed upon by the city