The Washington herald., 1909-02-14

{ llC OF PROJECT tl3L alT. EoYl long C-ie4-
ished but never carried out. This was
the writins Of a life ofNArtemus Ward.
with whom Mr. Hoyt was long associated
on the STAFF Of the Plain Dealer. The
( two were very intimate friends. and l. is
likely that Mr. Hoyt knew more about
the great bumorist that any one else
1t is a wonder, wrote Hal P. Denton
! recently in The Pfttsburg Index. in these
days Of multiplicity OF books that some
one has not tried to collect all Of
/ Brownies works and have them pub
iished. They would make preteRtiozs
volume and would have a large sale.
There Is one man who could co this
I II he Usly would. and ne would be doing
an honor TO the memory OF an old friend
and al the same time place the reading
+ public under lasting obligations 10 him.
T This man Is George Hoyt. OF Cleveland
/ The last time that the writer conversed
with Col. Henry WartersOn. OF the Louis
vile Courier Journal the latter expressed
/ himself emphaticany that Mr.. Hoyt owed
4 It to the public % write life Of Charles
FarTar Browne Col watterson said tha,
he had intended fetching the matter to
/ Mr.. Hoyt's attention IN the hope Of get
I ting him started upon the work
Browne has been dead more than forty
years. soon following his death a vol
ume was published under the tile. a.
Ward: His Book" and Mr. Hoyt wrote
the introduction. This volume was got
out hurriediy. Likely copy may be
found in many Of the larger libraries,
and IL is equally probable that a copy
may be found here and there in private
libraries; but ii IS out or print. and has
been for many years
'Hoyt and Browne began their uewspe-
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 Il was in 1S5S or per-
haps as late as 1853. that Hoyt and
Browne were together on the Plain Deal
eT. That paper was then owned and edit
ed by Col J. y. Gray. long since dead
TIE city was then an overgrOwn village
and the stan OF the Plal. Dealer was
small Hoyt had a fund ot stories remi-
niscent Of his afterward fan Gus cOilaoO-
rator, and some OF these the writer has
had the pleasure Of listening 70. One is
given herewith.
Handling n Social Function.
Browne was sent out 10 write up a So
cial function. He left the Office early in
the evening. and on his way d-ifted into
some friends IN q neighboring caravan
ssry. They all engaged in billiards. pune
tuatins the victories and losses with Il
bations. When Browne noted that il was
after 70 o'clock and that he must hasten
70 the function his friends chided him for
breaking UP a 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 II would
be an easy thing for him 10 describe the
floral decorations. the costumes Of the
women IN a general way. and 50 on.
Browne fingered. but with firm de-
termination. as he afterWaTd explained
20 his acquaintance. Of paving a viSiJ 70
The house. There were more billiards
more liquid refreshments, and when
Browne next looked at the clock he vas
the assignment With a parting round
and UndauHted, he sailed back % the
Plain Dealer Office and wrote a charming
account Of the function. lie LEI his i'm
sginatiou have fun sway and he wrote
what ought 20 have taken place. II il
didn't And unfortunately II didn't
When he awOke in his lodgings the
next morning Browne eagerly sought the
morning papers. a copy Of each OF which
awaited him al the door He looked
over the Leader and was unable 70 find q
line about the function Then he scanned
the Herald, and there was nothing about
IL n the paper 50 far as he could see.
Then he turned TO the local page Of the
Pisin Dealer. and here. under a big cap
ton. was his own story. He read II over
and threw large consignments OF bOU-
quets az himself at the thought Of having
such a scoop over his contemporaries.
Yet, hardly satisfied, he turned back 10
the Herald and. on closer scrutiny. he
was rewarded by finding q three-line
paragraph announcing that the function
had been postponed
He Didn't Go Back.
Browne did not 90 back 10 the Plain
Dealer Office Instead ne departed from
the city de left no word as 70 where
he was going. and there was speculation
galore on the part Of his friends. and par
ticularly Col J. ". Gray and Hoyt. as 70
what had become Of him. 4 few months
aFterward some one from Cleveland.
while in Buffalo. met him. and stfl later
he was seen by a Clevelander in Detroit.
six months or 50 passed away. and final
" one day Browne Grifted back into
Cleveland As he was walking down Su-
perior street he ran face TO face with
Col. Gray, his old employer, and Gray
began 20 upbraid him.
Look a-here.' said Gray. for what in
the name q heaven did you want to leave
me In the lurch that way
Don't ask me, pray OF you Browne
ret0rted-
But insist that have a right 10
know Gray persisted
Don't press me 50 answer. Browne
replied and tears welied to his eyes.
Did you ever ask me for q favor
that I refused your asked Cray Did
not always give you the best OF treat
ment7
Yes. yes
We'll. then. tell ne what you wanted
TO leave me for IN that manner.
Well said Browne. IF you must
know. couldn't afford to be identified
with such an unreliable paper
Putting the Paper in wrong
Browne had way Of feigning inno-
cenee and injured feelings. and Re was
able 20 shed real tear when increasing
the humor Of a situation that might
otherwise be considered as serious Mr.
Hoyt told OF another tine when Browne
was given al assignment 10 report what
promised TO be the principal society event
OF the season. The elite of the city were
TO give a concert for the benefit Of char
ity- II was held IN the Academy OF
Music. managed by Uncle John EIlsier.
later well known IN Pittsburg- Brownies
copy went in without being passed Ypoa