Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-02-16
Best Editorial OF G.. w. Curtis

all-although, of course, such meth
cd would not serve poetry
You may recall that for a tine l
did editorial work upon the New York
Tribune. 1t was at a time when Hor-
ace Greeley had an ambition to gather
around him in the Tribune Office al
most everyone who had gained with
the public some reputation above the
ordinary as a writer. My arrange
ments with him permitted me to make
occasional lecture trips Some of
these trips, especially those undertak-
en- in winter, made great drafts upon
my strength, SO that it often happened
returned home completely worn out
although really a rest of a day or two
put me in fighting shape again.
We'll, from the particular trip
have in mind l returned to New York
depressed in mind and body and
bringing a severe cold with me, con-
tracted in the inclement weather that
had been my portion the entire two
weeks out. l was very glad to be so
near my own fireside once more, but
as the Tribune Office lay on my path
way thither | stopped in there for a
minute, not expecting to do any work
but to get my mail and notify Mr.
Greeley of my return.
LAS soon as Mr. Greeley say me he
cried out % me in his piping voice:
George, | am glad you have got here.
l want you to write a leader for to-
morrow mornings paper'-and he pro-
ceeded to outline the subject, which
dealt with delicate foreign situation
But, Mr.. Greeley 1 demonstrated.
I am in no condition to write any
thing. l am used up; l am half sick
with a bad cold. And, Furthermore,
know very little, or almost nothing,
about the subject
Greeley waved my protests aside.
Never mind, George, never mind he
piped, you can do it. Turn it over in
your mind for few minutes, then get
started, and the editorial will come
all right. When you have finished it
send it up, and then you can go home
Well, tired as l was, half sick as
| was, little as [ knew about the sub
ject, | decided l would do the best |
could, for l saw that Greeley really
wanted me to write the editorial. So
l spent perhaps half an hour in the
library looking up data, and then I
started in as Greeley called it. 1t
was little hard at first, but at last
l forgot all about my cold, all about
my poor aching body, all about every
thing except the editorial, and my pen
travelled rapidly back and forth across
the paper. l had not worked so fast
so spontaneously-in months. In a
little over an hour I finished the edi-
torial, read it over once, marked it,
sent it up to the composing room, and
then went home.
The next morning I hardly dared
to look at the Tribune for fear that
should be ashamed of my editorial
But instead of that, on reading it in
cold type, when I had got my courage
screwed up to that point, found that
it was the best editorial l had ever
written. 1t was clear, concise, sponta-
neous, effective. And day or two
later, when Greeley saw me again, he
cried enthusiastically:
George, told you you could do
it if you got started. You never wrote
better editorial, and never will
Il WISH" concluded Mr. Curtis,
that some one would explain to me
how it was that I, in that condition,
without taking much thought, and no
especial pains, nevertheless was able
to write' as l like to write, and as
Greeley, who was a very competent
judge, liked to have his editors write"
Copyright, 1910, by E. J. Edwards All
Rights ReserYed.)