New-York tribune., 1911-02-03

breath OF its autumn was at hand, and
that my future course must be along the
down hill Of life"
Tales without number are extant u
Greeley's acts and words and personal
mannerisms as editor OF The
Personal Tribune; OF which the usual
Traits. proportion must be regarded
as apocryphaL In his corre-
spondence and conversation, as In his
editorials, he was direct. epigrammatic
often unconventional and frequently
humorous or satirical In a quaint and
whimsical fashion.
A gushing youth once wrote TO him
assuming that among his literary treas
ures" he had preserved several auto
graphs OF our cOuntrys late lamented
poet. Edgar a. Poe" and asking him to
send him one Of them. Greeley promptly
responded. Among my literary treas
ures there happens to be exactly one
autograph OF our couutry's late lamented
poet. Edgar A Poe. IL is a note Of hand
for fifty dollars with my Endorsement
across the back. II cost ne exactly
$50 - Oncluding protest.. and you may
have II for half that amount" Mr.
Greeley remarked many years afterward
that that autograph still remained on his
hands. and was still for sale al first cost,
despite the lapse o. time and the deprs-
ciation OF our currency
on another occasion he received a let
ter from an entire stranger living hun
dreds Of miles away, who asked him TO
lend him large sum OF money for pay
ing mortgage on his farm and who
ADDED in . postscript. Ny religious
views are radically antagonist to yours;
but ! know no member Of my own
church Of whom I would 30 readily, and
with such confidence ask such a favor.
as of YOU" This postscript impelleo
Greeley. instead Of dropping the letter
into the waste basket. 20 write brier
reply declining to lend the money and
adding: Your p. s. prompts the sugges-
tion that. whenever l shall be moved 10
seek favors OF the members OF some
other church. ratEer than Of that O.
which I have hitherto adhered, I shal.
make haste 10 join that other church
Bayard Taylor has left on record a
characteristic incident one afternoon
IN the little editoria. offic~ under the
roof ~ the Old Tribune building Greeley
WIS bending over the yellow paper on
which Geographic dispatches were writ
ten The light from the window fell
upon the top OF his bald head. which pre-
sent-d It's ruH circumference - me as he
leaned down 1 was looking q it, vacant
Is. when 1 saw q fiery scarlet fush rise
from his neck and temples Ike wave.
and food the white crown. The next
moment he rose, threw back his head
and uttered d fearful snriek For "a min
ute. nearly I thought him mad H
nung his hands up and down. cried It
mas come Il has come" and laughed in
half delirious ecstasy !, was the news
OF the passage Of the Wilmot Provis0.'
Another old associate Las related that
on the evening Of the election day which
overwhelmed with defeat The notorious
Tweed Ring Greeley went into his citv
editors room 30 ascertain the result Of
the polling and when told threw up his
hands with an ecstat.c shrek and cried
ny God, This is great people when
it gets mad"
His criticisms 90 and advice to his
subordinate often seemed brusque. but
We're always kindly. wise
With His ana profitable. Bayard Tay-
Associates. lor. then boy Of nineteen.
applied % him for an ell
gacemeut 70 write letters 20 The Tribune