El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-25

Avoid the cities and beaten tracks
and let your pictures be drawn
from life. This VIII be an order on
the business office for what money
you may need"
such were the orders found one
morning on my desk in the city edl-
tors room of a well known Boston
newspaper. Of the labor Inv n
such an assignment was ignore 49,
and I saw only a pleasant trip IN Lhat
mart of nv country In which j. Ae1
never travelled had been employed
on the paper for a comparatively
short time,-in fact ! had peen IA
Journalism for period OF less t--aH
Tvvo ,-ears-so that such an assign
ment as the one now given me Mas
highly nattering to me, ana knew
ii would be equally graJlIs ing 70
nv father, who had watched lll9 "a
ree- with that interest which aIIacneS
solely 10 an only son i had not Dee4
ont of Harvard very long when ] hsiu
taken the advice of an eminent inter-
ary man, friend OF my LaJheI' anu
entered journalism as a ursJ step
ping stone to literary distinction Inc
few short stories i mad written nov
ever had been returned 10 me Dg the
magazines to which ] had sent Iheln
with prOmpIness that was calculates
TO dampen my ardor ana otne5"lse "
discourage me ] had been leo 10 pc
Iieve that my style was eXceptlondlg
good and that 1 was not without
keen sense OF humOr, at the same tune
possessing a proper appreciation OF
the pathetic a. r45-b
school for an essay, ana later Wnen my
talents began to develop al the uhl' e =
sitv. / was elected TO iii place On
the editorial staff OF one OF the
uonthIv periodicals published there
was chagrined. therefore Wheu -
manuscripts. written legibly on Ilhe
linen paper. tied with the best IlD
hon to be had came back 10 me-
bean IN form a very poor opinion
Of oU1r MAGAZINES. Possessing an u
Se,e05enf fortune. determined TO
publish my writings IN book FORM q
nv own expense. ] took my manu-
scripts to a publisher, who, nohest
man that he was, was KIND enough ~
tell me that people did not Jhlnh Ilucn
Of books published at the author Onl
expense Determined al lensth 70 sSI
a proper estimate Of my Worh,
soTIgbt ont an old friend of the ram
ilv who had achieved fame by ms pen
He reviewed my stories ana IN run
less sort OF way, as IL seemed ~ ~
then. told me that some OF my lu5aS
were good. but expressed ciumslly- ne
advised me TO cease all attempts az
literary composition and 70 seen
place on a newspaper w rlIlns mus
become habit with you, So
before you can hope TO express gou5
thoughts gracefully W nat you nesu
most is ease, and If you can aFolo inc
DFtfaI1s of Journalism, you may IN time
succeed in your amDlIi0h- II 80 On m
inst another six months 10 make ~
nv mind to follow his aoFice' anu
when I did so II was win some -
gree of humiliation that discover
+baf there was not a reporter on lhe 4
nsDer who did not write better lhdn J
1 Constant application IN my s 7
Undertaking. however and the AeLu
work I had done al the univ - !
soon brought me my reward nas
befre- singled out constantly 4oL IN
DOrtsnt local assignments ana once 1
6sd been sent 10 Washington on q 4
delicate mission picked UP AGAIN
the order which lay on my Qesh az
-aad If over the second time tnousAl ]
7 eav- the ear marks Of poltics IN II I
and while the racial question was noL
mentioned ] believed thaJ II was ms
rrobIeun ] was TO discuss nao nl1QS !
> suggestion on this line some months
bsfCTe b71t the managing editor nad I
not taken kindly TO the lQea at LHS
time The order as I read II over
seemed indefinite, thought, ana L
s-+a-+e5 with il TO the managing eol-
80 -ooru As I presented myself
before that austere little cripple
physical but not mental 1or rnehlal-y
he was a giant was OutWarolg
cs1-, b1t nv heart was beating a
fsftoo inside. for there were few OF
Ne who did not fear to stand oeIore
him unless very sure OF the sIoullu
on vvbfch we stood. I said. however, IN
business like way, as II sucn as
signments were daily occurrences 70
Z have come to see you about tnls
assignment, sir
What assignment he asked
FOR me to go south tomorrow 1
con. you are Palmer, are your ne
said. calmly looking me over throusA
l7fs snectacIes 4 thought you were
gave you the present ASSIGNMENT ~. On
account of it. Have you come 10 say
you are not equal to IL
was somewhat surprised Wnen j
learned that he did not even reuasll
Der me, but the fact that ne haQ
Judged me by my Work was At -eaS'
gratifying. so I fastened to say
No sir I feel perfectly able 70 40
the work, but the order appears d ~
tie indefinite TO me as 10 IlIne-
without looking up again, Tor ne
had resumed his proof reading ne
said: sb.u
saw two months ought to suffice-
What I want are facts. not discolored,
distorted pictures
He did not even say good morning
indeed, he seemed to nave olsmlsssu
me from his mind. With an lndlI-
ferent bow / retired, wondering why
managing editors think 1t part OF
their official duties 10 be ll-man-
nered i was sorry that i uau NOT
asked him exactly what he wanted
but on this point felt reasonably GER
tain. however, for there was TO pc
presidential election the following
wear. and the more I thought Of II
the more certain became that my IeJ-
tiers were TO be used to arouse senI-
ment in New England against the>Op-
posing party, and thereby make Ger
IAN lhe electoral vote OF InaI sec
ton. NV work would not only make
certain the New England vote, Dut
possibly save the vote Of some OF the
middle western states Ny rather nau
bee. an abolitfonist and his father De
fore him. They had been called zoe
trinaries by their neighbOrs, but they
had lived to see those principles pc
come the nations shibboleth- Ny
father lived TO modify many Of MS
ideas. hut ] refused persistently 10
modify nv views as they had been
inculcated into me by my rugged OLD
grandfather.
As read the order Of my assign
ment over again it seemed to me TO De
a command 10 charge the enemy The
old abolition blood was In my veins
and was running at high tide WITH
fsverfsh haste I made ready Tor my
departure Packing up few Things
and putting my writing materials In
my grin where I could the more
easily get at them, / started for what