The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-12-29
THE IDLER.
} a q o o a. a q o o Q a~v~~ o

@ THE IDLER. 9
/ 3 q a o o a. q q @ @ @ 8 y q @ o
| did not intend to write anything
more until the new year, but the
death of Mr.. Gonzales moves me to
ask brief space to say little some
thing about him, though it was not
my privilege to know him personally.
Many and beautiful are the tributes
that have been paid to his memory,
and l am glad that it is so, because
he deserved all that has been said and
much more, and | cannot understand
why such a person, SO young and SO
full of vigor and with such sweet
pen and who was really doing so
much good with that pen, and Who
had a promise of greater things in
the future should be cut down, but It
is right or it wouldn't be. about a
year ago, or to be more exact, in the
issue of The Herald and News Of Dec
ember 10, 1915, in my article, l said
something like this: 'It is only in
the last few weeks that l have read
rather regularly the paragraphs under
the head of The States Survey 1
want to tell you, that fellow who gets
gets them up is one of the best
ever read after. 1t is hard matter
to write column c paragraphs every
day, and say something worth while,
or something that would entertain for
the moment even. but that fellow, who
ever he is, is on the job every day.
l picked up paper just the other day
which I especially enjoyed"
And then l quote several of the
paragraphs in that issue. l am go
ing to quote just one or two of them
that | quoted in that article. Listen:
1--WE can stand almost any kind of
man. But the fellow who gives you a
hand like limp fish to shake is not
one of em.'
"A dog can't talk to tell you when
he wants anything. But he can GER
tainly cram lot of eloquence in Old
Colonel Tail"
! On the 14th of December, just two
days later, l received a letter from
him which l appreciated at the time
and preserved, and certainly appre
ciate now. 1t is marked personal"
and of course, did not print it, but
I am going to print it now, because
l am so glad that I cast few bou-
quets while he might know about
: them, and that I did not cast the show
er of sbrickbats. And l threw those
bouquets all in good faith, because
| felt the truth of them. 1t was but
stating the fact. That's what I always
try to do. This letter is written with
his own hand and sigDS. with his
own hand 1t runs like this:
Editorial Rooms. The State. Co.
lumbia, S. c., December IA, 1875 The
| envelope addressed: 1.-The Idler,'
The Herald and News, Newberry, S.
c., Dear Sir:-Thank you sincerely
for the kind words va" e"id about
my work in The Herald and News.
Such bouquets are few and far be-
tween, and there is a regular shower
of brickbats for each one of them.
Believe me, the fellow, whoever he
is, that gets them up, appreciates the
good opinion of the fellow. whoever
he is of The Herald and News, and
hopes that he will continue to merit
it. Yours sincerely, Robert E. Con
zales.'
He certainly merited my good opin-
ion, and l was looking with pleasant
anucipations when he would come back
from the border to resume the good
humor and the good philosophy which
l could get from these paragraphs.
They we're so natural and so full OF
good common sense and good humor
always that was longing for the time
to come when he would return to hI
desk at The State and give us some
more Of his good philosophy, and l
was just thinking only short time
ago that this experience on the border
| would help him in his work when he
returned.
"Our lives are measured by the deeds
we do,
The thoughts We think, the objects we
pursue"
cnoo1,ino of tbot noroona1 letter tn