The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-26

days Commercial Appeal of the death
Of Hugh II. HUM.
Many, many years ago, when / was
managing editor OF the Appeal Ava
Ianche, located on the sixth floor
OF what was then the Collier building,
corner jefferson and Main. now oc-
cupied by Bry's great store, there
came into my office one evening my
dear friend, Miss Jennie NJ Hlgbee,
HOlulnB by the hand a fine -looking.
brlght-faced hoy, to whom she intro
duCed me as Hugh HUM, her nephew.
The object of her visit was to get
him a place on the editorial staff Of
the Appeal Avalanche; he wanted to
learn the newspaper business, and she
was anxious that he should make a
start as she thought he would develop
soon. She cared nothing about remun-
Grafton. she said, only to get him
started.
! looked at this nne-lookIng youth and
occurred to me;
One more unfortunate,
Weary Of fate.
haShIy importunate,' etc.
The outcome wal thai l promised to
give him a chance and do what | could
for him.
| made an appointment with him for
the next afternoon, and when we were
together, and | had finished up a mass
OF Junk which the mail man had depos-
TIED on my desk, ! asked him what kind
or work he would prefer to do, II given
ms choice, Without a moments hest
tatlon he said he wanted to be a dra-
mate critic,
| thought that this was somewhat
ambitious for a young beginner, but
l NGl1th- 10 nFiartlAHAI 10 hINaI- tI- 4.---
10 a star, We had no dramatic critics
IN Memphis In those days, with the eX-
ceptiOn Of Harry =. Ricketts,, who could
qualify In any city. We sent a reporter
TO write up tho show just as we did
the arrival Of q new steamboat or a
meeting Of the board Of directors OF
calvary cemetery, which held its SEES
slons In Public Administrator John
Leagues office in the old courthouse.
At that time | had win +. Gwynne do
ing the theaters, but he soon left us
and for a time | wrote up the shows
myself-a task for which | was never
tomperamentally suited. / always took
my protege with me and had him pre-
pare a criticism on his return TO the Of
flee. | soon found that he was well up
In dramatic news. For years he had been
reading the New York Dramatic Mirror
and had a complete file OF that publ
cation, he had been a close reader of
'Nym Crinkle,' c. A, Wheeler, Will
liam Winter and other we'll known COM
petent critics, My only instructions to
him were;
Hugh, get into the theater before
tho, curtain goes up and get a seat
well up toward the stage, where you
can see and hear. then watch the per
romance and make notes on a pro-
gram or In your notebook of anything
that you think Is exceptionally good.
DO not permit yourself to be influ-
enced by the applause, although at
times II may be worth mentioning in
cidentally. Pay no attention to what
you hear people say. To have any
value, your criticism must be your own
what you think of the performance,
treating everyone fairly and with JUS
tice, Avoid superlatives because they
only weaken what you say and carry
no conviction whatever. Give the public
just what YOU think and as though
you were talking to yourself.
You will make mistakes: everyone
does on every department of n news
paper. but let every mistake teach you
to avoid repeating II. THE public reads
the play. You are supposed to be a
judge and soon you will be. You are
at the right age to learn. II you are
honest, candid and fearless you will
soon win your way and people win
respect your opinions, whether they al
ways agree with you or not"
Probably the happlest moment Of his
lie was when we attended a perform
ance and. after writing II up, | Sc
iected his article and threw my own
IN the waste basket, He had been
doing some reportorial work. but his
was his initial appearance as a critic.
soon his criticisms began to appear
regularly, The much loved Gus Ma
thews, who was on the paper at the
time, Gomplimented his work, which
ne said was exceptionally good, and
this cheered and encouraged him, |
took great interest in the boy and
saw him develop with amazing rapid
lty, and when he reached manhood's
estate he was equipped to hold his own
win the best OF them. Sim l., Barinds
was our city editor at the time and I
turned young HUM over to him, lie
coaching was due much Of the grace
and technique which adorned the
Younger. mans work in later years.
Ihe, first time | had occasion to see
Huhn's marvellous descriptive powers
was one night | assigned him to write
up a great ball that was given at the
AUDITORIUM, where the Chisca hotel
now stands, The ball was to raise
FUNDS, for the family OF a fireman or
a policeman who had been killed in an
accident The buffet sales went into
the rune aud 1t was well patroni2ed.
was not a select affair, and what
happened HUM told In II most spectaC-
nlar manner. Some of leading cit
liens We're miffed because their names
were mentioned In connection with the
unconventional stunts pulled off In the
nutiet, where Dionysus and not
uerpsichore was the ruling deity; but
huhn's report was as clever a piece of
WORD painting AS could he found,
From that on HUM was put on all
KINDS of assignments. and he met every
occasion fully. His loyalty to his ideals
and his faithfulness to duty soon at
tracted widespread attention, and he
took his place in the front rank az the
leading newspaper men Of the South.
As a dramatic critic he was recognized
all over the country. and managers OF
companies considered themselves for
I9nate to receive a favorable criticism
would not flatter Neptune for his
trident. nor Jove for his power to
thunder.
All through his life he gave me more
credit than was due me for his success,
/; and no matter when anyone praised
any OF his articles he always said,
; THANK the Colonel, he taught me"
; ON one occasion We had a season of
| summer opera at the Lyoeum, and on
tho last night we we're sitting on the
=, off, and said TO him; Hugh, can't
you give Fanny a nice line? She Is go
ing away, and II may hNNp her to got
another engagement He looked al
me and replied You know what you
told me"
That ended 1t. Fanny Myers was the
one referred to, and she was a versatile
- little. woman who came here first as
member Of the Greenwood Opera com
pany at the LyCeum when II was al
, the corner Of Third and Union. Huht
did not think she deserved anythinl
more than she had received, and no one
could induce him TO give her another
l line.
He always claimed to he my hoy
and | was proud Of him. He hat
reached LIES meridian and the ful
y development OF his splendid powers
and while he wrote on all subjects ant
adorned everything he touched, I foe
- safe in saying that he never wrote
line that he would wish hlotted out.
c When he had reached the lofties
pinnacle Of his power and usefulness
4 while / who knew him SO well an
u loved him, remain on the stage to sa.
q feeble but fcrvent: Grant him. {