The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-05-30


N lished in Popular Mechanics, Of
Chicago, directed at this city.
and also the comments of this paper
in refutation of the same About the
same time Mayor Brown wrote the
publishers calling attention to the
gross Misrepresentation. as did also
the central labor council of this city.
About that time William f. Lewis,
travelling salesman of st. Paul. drop
ped in on one of his periodical visits
and CHANGED to see the Popular
Mechanics slanderous production. He
was filled with indignation which
found expression in a letter to the
editor Of the publication, which the
Miner published a few weeks ago.
Mr.. Lewis being a nonresident and
having no financial interest in the'
city, and speaking strictly in the in
terest of a square deal to a city he
bad known through frequent visits
covering period of more than ten
years, his letter evidently impressed
the editor with the great wrong to
which he had subjected the people of
this city. He replied to Mr.. Lewis
in a manner that is altogether to his
credit, and will result in clearing his
magazine of any intention to misre-
present this city, and incidentally
stating that the author of the article
had been separated from the payroll
on May l. The letter from the edi-
tor of Popular Mechanics follows;
A Frank Admission of Error.
Chicago, April 22, 1918.
"Mr. VIM. f. Lewis, Hotel Ryan, st.
Paul, MINI.
Dear Mr.. Lewis: Your letter of
April 13 from Billings is received. and
l wish to thank you for your criticism.
| do not recall in all the seventeen
years Popular Mechanics magazine
has been published that occasion has
ever been given for a samilar COM
plant We mean to be emphatically
constructive and not destructive, and
] don't wonder yourself and the good
people of Wallace feel offended at
what was an uncalled for reference to
conditions which exist to far greater
extent doubtless in Chicago, Washing
ton, d. c.. and all large cities, and
from which few towns should be
judged.
II am not the kind that endeavors
to dodge a mistake or sidestep a fault,
and therefore shall not offer any ex-
cuse for what should not have been
written, and when written, should not
have been printed. You may, how
ever be interested to learn just how
it happened.
"The article was written by young
man of twenty -five--and who, there
fore, may be expected to have better
Judgment when he becomes older-who
had furnished some very excellent ar
ticles from his home in California.
Having lost several of our best men
to the Army, we brought him on here
as one of our editorial assistants. He
spent a month on the way taking pic
lures and writing about the places he
visited en- route. Wallace was one
"He is not. however. as you assum'-
ed, Incorporate in his habits however
much so he may have been in his
language.
IT did not see the story until the
magazine was off the. press, as my
doctor had sent me to Florida to re-
cover from grippe. When away l
always try to have proof pages sent
me. but these failed to reach destin-
alton, as was in camp forty miles
from the nearest town. In the office
we were-and still are-short handed
for help, on account of the war, as
stated, and so the story slipped
through / do not offer this as an
excuse-for there should be none-but
merely as an explanation that our ed
itorial policy and intentions were all
against doing what was done. ]
might add that the writer of the ar
ticle in question will not be on our
staff after May l.
"The 'unloaded gun which goes on
and hits somebody Is, Of course quite
as bad in its effect as when fired with
deliberate intent. Yet ! am sure you
will be able to think little less sew
erely Of us after having read the fore
going, in confirmation of which
point to our files for seventeen years
past.
II regret more than I can say that
this occurred, and shall take occasion
to do the honorable thing in our July