Evening star., 1934-09-09

ton for the Alta Californian. In a
dingy little room on Indiana avenue
he wrote his Innocence Abroad. e"
which gave him his first great start.
Thirty tons of paper were used in
printing the book, which sold from So
to SIS a volume. Mark Twain got
half. Whitelaw Reid, now editor of
the New York Tribune, was once en-
ployed in Washington. I think he
came from Ohio, where he started out
as reporter in the Ohio Legislature
at salary of IS week.
Horace Greely's Assailant.
Horace Greely used to come often
to Washington to write letters. and
during his three months in Congress
he kept up a continuous correspond
ence for the Tribune. 1t was during
the latter part of Franklin Pierce's
administration that he was assaulted
by Rust. a member of Congress from
Arkansas. He was coming home from
the Capitol when a man feet tall
and weighing perhaps 200 pounds ap-
preached him and asked, rs your
name Greely?" Mr.. Greely replied
that it was, whereupan the man hit
him in the face with his fist and was
proceeding to strike him when several
other men who were passing ran in
and separated the two. Greely then
wanted to know who his assailant was,
but the man, saying You'll know soon
enough" walked away. AS Greely left
his friends near the National Hotel
the man came up and struck him
again, this time with his cane, which
Greely warded off with his arm. Gree1y
did not strike the man and he made
no complaint against him, save to de-
nounce him in the Tribune. The af-
fair created great indignation at the
time and the sense of the country was
expressed in the saying: The man
who would strike Horace Greely would
strike his own mother"
The anecdotes about Greeley which
have been going the rounds of the
press, and which tell of his wonderful
powers Of digestion, recall one of
Parton's stories. Greeley was much
interested in the Log Cabin, his cam
paign paper, which supported Will
liam Henry Harrison for President.
During the period before the election
he could think and talk of nothing
else. One night he was invited to a
friends house to supper. The hour
came. All were present. but Greeley
did not appear. After waiting rea-
sonable time the rest of the party sat
down to their meal A half hour after
they had finished in came Mr.. Greeley.
He said nothing about being late and
had apparently forgotten all about
food.
At once the great journalist began
to talk about the campaign. His
hostess attempted to ask him If he
had had his tea, but he brushed the
question aside and went on talking.
She then brought in a large cake bas-
ket, holding perhaps a half peck of
doughnuts, rich and greasy, but de-
cidedly good. These she handed to
Mr.. Greeley, thinking he would take
one or two and then pass them on.
He placed the dish mechanically upon
his knees. He took doughnut and
munched away unconsciously as he
talked This one eaten, he picked up
another, and so went on eating and
talking to the surprise of all, until
the half peck was entirely consumed
AS he finished the last one his hostess
took away the empty cake basket. On
the principle. I suppose, that cheese
is good for the digestion, she next put
plate of cheese in its place.
Mr.. Greeley's flow of words never
stopped. A moment later his hand
instinctively sought the cheese. He
picked up block after block and before
he had finished talking the second
plate was empty. 1t was taken away
quietly, and the person who witnessed
the scene says he does not believe
that Greeley was either then or after
ward aware that no had eaten any.
thing.