The Coolidge examiner., 1935-08-23

quite Of the opinion that this was the amlabl,
moral which the writer had In view. other
readers. however. construe the whole as an
elaborate satire upon the moustrous fabricatlous
o. the political press 81 the country and the vari
ous genera aud species Of It's party editors. In
the blue goat with the single horn. mentioned
as u is IN connection with the royal arms of
England, many persons fancy they perceive the
characteristics of a notorious foreigner who is
the supervising editor of one of our largest morn.
ng papers" This notorious foreigner" was
James Gordon Bennett. born In Scotland. who
had shocked not only the conservatives Of New
York bar some ~ his journalistic contemporaries
by the scnsatlonaiism % his Herald
The Moon Hoax had the curious effect Of
spelling a promising tale By n man destined 10
become one of Americas greatest writer's Edgar
Allen Poe had started fAuclfu tale of a slmil ir
nature under the title of "Ians Pfaall." Bet
when he found that be could add very little 60
the minute and authentic account Of Sir John
ucrschel" be tore up the second Instalment Of
bis story. In later years be took pleasure IA
picking TO pieces the Suns moon story He
wrote:
THAT the public were mlsled even for an In
slant. merely proves the gross Ignorance which.
10 or l. years ago. was 50 prevalent on astro-
nomical topics. And yet It was. on the whole
the greatest hit IN the way OF sensation-of
merely popular sensatiOn-eFer made by any
similar fiction either in America Europe.
From the epoch of the hoax. the Sun shone with
unmitgated splendor. It's success firmly estab-
llshed the penny system throughout the country,
and Through the SUM consequently we are In
debied to the genius OF Mr. Locke for one OF
the most important steps ever yet taken In the
pathway OF human progress"
II Poe's estimate is correct. then Richard
Adams Locke is deserving of better than the
obscurty into which his name has sunk. except
when occasionally his famous hoax is recalled
lie was born September % 1900. at East Brent.
Somersetshlre. England. and he was descendant
OF John Locke the famous English philosopher.
Locke was educated By his mother and by
private tutors until he was nineteen when he
entered Cambridge As n student there he be-
gan his writing as a contributor 10 the Bee, the
Imperial Magazine and other publications Be
coming interested in the experiment in democ
racy which was being tried by England's erst-
while colonies across the Atlantic. he founded
the London Republican to spread the doctrines
Of the new democracy. But II soon failed.
Devotlng himself to literature and science, he
next established periodical called the Cornu-
copia. In the meantime he had married and
when the Cornucopa failed after six months he
resolved TO seek his fortune In America. In
1892. accompanied by his wife and daughter, he
came TO New York and went 10 work for Col.
William Watson Webb OF the New York Courier
and Enquirer While covering the murder trial
OF a religious fakir named Matthias the
Prophet" Locke became acquainted with Benja-
min II. Day. the founder OF the Sum-
Finding that Locke was the best reporter
there Day hired him to write a series of feature
stories on the religious fakir for the Sun. AS
result Webb discharged him for working ION
the side" for the lowly penny rival OF his paper
and Locke was glad 10 go TO work for Day as
an editorial writer the Sun at SO a week.
After the Matthias trial ended II was rather
duh time for the New York newspapers. So
Locke went 10 Day with plan for stirring up
something" and Day readily agreed TO what his
star writer proposed. The result was the moon
story OF century ago, perhaps the most famous
hoax OF all time and certainly the most impor-
tant. For. IL as Poe says, II firmly established
the cheap newspaper in this country then Ameri-
cans, who enjoy the benefits derived from this
university of the people," as the newspaper has
been called. remember gratefully Richard
Adams Locke.
- G Western Newspaper Unior