Year: 1874

"Cr." (Mr. Crawford) the Washington cor
respondent of the Pittsburg Leader is just now
doing up the New York press in slices for that
paper. In his last letter he gives the following
Lively picture Of solemn journalism in New York
and st Louis:


"The New York papers have more dignity to
maintain than their western contemporaries, 50
the solemn element is cultivated, upon the
principle that Tom. Corwin advocated in giving
Young man about 10 start out in lie, the
secret OF success. be a solemn ass, my boy
said Corwin, and there is every indication that
some OF the Young men now in control OF the
New York press received in early life similar
advice, and have acted upon it. You rarely nnd
in any of the New York papers the weapon Of
playful satire used in combat, and yet there sre
tunes when no more powerful weapon cO1ld be
used. They either deal in savage irony or more
ponGerous lnvectives. They attempt satire az
times, but il always becomes too bitter, and so
loses IFS character. All OF the morning papers,
with the exception Of the erratic Herald, are
very solemn and heavy in their comments upon
the issues OF the day. The hmss IL an especial
~ solemn newspaper. In the long days of
weary year never does 3 shade of humOr tighten
the news or editorial columns OF the Tiiass.
lt Is conducted upon the principles OF the
Knapp brothers, who publish the ST. Louis Re
publican, one or the wealthiest papers in the
west. The knapps have a standing order which
hyde, the managing editor, has to enforce, snd
that Il TO discharge any man from tine paper
who should Hilltnlly attempt TO perpetrate
joke in 1t. The Kuapps had a serious cOmmu-
nifty TO deal with, community that would not
be triied with. One OF the many Kuapps had
boy named after George Washington's tomb
by bis solemn father. Indeed tue boy was
OfteD called by his irreverent associates Mount
Vernon. You can fancy what q boy had TO ell
dure, going round labeled as the tomb - the
father OF his country. The boy was not very
strong in the regions aft the eyes, but because
his pa published a newspaper, he thought the
son of his pa ought TO be able to write for il.
One morning, about one O'Clock, several years
ago, he came into the Office after HYDE, the
manager, had gone home. The young 70 An had
been out to a ssdnce OF the Black Crook, and
had been very busy ever since the close OF the
jOvisl friends. Now this young Vernon had never
been permitted TO write for the paper, but
out among his friends he gave out the impres-
sion that he did good deal of that sort Of bust
ness. That night one mad wag, inspired by the
devil, got Vernon to write criticism for the
paper OF the Black Crook performance. The
young man caught at the idea, and going 10 the
office hs found Hyde away and the coast clear
Being the son OF his father, there was no one
there to dispute him. and as for the foreman he
was one of those steady going machines who
would have set up the devil and all his angels if
they had come up in the regular spout from the
editorial rooms. The next day there appeared
IN the columns of the Rep1Jlican. one OF the
most fearful articles on legs that think ever
appeared in print. Mount Vernon had expand
ed under the influence of oysters aud his
friends. The result was frightfal. For a few
days the reason OF Knapp pere tottered upon it,
throne, but he finally recovered. The article ID
question made more eXcitemsnt In the city ard
discoUposed the Office more than had it been
burned down. The young man was sent broad
after this scandal, and now q watchman in
spector is detained in the editorial roo ms who
With his relief, is ALWAYS on duty"