JOURNALISM IN TENNESSEE. 45 



newspapers and scraps and sheets of manuscript. There was a wooden box of 

 sand, sprinkled with cigar stubs and " old soldiers," and a stove with a door hang- 

 ing by its upper hinge. The chief editor had a long-tailed black cloth frock coat 

 on, and white linen pants. His boots were small and neatly blacked. He wore a 

 ruffled shirt, a large seal ring, a standing collar of obsolete pattern, and a check- 

 ered neckerchief with the ends hanging down. Date of costume about 1848. He 

 was smoking a cigar, and trying to think of a word, and in pawing his hair he had 

 rumpled his locks a gpod deal. He was scowling fearfully, and I judged that he 

 was concocting a particularly knotty editorial. He told me to take the exchanges 

 and skim through them and write up the " Spirit of the Tennessee Press," condensing 

 into the article all of their contents that seemed of interest. 

 I wrote as follows : — 



" SPIRIT OF THE TENNESSEE PRESS. 

 " The editors of the Semi- Weekly Earthquake evidently labor under a misapprehension with 

 regard to the Ballyhack railroad. It is not the object of the company to leave Buzzardville off 

 to one side. On the contrary, they consider it one of the most important points along the line, and 

 consequently can have no desire to slight it. The gentlemen of the Earthquake will, of course, take 

 pleasure in making the correction. 



"John W. Blossom, Esq., the able editor of the Higginsville Thunderbolt and Battle Cry of Free- 

 dom, arrived in the city yesterday. He is stopping at the Van Buren House. 



"We observe that our contemporary of the Mud Springs Morning Howl'has fallen into the error 

 of supposing that the election of Van Werter is not an established fact, but he will have discovered 

 his mistake before this reminder reaches him, no doubt. He was doubtless misled by incomplete 

 election returns. 



" It is pleasant to note that the city of Blathersville is endeavoring to contract v^ith some New York 

 gentlemen to pave its well-nigh impassable streets with the Nicholson pavement. The Daily Hurrah 

 urges the measure with ability, and seems confident of ultimate success." 



I passed my manuscript over to the chief editor for acceptance, alteration, or 

 destruction. He glanced at it and his face clouded. He ran his eye down the 

 pages, and his countenance grew portentous. It was easy to see that something 

 was wrong. Presently he sprang up and said — 



" Thunder and lightning ! Do you suppose I am going to speak of those cattle 

 that way? Do you suppose my subscribers are going to stand such gruel as that? 

 Give me the pen!" 



