Page:Lippincotts Monthly Magazine-46.djvu/140

130 too: I made one hundred and fifty dollars in six weeks. Well, I afterwards went on to Richmond with fifty cents in my pocket, and visited every newspaper office in the town, for I had an idea I could write; but no one had an opening. Then I concluded I would write my experiences during the war, which I did, and sold the article to a paper in New York, which printed my name in large letters. Dr. Deems was editor of it. He wrote me asking what my price was. I told him, and he sent me five dollars a number. After that I walked one day into the office of the Christian Observer, my training being religious, and saw Dr., the editor. As I came in, I remember, he took his false teeth out and laid them on the table. I asked if he could give me something to do, but he said he had nothing.

Philips.—Why didn't you offer to polish those teeth?

Handy.—Well, I told him I was tired running around, and that I was going to stay there and help him out anyway. I pitched in and showed some aptitude at wrapping papers, and after a while he said to me, "You are working pretty well, and I don't mind if I give you ten dollars a month and board." He hadn't tried me in board then. So I said, "I'll go you."

Ochiltree—1f he had known your capacity for eating as well as we do, he would never have parted with those teeth if he sat at the same table with you.

Handy.—1 went to work, came down early in the morning, and they admired me very much for the way I did things, and in six weeks I was writing religious editorials,—that is, I was sub-editor. The only thing was, they didn't print my articles as I wrote them. I was a great reader in those days, and well informed; but I was waiting a chance to get on a daily newspaper. I wanted to get on. At length I heard one day that Senator Wilson was coming to Virginia with a view of reorganizing the old Whig party, and that he was to appear at the Orange Court-House, I saw in this a signal opportunity to distinguish myself. So I went down to the editor of the Richmond Dispatch and said, "I see Senator Wilson is coming down here to speak: I'll go and report it, if you like." He said, " All right. What will you charge?" I told him, five dollars and my ticket. Well, Wilson made a great speech. There were reporters from the New York Herald, Tribune, and other metropolitan journals there. I was a pretty good long-hand reporter, and took copious notes, so that when it was over I was able to sit down and write a report of four columns and a half, and it was the fullest report printed. I hired a man to take it to Richmond, and made a great hit.

Ochiltree.— What Senator Wilson was that?

Handy.—Henry Wilson, afterwards Vice-President of the United States. I did not realize that I had made a hit, but when I got back to Richmond I found that all the newspaper men were asking, "Who did this?" When Horace Greeley came down to Richmond he made a great speech and sent for me to report it. I went down to the hall where he was to speak, and found an immense crowd there. I could not get in, so I told the mob who I was, and they passed me over their heads. I was the only reporter who got up to the platform, and I