OCR Text |
Show PASSIXG HE A E HOW ART IN the death of Arthur K. How aid, which occurred at RkhfleM la week, the curtain is drawn on all that is mortal of one of the best country newspaper writei this state has ever held, and one of Nature's gifted humori-ts. Editor Howard has not been nearltf SO well known to the newspapei fra ternity of recent year-, due to his advanced age and the fad that A nancial reverses have relegated him to a subordinate position. Hu' twenty vears ago, when the writei of this was getting his early train ing in newspaper work, Editor Howard was editing the Saline Sun, the envy of all his brother publishers for the spicy, original way in which he served up (he news of his locality. The names of his prominent townspeople be came almost household words to the readers of his paper, many of whom were totally unacquainted with "Saltville." as he used to term the town. He had a way of writ ing up the commonplace occurren ces of the town so that they were most entertaining to people entirely beyond the circle of acquaintance. As a feature writer on a large dai lev or a magazine he would have commanded a big salary; bul he preferred the freedom of the little print shop, and the luxury of bc-ing'his bc-ing'his own "boss." Some of our readers may have read and shed tears of mirth ovei his book, "A Bunch of Carrots," which was really the work of an artist in the line of humor, or the bubbling over of a nature attuned to see and sense the ludicrous in e erything, Regularly once each year he used to turn the key in the door to his office and hie himself to the mountains, where for two week-he week-he would angle for trout and enjoy the seclusion of the mountains and the communion with Nature's God. He was a little long on seclusion, anyway, which perhaps accounts for the fact that he never married During his fishing trips, tn "Sun" would cease to shine in Saltville, for he would not entrust the con duct of his precious publication to anyone else, even for a week or two. Later he was induced by some of his political friends to move his publication to Richfield, the county seat of Sevier county, with the promise of financial support, which we fear failed to materialize in any important degree, for he was unable un-able to make the paper go in the face of competition, and here was the begining of the end of his career. ca-reer. As is too often the case in small communities, they failed to recognize recog-nize the genius in the man, and one of .the best opportunities for pub licity that will ever come to the people peo-ple of that section was trampled under ioot and lost. It was never our pleasure to know BditOt Howard personally, but through the medium of his pa per as well as through personal correspondence, we always felt to know him very well. He had one besetting fault, which doubtless had much to do with his failure to retain his standing in newspaper-dom, newspaper-dom, as well as his failure to succeed suc-ceed better financially. He had an appetite for stong drink, and per fodicaUy held high carnivals of his own. This may explain more than anything else why a man possessed of his remarkable genius should have spent the declining years of his life at the case picking up type for someone else. Sad, inded, is the contemplation of such a life the waste of talent and genius sacrificed to the monster, mon-ster, drink. . !'.. Howard had a right to a name with Flberr Hubbard, Walt Mason and other national writers if he had only improved and not abused the talents with which he was endowed. And now he has gone, known and mourned only by a -mall circle of intimate acquaint ances and friends of better dav |