Author: Alger, Horatio, 1832-1899.
Title: [Letter from Horatio Alger to his friend Edward Bigelow. Letter from Edward to Alger and Letter from Edward to his "dear Sister."]
Format: 10 p. ; 20-25 cm.
Other Name: Hineline, Elise E.
Horatio Alger Collection.
Location: PS 1029 .A3 Z483 1853a (Special Collections)
Project Direction: Samuel T. Huang
Transcribed and encoded by: Stephen M. Hohe
Optically scanned by Mark A. Williams
Horatio Alger Digital Repository Project, Northern llinois University Libraries
DeKalb, IL
30-November-1999
"Daily Advertiser" Office, Nov. 1853
As I sit here in my sanctum, pen ink, and paper ready,
Shall I write an editorial or pen a note to Eddy?
An essay very grave and dull and stupid too by jingo
On the condition of the blacks that live in St Domingo
Or a confidential letter? I do not mean to flatter
But of the two alternatives I much prefer the latter.
So Eddie I'm an Eddie-tor: you ought to see the pile
Of exchanges that surround me: it would well be worth your while
Some of them hail from Charleston, and some from New Orleans,
And some from Eastern Borders - the land of pork and beans
I'm very sure, dear Eddie, 'twould make you ope your eyes
To see with what dexterity I clip and scissorize.
But hold here comes a candy girl - methinks I will advise her
In future not to intrude upon the Daily Advertiser!
In the next room you'll see perhaps fifteen or twenty printers
Who work - where shall I find a rhyme - their fingers into splinters.
------------
But it's too hard writing rhymes, So I will de-
scend to plain prose. I like my post very much. I don't
get to the office till twelve everyday, and stay about
till ten at night. I take out an hour for dinner and
the same space for supper, and go out and in
whenever I choose the rest of the time. So I am
quite independent. Then when I want any money
----- Page Break -----
I can call at the counting room, and tell them to "fork
over." As to what I do in the office I don't call it
work. It is mere sport to look over the exchanges, and
when I have occasion to write political articles I
can't help laughing to myself to think how little I
dreamed three months since of ever indulging in that.
I went to Fanuel Hall last night to hear Neal Dow
speak on the Main Lawn. He spoke very well indeed.
The other day I was introduced to Paul Creyton - also
to Wm. O. Eaton. The latter is a jolly looking chap, with
a little squat nose and twinkling eyes. He looks like
the very spirit of fun. - I believe I shall call and
see Bill Willis this morning. I met him the
other day. I have just mounted a shawl : I got
it at Lyman's.
I have just sold an eight column story to
the True Flag. It is called "Robert Lawson: or, a Minis-
ter's fortunes," some thing like Shady side. I expect
they'll sell 5000 extra copies extra when it ap-
pears. I met Wm. Morse Wednesday at an eating house but didn't
notice at first that it was he, being busy thinking
of thefried liver(!) I was to have for dinner. He
must have thought strange that I did not speak be-
fore.
How are you getting along - do you hunt
much now? If you should have extraordinary
luck, of course you would want it chronicled in
our paper.
----- Page Break -----
But I must draw to a conclusion. Please an-
swer as quickly as possible. You may address,
if you please, to Horatio Alger Jr. "Daily Advertiser"
Office, 46 Congress St. Boston. Don't put on any
funny title, as you used to sometimes, as it will be taken
out by somebody from the office.
Why can't you write part of it in poetry? Fol-
low the good example I have set you.
And if you can't prevail upon the tuneful muses nine
There's one at least you can invoke - your sister Angeline.
Affectionately,
Horatio,
Alias Carl Cantab
P.S. Mind the paper steal my editorials and items,
the Worcester Transcript - Boston Transcript, and Traveler
among others. You must excuse me for writing so much
about myself, but I am vain enough to think it
will have some interest for my friend Eddie -