HARD TO PLEASE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 95, 25 April 1891, Page 4 (Supplement)

HARD TO PLEASE.

A Reporter's Experience With a Crusty Millionaire.

• Never, can satisfy some people,' he said as he took a pipe from the real estate edibor's desk, filled it with the railroad editor's tobacco and borrowed a match from the exchange editor. ' What's the matter ? Well, I was thinking aboub an assignment I had some time ago. ' I was sent up to interview a man aboub a threatened strike and how I tried to return good for evil. He wasn't feeling well thab morning, I guess, for he said some pretty harsh things to me. Told me that ib was a blanked piece of impertinence to come prying into his affairs ; thab his relations with his employees were no concern of mine, etc. Gob more and more excited as he dilated on my inquisitive nature and finally ordered me from the office. Offered to ring a bell and have me helped out if I didii'b feel ablo to geb oub prebty quickly myself. ' Well, I was mad, bub-on my way back to the office I thought of thab old proverb: " A soft answer burnetii the other cheek," or something of that sorb, and so I made up my mm.i thab I'd heap a ton or so of coals of fire on his head. ' I wrote an article in which I referred to him as a courteous and clever gentleman, incidentally spoke of the excellent quality of the champagne he kept, and said something about his 50-cent cigars. I said that he courteously but firmly declined to be interviewed concerning the differences with his employees, and altogether made him out one of the cleverest men one could wish to tnoeb. ' Satisfy him ? No, sir ; nob a bit of ib. Why, he came down to the office the next day and tried to have me discharged. He couldn't show that I said anything dorogafcory to his character, though, co I managed to hold on.

• Strike ? 0, yea, tho men did strike. Went oub a few hours after the paper was off the presses. Quoted my article to him, I believe, as proof thab he was trying to make himself solid with tho newspapers preparatory to making war upon their union. The coals of-fire thab I heaped on his head were too hot, I guess, and they burned him. Anyhow he atbributed the strike to thab article. Been just as mad, though, if I'd written him up for the brute he was. Can'b satisfy some people.' Tho reporter made another dive for the railroad editor's tobacco, bub bhat gentleman had wisely locked it up.—'Chicago Tribune.'