THE REWARD OF PROMPTNESS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3016, 27 November 1882, Page 3

THE REWARD OF PROMPTNESS.

The story of how Archibald Forbes came to write Skohe'nff’s obituary for the two great Australian papers, is t-ld hy the correspondent of one of our cont mporaries. It will be remembered ihut in consequence of some very bellicose utt ranees delivered hy the Panslavist champion in Paris and elsewhere, the Russian gentleman loomed large in men’s minds, so that when the news of his sudden death was cabled to Melbourne, the proprietors of the “ Argus” and the Sydney “ Herald” almost simultaneously asked Mr Archibald Forbes to write a memoir of bis deceased friend, who is one of the most prominent figures in the lecture “ Warriors I have known.” Mr Forbes hesitated for a few moments as to which paper he should give the preference, when a happy thought struck him. He was then . slaying at the Melbourne Club. Locking himself in his bedroom, ho dashed off a bril'iant five-column memoir in as many hours, sent the manuscript to the “ Argus” office with instruction to have it put in type as quickly as possible as he wanted to see a pi;oof. When he received tlio proof he wired the entire memoir to the “ H er( dd ” at Sydney, so that the article appeared in the two capitals on the same morning.' As an acknowledgement of the alertness of the celebrated military critic, the “Argus” and “ Herald ” proprietary each sent him a cheque for 10-• guineas. But even this, handsome remuneration was not equal to what was once received by Tennyson, who not long since, for a poem in “ Macmillan’s , Magazine,” was paid a guinea a line.