Anecdotes of public men; by John W. Forney.

WILLIAM M. SWAIN. 365
and difficult path I am treading, I quote the example of i858
to show how history repeats itself in i872. That remarkable
man, remarkable in almost every sense, the lamented William
M. Swain, one of the proprietors and founders of the Public
Ledger, always liked to relate the incident from which I took
the idea that excited the risibilities of my Camden audience.
The story is so much better told by my friend J. D. Stockton,
of the Philadelphia Morning Post, that I use his words:
"By his course in regard to some public matter he had offended a number of his readers, one of whom met him on Chestnut Street, and thus accosted him:
"' Mr. Swain, I've stopped The Ledger.'
"'What is that, sir?'
"'I've stopped The Ledger,' was the stern reply.
"' Great heavens!' said Mr. Swain;'my dear sir, that won't
do. Come with me to the office. This must be looked into.'
And taking the man with him, he entered the office at Third
and Chestnut Streets. There they found the clerks busy at
their desks; then they ascended to the editorial-rooms and the
composing-rooms, where all was as usual; finally, they descended to the press-rooms, where the engineers were at work.
"'I thought you told me you had stopped The Ledger,' said
Mr. Swain.
"'So I have,' said the offended subscriber.
"' I don't see the stoppage. The Ledger seems to be going
on."
"'Oh! I mean to say-that is, that I-ah-had stopped taking it.'
"'Is that all!' exclaimed Mr. Swain.'Why, my dear sir,
you don't know how you alarmed me. As for your individual
subscription, I care very little. Good-day, sir, and never make
such rash assertions again.'"