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CHAPTER FOUR " ... a rough road to travel . .. " s political ambitions (the Spirit made no mention of his service as engrossing clerk or State House commissioner), was delighted with his transfer to the Journal. "Our old correspondent, J. J. Hooper, Esq.," he announced, "the author of 'Simon Suggs,> etc., has retired from the Wetumpka 'Whig,' and associated himself with our friends Bates and Sayre, of the 'Montgomery [sic] JournaL'" A few days later in the Spirit he re-printed the following "hint" from the Journal, undoubtedly written by Hooper himself: "The newly induced associate editor of the 'Journal' has not heretofore made his acknowledgement to his brethren of the press in this State and elsewhere, for the courteous and in many instances too flattering terms in which they have noticed his connection with this paper."13 No mention was made by either editor of the important fact that the 64 ALIAS SIMON SUGGS firm name of the Alabama Journal had now become "Bates, Hooper & Company, Editors and Proprietors," and that the humorist, after four years of valuable experience on the La Fayette East Alabamian and the Wetumpka Whig, had at last bought himself into partnership on one of Alabama's leading ne\vspapers.14 During his two and a half years with the Journal Hooper was charged with varying responsibilities.15 Almost from the beginning his activities consisted of such prosaic duties as purchasing a new printing machine, acquiring much-needed paper (which his friend Porter secured for him in New York on commission),16 travelling about the state in search of subscribers and advertisements, and contributing column after column of monotonous political news and comments.17 In December, 1846, he wrote Porter to ask if the Spirit would be interested in publishing an "original song ... by the Hon. A. B. Meek, of Alabama, which [had been] respectfully dedicated to Mrs. J. J. Hooper, of Montgomery,"18 and otherwise kept in touch with his patron. Once Porter obtained and sent to him "an exercise and three race saddles" and two suits of clothes, on other occasions the New Yorker acted as his agent for the purchase of books and other "packages," and at least once shipped the Alabamian a crate of fancier's breed fowls called Dorkings.19 All the while Porter continued to encourage his friend to put his talents as humorist to work. The gifted Alabamian's failure to write more pieces like "Taking the Census" and the Simon Suggs yams was to Porter positively unthinkable. "Hooper,:·' he declared in the Spirit of April 10, 1847, "is 'held to answer' why he does not continue his inimitable sketches," and to a mutual friend in Montgomery, "An Old Subscriber," he addressed this public note: "Now that the author of 'Simon Suggs' has become a neighbor of yours, why don't you 'stir him up' for that new story?" And Samuel Lover, the Irish humorist, whom Hooper had met earlier, Ct• • • A ROUGH ROAD TO TRAVEL •••" 65 wrote, "Johnson J. Hooper alias Capt. Suggs ... all luck say I to Johnson J. Hooper."2o But again Hooper was not idle. In the fall of 1847 he tried once again to get his old job back as engrossing clerk in the 1847-1848 session of the state legislature-~'PrincipalSecretary" of the Senate \vas the exact title sought-but his Whig affiliations were apparently unacceptable to the Democrats.21 The 'Vetumpka State Guard, however, approved his appointment by stating the "natural 'Simon Suggs' of Tallapoosa county is in the field. Weare confident, that should it be the will of the Legislature to elect him, they will find 'Simon' 'one of 'em.'" W. C. Bibb, the chief engrossing clerk, he who had hired Hooper in 1845-1846, also rushed to his defense, claiming that Hooper's duties had once been "performed faithfully," that he could again serve successfully and that he had not attempted in any way "to deceive the Legislature in regards to his politics." In fact, Bibb added, in 1845-1846 "he was known to be a Whig out and out" and that his political affiliations had not prevented his doing a good job. But the Huntsville Democrat saw nothing good in either Hooper or Bibb. "Why all the fuss about Hooper's serving as Clerk?" Editor Woodson asked. "There might have been members of the Legislature, who were aware that J. J. Hooper was sailing, or rather scuttling under different colors than that of Wetumpka or Montgomery Whiggery, while he was counting...

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