The handwriting of Horace Greely, the great editor, was remarkable for
its illegibility. Very few people could read what he wrote, and
sometimes it puzzled Mr. Greely himself. He wrote a hurried note one
day, addressed it to the editor of one of the other great New York
papers, and sent it by a messenger boy. The boy duly delivered it, but
the man couldn't make it out, and sent it back. When the boy handed his
own note to Mr. Greely, he, supposing it to be a reply to his own
communication, and being unable to read it, looked it over carefully and
said: "Why, what does the old fool mean?" "Yes," said the boy, "that's
just what the other man said!"
In addition to writing a poor hand Mr. Greely was very absent-minded.
Leaving his office in a great hurry one day to go an errand downtown, he
wrote on a card, "Back in 20 minutes," pinned it on the outside of his
office door and rushed out. Having changed his mind, he came back in
five minutes and, seeing the notice on the door, took a seat nearby, and
actually waited twenty minutes for himself to come back!