Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1872-02-01
K1%perIenee. Of . Local Repor.er.

One of the reporters OF the Utica
Herald gives the following interesting
sketch Of his newspaper career:
In turning over the pages Of memo
ry, he says, I find those relating to my
early experience as a reporter marked
by frequent exclamation points, print
ed in colors and in jobbing type. When
I announced my determination to live
by my wits, my father, with delicate
appreciation, prophesied that l would
starve in two weeks. Owing to the
strength of my constitution, l did not ;
but I wish l had-and my friends wish
so too. When 1 secured a place rs re-
porter for the Daily Bugle Blast OF
Bentlyville, the paternal voice assured
nj that 1 should see what l should see
and I did.
On tho day on which my engage
ment commenced, l was sent to write
up q case of highway robbery. IN a
neighboring village. l interviewed
the robber. and he said his name was
John Smith, and told me all about 1t.
AS he seemed to be as wicked as he
could be, 1 selected the blacklist ink in
the office, and when the next days
paper appeared, John Smith stood out
boldly the blacklist sllhoutte illustra-
ton Of total deprayity that could be
painted with n pen. During the day a
stranger called to ask why I had put
his name in tho paper. he observed
that he had as good a mind to punch
my head US he ever had to eat dinner,
and he looked like u man to enjoy din
ner. Said no : "I'm John smith,"
"Oh. no, you aln't," replied. "Yes,
1 am" said lie. l told him about the
other John, and he seemed a little
moro quiet. but he said, rs he turned
to 20, Every II that knows me
thinks 1t was me-" SWELL" | unused
aloud, "you should not lead q life to
subject you to suspicion" Ho turned
to make some other remarks, but he
missed me, and only broke one or two
pieces out of the back of my chair. l
went away then.
The next evening I tried n concert.
Tho leading vocalist was famed the
world over for her talent as n singer,
and | hazarded an opinion In print that
she sung we'll. There was vocal music
In my vicinity for several days. Every
singer l met belonging to Bentlyvllle
said | was a fool, until I began to think
1t must be so. and they united In CON-
demning alike the concert and my
ability to write musical criticisms.
Then there vas n lecture. ! did not
like that lecture, and proflting by Ok
purlence, | did not praise it. At the
same time, and equally influenced by
experience, I did not condemn 1t; l
rather evaded an opinion. The lee
turer called around before night, with
quito q thunder torn perched on his
brow. He said I had damned him with
faint praise. lie did not damn mo in
that way; he pursued the o~ld-fashion-
ed sulphurous method, and l felt that
he was through long before he got
through. lie advised me to appren-
tice myself to q blacksmith.
| rotated these incidents to the man
ager. He told mo not to take any half
way ground. "If you hit q man In
print, hit him so hard that he won't
want my more" That sounded we'll,
and so when the Bentlyville singers
gave a concert, which was In every re-
spect a most miserable failure, l just
charged among them and out right and
left. My life WAS devoid OF Incident
for some days. The tenor called at my
house regularly every day for a week.
| was always out. The basso promen-
adod Main street with q big stlck. The
sopranos brother made anxious IN
qulrles after me. AL the singers quit
singing In public, and church people
left without choirs, pointed me out as
an infidel to their children, and n her.
etic who had lnterfered with public
worship, and who did not know any
thing about writing for n newspaper.
| attempted to pacify these musicians
by telling them that l had dealt with
them exactly rs they wanted me to
deal with the other singer ; but my ef-
forts proved Intellectual.
Then the chief Of police sent for me.
A dastardly assault had been commit
ted In tho street, In open daylight. The
nan was dead to feelings OF shame,
and had so far escaped punishment for
similar o!fenses; but the chief thought
that by rldiculing the offender | should
make him feel his shame, and that by
making tho thing prominent l could
secure his punishment from the proper
authorities. 1 thought so, too. l gave
the item q display head, and layished
the most scalding of sarcasm and the
most mirth-provoking ridlcule OH him,
and the effect was highly satisfactory
until tho article appeared In print.
The next morning the man sat In
my chair. Hc had been bailed. In
his hand he bore a persuasive blud-
geon. He wanted to know why I put
a display head on him, and acted as
though he intended to put q display
head on me. His Intentions were car
rled out soon after-and 80 was |. lie
made several objections to my method
of getting out police reports. The
most striking Of these objections was
the bludgeon. I calmly replied to
his arguments with a paste-pot and q
pair Of shears, following up my tenn
porary advantage with a paper weight
and unabridged dictionary. Before lie
recovered the thread Of his discourse
an elderly man stepped into the Office
and asked who was conducting the To-
cal department. 1 told him that was
q question In my own mind just then
but | had no time to pursue the con-
v~ersation. l did not attempt to report
what followed In full indeed, | be-
lleye I took no notes. After the doc
tor had set my arm, and his friends
had taken my opponent away,
| returned to the Office. Tho
old man said that II | was ut
liberty no would like n reply to his
question. He wanted to know who
managed the local. AS he and l were
alone In the Office, and lie looked fee
BILE. I told him l did. "Well," said
he, pointing to tho item [ had been
discussing with him Of the club, don't
you think that way Of making q crime
n thing to DO laughed Mt has a bad In
ilueuce OH the young?" ] told him
that idea had not been among the
things that had struck me. He added:
at seems 30 to me. Make crime n