The avant courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1871-1872, 1872-02-22
Experiences Of ~ Local Reporter

{ Experiences Of asI1ocal Reporter.
One Of the reporters of the Utica Hsral1,
: has written m entertaining sketch OF his
8 Newspaper career sf1aH y asssEs
!. III turning over the pages Of memory, he
says. find those relating toany early expe-
!, Irience as a reporter marked BY frequent ex-
lsclanation points, printed in,suelors and lin
iobbing typese When { announced my deter
4 ninatior 10 live by my wits, my fxtller, with
i delicate appreciation. prophesied thstI would
I starve IN two weeks. Owing 10 the strength
3 of nv constitution did not; but + wiki /
hati--and my friends wish 40 too. When
! secured place a. reperterfor the Daity Be-
q gle Blast Of Rentville, the paternal voice as.
! surea me that should see what shog,ld do,
land / did. a 5sffl4s FsF 5 IA ftfsfs
On the day on which my engagement cont
meneed, was sent to write up a case'efhigh
way robbery. in a neighhoring village. in
d terviewed the robber. and he said his name
i was John Smith, and told me all about it.
As he seemed TO- be as wicked as be could be,
/ selected the blaekest ink in the office, and
when the next days paper appeared, John
Smith stood out boldly, the blaekest silhout-
tee iisnstratioa of total depravity that could
be painted with pen. During the day
stranger called to ask why put his name In
the paper, he cbserved thtb he had as good
mind to punch my head as he ever had to eat
/ dinner. and he elooked like man to enioy
Idinner. Said he: I'm John Smith, . Oh,
no. yos. aim. ~ replied. y Yes. lam, .. said
he. / told him about the osAsr John and he,
seemed little more quiet, but he said as he
turned to go, 8 Every one that knows me
thinks it was ple.'' sWcll, unused aloud,
lyon should not lead a life to subject you to-
stspicion.p7 He turned to make some other,
remarks, but he missed me, and only broke
one or two pieces out of the back Of my
chair. | went away then.
The next evening tried concert. The
! leading vocalist was famed the world over
for her talent as a singer. and hazarded an.
opinion in print that she sung well. There
| was vocal music in my vicinity for several
days. Every singer mer belonging in Bent
lyvile said was a fool, until began to think
it must be so, and they united in condemn
ing alike the concert and my ability to write
musical criticism. 80
There was a lecture. did not like that
lecture. and profting by experience did
not praise il. At the same time, and equally
influenced by experience, did not condemns
il; rather eyaded an opinion. The lectur-
er called around before night, with quite a
thunder storm p rched on his brow lie said
had DAMNED with faint praise. He did not
damn me in that way; he pursued the old.
fashioned sulphurous method, and | felt that
he was through long before he got through.
He advised me to apprentice myself to
bia ,ksmith. M &C.,.
related these incidents to the manager.
He told me not to take any halfway ground.
IN II yon hit man in print, hit him so hard
that he won't want any more" That sound.
ed well, and SO when the Bentlyville singers
gave a concert. which was in every respect
most miserable failure, just charged among
them and cut right and left. My life was not
devoid OF incident tor some days. The tenor
called lat my house regularly every day for a
weeh. f was always out. The basso prom
enadetl Main street with big stick. The
sopranos brother made aIixions 'inqnilies af-
me-. All the singers quit singing in pub
lie. and church. people left without chores.
pointed me out to their children as .an infdel,
and hereto who had interferred with pub
lie worship, and who did not know anything,
about wrtiag5 for a snewspaper. attempted
to pacisy these musicians byItelling them that
/ had dealt with them exactly as they wanted
me to deal with the other singer; but my ef.
forts proved ineffectn2Ll y,l 81 t,7asf4ts.s,,-,,
Then the chief Of nglice sent fol, me, A
dastndly assault had been committed in the
street in :opsn daylight. The man was dead
to feelings of shame. anu had so far escaped
punishment for similar offenses but the
chief thought that by ridiculing the offender
| should make him feel his shame, and that
by making the thing prominent | could Sc
cure. his punishment from the proper author
ties. thought 50. too. gave the item a
display head, and Ilayished the most scald-
ing OF sarcasm and the most mrth-proyoking
rielicule on him, and the effect was highly
the article appeared in
print. ~ t
The next morning the man sat in my chair.
He had been bailed. In his hand he bore q
persuasive bludgeon. He wanted to know
why put a display head OIL him, and acted
as though he wanted to put display head on
me. His Intentions We're carried out soon af-
so was I. He made several objec-
tions to my method of getting ont police re-
ports. The most striking Of these objections
was the bludgeon. calmly replied to his
arguments with hapast-pot and pair ofsheals,
up my temporary advantage With.a
paper weight andunahridgetl dictionary. Be-,
tore he recovered the thread ct his discourse
an elderly man stepped into the Office and
asked who was conducting the local depart
ments told him that Was Il question in my.
Dwn mind just then; but | had no time TO
pursue the conversation. did not attempt
u report Wltat followed ilfuil indeed, be-
ieye j took lin notes. After the doctor had
sci my arm, and his friends had taken my op.}
ponent away, ! returned to the office. The
,ld man said that If was at liberty he would.
ike reply to his question. HE wanted to
know who managed the local. AS lie and
were alone III the office, and he looked feeble,
told him lid. .Wesl.v said he, pointing
10 the item had been discussing with him Of
The club, /. deii't you think that way of max
ng crime a thing To be laughed at has a bad
sffect on the Young Z ItoId him that flea
lad net been among the things that had
struck me. He added !: Z 1t seems so to me.
Make crime q matter Of sport. and we first
,ndure then pity. then embrace" REPLIED
-. l. a