The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1874-07-11
He Yearned to bel a Reporter.

He came up the four pair Of stairs
Saturday morning, aud rs soon as he
had recovered his breath he wanted
to know if the Free Press would like
to engage another reporter. He said
he hadn't had much experience, but
he said it in a tone which N cant to
convey the idea that he know bis bu-
siuess. He was tall and thin, had on
plug hat which looked as il it had
been run over by q drove OF mules,
his collar had sweat through and his
bandana handkerchief was re marka-
bic for the many crevasses in it. His
boots were red with old age, md his
pants were stuffed into the tops
Nevertheless, his face was one to
command attention, and his tones
were respectful. In reply he was
told that there was always DOM at
the top Of the profession, Just as
Daniel Webster told young Rawyer
once upon a time. He said he bought
four stories high was about d 3 near
the top of a profession as q fellow
could get, but his joke was too old to
laugh at. He didn't want much pay,
he said, his object being to Identify
himself with some growing journal
and let the fleeing years bring him
wealth aud laurels. He was but nine
teen years old, and he had plenty of
time. He said he could sit TIP three
nights running, ingratiate him self in
to the affections of the police in one
brief hour, and he knew the b1remen
and the captains Of the ferl y-bcats
would love him on sight. HI could
report anything, he said, from a dog
fight to a regatta, and we wrote a
lightning hand. He was used to re-
ligious meetings, knew all aba ut med
ical conventions, and would 60 for
woman suffrage or become Granger,
Just as the paper desired. He pre-
ferred, he said, to work all Hay and
all night /; but if the office han rule
requiring man to sleep three or four
hours ont Of tho twenty-four, he
would obey.
He promised much more, and his
tones grew more serious as he talked.
He was being consumed by; a burn
ing ambition to WELD lead -pencil,
and tire-water had no etfedt upon
him. He was sup" in grammh pr, post.
ell in poets, and as for history, he
could repeat every important event
from the hour the boy stood on the
burning deck down to Eli Perkins
fight with the "Fat Contribute Dr." He
had brought along a few specimens
of what he could do-faint efforts
scratched off with chain lightning We
loeity. He handed one over. It read {:
"MuRpER!!!-Aboute ten o'clock
last mite the cry of murder WAS herd
on one Of our name streets and as
usual the police was not in site. The
cries was respected sevral times, be-
ing enuff to curdle the blodd Of the
bravest man that ever lived. Our
new reporter at once
The item was quietly handed back
to him, and he was informed that De-
troit was not his home. Hie talents
were too much for the I'd wn-too
many years in advance Of i !. They
couldn't appreciate him he re. Out
in Chicago-nearer the setting sun
they were standing round on the cor
ners looking for such men.
"You hain't foolin', stranE Der n he
asked, his face expressing thF gravest
anxiety.
No, he could depend on it It was
a solemn thing to fool, with ia young
man just starting out in lii b, aud it
was also against office rules.
"And Chicago isis 7"
"Just two hundred and eithty-four
miles west of Detroit:
"Good-bye, stranser,"be continued,
as he rose up and picked uH his bun