Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-01-22
FUR THE YOUNG FOLKS.
REcoLLEcr1oNs OF A JoURNAL1sr.

RECOLLECTIONs OF A JOURNALIST.
My first experience in the profession
of journalism was in the capacity of as
sistant carrier. 1t began at dawn of a
cloudless August morning, which l
shall never forget, and ended two hours
later.
We lived in an inland city of $4,000
inhabitants, and our next door neighbors
were the Holcombs. Josh Holcomb, a
boy little older than l, "carried a
route in the Democrat office,'' as the
boys phrased it.
1 had been playing few games Of
checkers with Josh one evening when
his older brother, who was learning his
trade in the office, came home with
large roll of damp newspapers over his
arm. Josh at once cleared the dining
room table, spread them out smoothly
upon it, and began to fold them with
what seemed to me a marvellous rapid
ty, especially after had tried it myself
and found how clumsy a green hand
may be at even so simple task. Josh
spoke very modestly of his own powers,
said he was never able to average more
than 500 an hour, and challenged nay
profoundest respect and highest admira-
ton for a gifted son of genius in the
Office named Frank Dennis, who " could
fold thousand an hour!''
I observed that Josh every now and
then picked out paper that was par
ticularly well printed too much
ink nor too ittle-folded it with great
care, bringing the corners to an exact
match, and rubbed the folds down very
smooth. 1 supposed he wanted them
for the top of his pile to make it look
well; but, what was my surprise to see
that he finally put those nicely folded
papers at the very bottom of the pile.
"What in the world are those for?''
said 1.
elf you'll 60 round with me in the
morning." said Josh, "you'll see. Sup
pose you do?''
1t struck me as rather romantic
idea, and on Josh's agreement to give
a long, low whistle under my window at
o'clock, l promised to be ready to
start with him.
was reused in the gray of morning
by Josh's whistle, and a very few min
utes afterward 1 was hanging by my
hands from the windowsill, had drop
ped, landing in my sisters flower bed,
and was beside him. 1 might have
gone out by the door if 1 had wanted
to, but that would have been tame and
commonplace.
Josh had his bundle of papers slung
under his left arm by strap that passed
over his right shoulder. He gave me a
dozen or two, and we started off.
We passed up the street a few rods,
till we came to a high board fence, en-
closing a garden filed with fruit trees,
the house being at tie other end of the
lot, on the next street. At certaiRs
point Josh rolled away big stone from
a hollow in the ground, removed small
board which it had held in place, put
| his bundle of papers through, and then
crawled under the fence himself. He
explained that this was a short cut to
Jones Street, where his route began,
and, of course, followed him. I think
the cut would have been shorter if Josh
had gone straight along, instead of stop
ping. under the peach trees to fill his
pockets. As we passed out by the front
gate he observed that some one in the
house was watching us through the
turned Stats of a blind, and remarked
that "Old Leonard was up great deal
earlier than there was any need Of"
He's too stingy to take a paper"
continued Josh, "and I don't see any
reason in the world for his getting out of
bed before breakfast time.''
suggested that perhaps the old gen.
tleman was nervous about the fruit in
the yard.
eff he's too stingy to keep dog"
said Josh, "he ought to lose a few
peaches now and them
This fearful picture of double-headed
stinginess on the part CT the venerable
Leonard quieted my conscience as to
any dishonesty on the part of the aveng-
ing boy.
At the next place we came to, Josh
picked out one of the nicely folded pa
pers, walked across the street, and laid
it carefully in the box beside the gate.
els that man so very particular?
said 1.
"No," said Josh, "nOt any more
particular than other people, guess.
But he always gives me dollar at New
Years."
We turned into a long street, newly
built up with houses all alike. The
fences also were alike, and nearly every
gate stood open across the sidewalk.
Before we had gone very far, Josh
jumped down into the gutter, where
it ran beneath crosswalk, thrust his