Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-28
THE COLLEGE GRADUATE.
He Interviews the Horse Reporter on
the Profession of journalism.

MAY / come inT'
A young man whose clothes were sus-
plclouslY new, and upon whose face there
was cOmplacent, self-satisfed express
sion, stood in the doorway Of the edi-
torial rooms and propOunded the above IN
terrogatory in very loud and declama-
tory tone of voice.
81 suppose you CAM said the horse re-
porter, sunless you are afflicted with
some constitutional malady which pre-
vents your putting one foot in front of the
other, or have got a pair of hobbies on.
There have some daisy fellows come I'D
here lately, but you are the first one that
wanted to know whether he could 90
through an open door,"
81 didn't mean exactly that continued
the young man. ''What L wanted to know
was if / could come into the room for a
few minutes"
Certainly you can; only don't say any,
thing to the effect that we ought to have a
pleasant summer after such a rainy
spring, or you may find yourself pallid
corpse in the dOnjOn keep beneath the
moated turrets of the castle"
81 want to see the principal editOr-the
one who makes engagements with Jour-
nalists. / have some thoughts of entering
the journalistic profession.''
"YOu mean that you want to hire out
as deck hand on newspaper, don't
yOu?'
''Perhaps that is your way of express
ing it, SIR" said the young man. ''but our
professor of rhetoric always told us that
sob, you're a college graduate, are
your" said the horse reporter. 81 thought
you had kind of I-shall-nOw-go-forth-
and-take-charge-Of-a air about YOU.
l suppose you graduated last week?'
Eyes, sir" was the reply, "and /. NAV
say that my oration-''
81 know all about it, interrupted the
horse reporter. ''You spoke piece about
'Life's Mission But there are now more
young men who started out to carve, by a
'Life's Mission,' a niche high in the tenn
pie of fame, chasing large red steers over
the arid plains of Texas or delivering
mackerel to the first families, than you
can shake stick at.''
'But, sir" said the graduate, "the an
nails of every country in which the highest
civilization has obtained, show that it is
the men of letters who shape the desti-
MES
''There you go again." said the horse re-
porter, talking about shaping destinies
and all such Cruel as that. Don't you
worry about destiny. The chances are
that even if you were to fall over what
you don't know and break your neck, to-
morrow somebody would look after the
Observation-Disclosures all right. Your
best hold for the next year or two will be
checking off barrels of AL sugar for some
wholesale grocery house over on River
street. Destiny won't get left in the
meantime.'
''Then you do not think will be able
to make my mark in the journalistic pro-
feSsiOnv'
''You might" replied the horse report
er, if you were to go up stairs and fall
over some type, but not Otherwise, at
present"
''But l might do some preliminary
work." suggested the young man; "'write
some sketches and things of that kind"
Eyes; you could do that"
''What would you suggest for nom de
plumer'
'Well," replied the horse reporter, II
should say that 'affable imbecile' would
about fill the bill for you.''
"GoOd-day, sir. / will keep my eye ON
journalism, and await an opportunity to
join its ranks.''
''All right" said the horse reporter;
''but in case the street car conductors get
up another strike you had better remove
your optic from journalism and head for
the car BARNS"