Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-09-12
AN OFF DAY.
A Reporters Wanderings in
Search of News.
What Was Being Done-What the
People Had TO Say-Business Mat.
tiers, and How Things Looked.

What Was Being Done-What the
People Had to Say-Business Mat.
tiers, and How Things Looked.
A knight ofthe Faber, whose daily duty
1t Is to dish up couple Of columns of in
tellectual food to satisfy the greed for
knowledge of the thousands of readers of
the EAGLE in this fair city, had hard tussle
Of it yesterday. It was not circus day by
any means, but was dull in trade and
deadner for news. After q vigorous and
highly successful tussle with the hash at his
boarding house, the spoiler of deadloads of
lead pencils, hurried of to his palatial rooms
in murderers row, where he had stored
a snipe for future reference, and which he got
steamed up after wasting half q dozen
matches.
About this time the Santa Fe train came
rolling down to the Douglas avenue depot
and he was on the platform in few minutes
with his eye peeled for an item but there
were none lingering within his reach. About
half dozen got of the train and were be-
sieged by more than double their number of
hotel runners, from whom they tried to es-
cape.
The manipulation of lead then took street
car to the postofice to watch those who
flock there for tidings good or bad every
morning. in hopes Of getting an item
among them. He watched every act
and asked every one he knew if they
could give him pointer. Vain effort.
They didn't know thing. He kept his
stand until noon, when he again made for
the hash pile.
Not having corralled a single item during
the forenoon. he sauntered down TO the big
bridge over the bie.Arkansaw and gazed up
and down that noble stream in search of
some foundation for big fish story, but in
vain. He then became desperate and de-
termined to strike out and see who he could
see and note just what he did see, and here
it is:
As preface, it is hardly necessary to
state that the article bristles with brilliant
news or sparkles with rare gems of thought
Not much. The very essence of
reportorial soundness is his abil- |
ity TO dash off a column
of highly interesting matter out of nothin g |
The Fsber knight, who is equal to this is |
worth millions.
The bronkorebus boorobus, reader, which |
in English language means a common scrub |
reader, versed only in Texas ponies and |
Mexican Booroos, may not be able to grasp /
a correct idea of the intellectual breadth and |
depth of the architect of this article, but if /
he don't he is forgiven.
The first thing that attracted his attention
was the bowling of AL Knaddler, the auc-
tioneer at the horse market, and there he
found a crowd collected about herd of In
dian ponies which the auctioneer was trying
to sell. A few farmers wagons were stand
ing along on the sides of the street as he pro-
ceeded east but there was nothing
In them. At the corner of
Main Frank Thomas was found
standing upon box trying TO auction off an
old grey plug, while men were making
passes at his head to test his vision, but he
didn't seem to care snap. The crowd that
always loiter about the New York store and
The opposite gang that sit on the railing in
front of II. G. Lee. office, were unusually
slim. Passing up Main street, it was OBJ
served the postoffice loitercrs were not there
in their usual force. There were a few
wagons loaded with MELONS, which ap-
peared to be the chief article of commerce.
Just then six emigrant wagons came lazily
rolling down Douglas avenue, having APP
parently caught the general stagnation.
Along Main street the clerks in the stores
we're cracking nuts, while here and there a
lew men could be seen sitting upon door
steps chewing their cuds. The only place
my life was visible was about the new
buildings going up. Real estate men were
not rushing wildly about with anxious in
lending purchasers. Getting into a street
car, the scribe rode along up to the Union
depot and the only stir he saw on the way
was two men struggling with large melon
1t the corner OF Central avenue There was
one other passenger in the car. The car
hat met us was loaded down with DIR.
Whitlock. There was no crowd nor rush
At the Union depot The clerk up there
had got an order from a Topeka nursery
firm to buy twenty bushels of peach seeds
Tor them at the canning factory and
.hither he and the scarcher for items
ming factory. They were canning peaches
and two wagon loads of the fruit stood at
he door and were being unloaded. A
large crowd of men, women, boys and girls
we're at work peeling and putting the fruit
through the regular run until they got into
he cans. In the warehouse were great piles
IF canned goods stacked up. Col. Wibking
the visitors that their room Was
altogether inadequate and that next year
hey will enlarge and build two warehouses
1t distance from the factory. From here
he scribe walked down the railroad and on
he way noted the stone saw mill rasping
away, while great heaps of
sawed stone were outside. A
building was just started on
First street Just east of the track. A few
buns sat with their backs up against the
shady side of the depot. The clerks were
ssked for news but they had none. Every
body said, lawful dull" Over on the cor
her opposite the depot sleepy, tired look
ing man sat on the sidewalk and Dan Parks
came along and gave him some vigorous
shakes, which woke him up. Three men
'at in front of the Valley house asleep. No
business in that block.
Gus Sauer, the druggist, said business the
lay hefora mas very dull hut the Way IL |