The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1890, 1888-06-30
A GOOD STORY.

A GOOD STORY.
Bob Burdette's Experience as
Local Journalist in the
State of Iowa.
Robert J. Burdette, whom everybody
knows whether they ever saw him or not,
used to run little daily paper in Peoria,
Illinois. l believe it was Peoria-any-
how, it was the paper he enjoyed so much
because there was never any uncertainty
about it. lie knew positively every Mon
day morning that there wouldn't he
enough money to pay the compositors
Saturday night.
He hadn't written so much good humor
then as he has since, but it used to crop
out once in while-he couldn't help it.
One day prominent citizen of Peoria
got into trouble with a hackman about the
| amount Of his charge or something, and
took off his coat and fought him all
around the block. lie made it a red day
for hackmen, too, and got pretty excited
before he finished. The next morning
Burdette had pretty nearly column
about it. There had been so much space
to fill and he turned his fancy loose and
filled it. lie had laughed about it quiet
ly to himself all the way home that night
after he wrote it, and in the morning read
it over to see if the boys had got it set up
all right, and smiled sort of inwardly to
himself again.
| About the middle of the afternoon the
man who had the trouble came in. Bur-
dette trembled little at first, because he
didn't know how he might have taken it,
but the man wore broad grin on his
face and seemed to be very much tickled
over it,
"That was good one on me In the
'Iowlet' this moreing," said the man.
"Er-yes-do you think so?" said Bur-
dette.
"Oh, capitol-took it off tirst-class. Did
you write It,"
ooh, yes, scratched it of in a hurry
tonight. We have to have something to
fill up
"Of course. But it was really good. |
didn't know you could do as we'll as tina" "
went on the man enthusiastically.
"Oh, didn't think much of it." return
ed Burtlette modestly. "If had only
had a little more time, perhaps might
have made something out of it'
ooh, you had time enough-plenty of
time, assure you. 1t was fine. OF course
| didn't really do all you said did,
"Oh, of course not. Certainly not. Got
to have something lively in newspaper,
you know"
81 see-especially in live local paper"
"You understand it,
II think so. OF course | didn't yell
like man with his foot in lawn mower
all the time was having the controversy
with him"
"Oh Move have to exaggerate a little.
81 see-an then l didn't raise tile hack
man up and pound the face of the earth
with him till the police stopped me from
wearing out the paving"
"No, not ut all-had to make it lively
you know
"Of course. Then l didn't chase him
into the country half Il mile, did l now?'
"I never heard that you did. just
slipped that in. You know local pa
per-
81 understand Then of course didn't
roar so coming back that people thought
that there was a hail storm coming"
"Oh, you didn't roar at all. made that
part up to make it lively"
81 thought SO. Then didn't stand on
the corner and howl till | was tired and
say could lick any hackman that evel
looked through a collar, and 20 around
the streets cracking my heels together
Il 7 ssylo orc
it want more than foot wide."
"Of course not-nothing Of the kind al
= all. just put that in-got to in small
town with daily paper, you see"
~ notice you haye to. 1t was funny
piece, take it all together"
"Y-e-s, thought perhaps It was a little
funny, admitted Burdette little uneasilY
"You say in it the hackman was 9
!, small mani"
: "Why, yes, rather small, l understood
"ProbaLly not as small as you are?"
"Ol, n-no, persume not. l Ill not very
big you see. Pleasant weather we're
having, major"
"Y-a-es, very pleasant little cold 70
hackmen and some editors | know Of
Probably, then, if l licked the hackmal
! there wouldn't be any doubt but that
: could lick you?"
'Oh, no; no, SIT, not Il particIe O1 nOuD'
Going to the circus to night, colonel?"
. "I expect to be there, but you won't
you'll be in the hospital-you little, insig
niticant, one horse country editor" and b
reached out and got Burdette by the col
J. lar. "Chased the man out beyond tn
,, fair grounds, did 1? aoared like tho 8 -
+. express coming back, did II" and he be
!. gan jabbing him up and down like tn
u dasher of an oldfashioned churn. IN
:. actions would have made Il fish laugh, eh
: J IIowled around till | p,ade the world
, back ache, did ?" and all the time he wa
- dancing around the Office with Burdett
at arms length. "Oh, you're going to b
the great American humorist! No dout
:, of it ut all! Yon'll make the univers
u double up and roll on the grass some day
q q You're funny, oh, so very funny! Jus
q give you little more practice on me an
: YOU can start out lecturing!" and it's har
= to tell what would have become of poo
:. Burdette if IL big pressman hadn't com
;. in just then, with his sleeves rolled u
" and ink on the side of his nose, and RI
licved him. The pressman fought th
man ten minutes before he managed {
tear his coat off and shut up both his eye
Il and fire him down the stairs and half va
across the sidewalk. He accomplished
at last, however, and went back to wor
- l..