Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-11-22

Lately he had decided that he would
strike out for original methods and Unus m
crease his salary. He had noticed now wen
1t paid to do the detective-reporter style OF
work and so he thought he would 90 some
OF 1t. he had come on from an interior
CITY and other newspaper men mao IoId
him that to get on rapidly he should do
some difficult thing and then write it up,
Other people had tried in New YORK. but
tailed because they just tackled the old re-
liable stock OF dime mus Gums, elevated ran
road, Castle Garden and the park-sO he
ought to do some daring and dangerous
act aIter which he could write lUup ana geI'
big pay for it.
He tried it gently by riding on a street car
all day and talking with the driver and con-
ducGOr. He picked out a gOOd-natured
looking driver and bright conductor on
Broadway car and rode all one afternoon
with them, getting good stories from bOths
WnIl6 ne rode first on the front and then on
The rear OF the car. Each man told him OF
the hardships Of his position. The driver
SAID that, though young man, he had
quite family at home. and that on his sal
airy ne found 1t very difficult to clothe the
little Ones to say nothing OF sending them
to school. His wife was blind, having lost
ner sight rom the eHects Of overWOrk with
h6r needle at night without sufficient light,
so that the little ones were practically or
Phans. He had long, hard days work to
DO after which ne had to COOK enough Tor
the next day, and mend the children's
clothes while they were in bed. And yet
the company locked him at every possible
point and abused him if he dared to sit
down to drive on a dull day.
The conductor told a sad story Of priya-
ton also. He said he had only one little
girl but she was cripple. The child had
come one day to bring his dinner to MIN,
and on the way had been run over by
brewery wagon loaded with glucose beer
and a fat driver. The conductor heard her
scream and ran to her in time to snatch her
out from under the hind wheels, but the
other wheels ran over her and injured her
spine. Now he had TO leave her at home
all day IN charge Of his Wife's mother, who
was paralyzed on one side and an habituaI
drunkard on the other.
Yes. he said, the company locked him
Tor the time he was absent when he ran to
save his little girl, though he only lost one
trip. He was not complaining man, he
said but sometimes it seemed hard. The
reporter made cOpiOus notes, and that
night made two columns of the story for
the Sabbath paper.
When it appeared all the papers made
fun of him, because both the driver and
conductor Of that car were reporters, who
were also getting n a6erial for their jour
nails and when they saw that he was Sc
curing Information for publication they
proceeded at a rapid rate to ill him up,
and, even as the reporter was listening TO
the smooth and fearful tale OF the driver,
the conductor was thinking up what he also
would tell him.
In the afternoon the editor told him that
he would not do. You ought to know
better than that he said. You have made
US a subject of mirUh, for the other papers
have got their stories direct from the
driver and the conductor Of the same car.
ana Gne WORST OF IL is GhaG They tell all
about how they loaded you up with prop
erty facts and low coarse faISehOOdS. You
ought to know better than to snow your
notebook, anyway, unless you want to be
done up. Now, go and act at once, and do
something credIGable, or go away and
never come back any more. I am sick and
tired Of people who have no originality of
thought. Why do you not lead a life of
shame or murder some one, and write it up
for us?"
The reporter said he would do the best
he could. He began by taking a drink at
fresh egg. and a bowl Of bread and milk,
with music and a shave. for ten ceNts.
Whom We stop to consider lat e cost Of