San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-03-21
THE REPORTERS NOTES.
OF What He Sees and Hears Wher
He is on the Streets.


He is on the Streets.
The everyday experience of the
average reporter cannot fail to afford
him considerable amusement and, if
he be, like most reporters are, an OBJ
serving man. it will give him an in
sight into human nature that is all
the more amusing and instructive.
For the edfication of his readers q
LIGHT reporter will detail few of
the many incidents that occur as he
pursues his weary way in search of
news, which in this dull season, is
hard to gain.
"Say Mr.. Reporter says stranger,
hailing him, "You had my name in
your paper as being drunk and down,
and 1 want you to correct that, for it's
wrong" Indeed" answers the re-
porter, II didn't know that. What's
your name?" John Smith" is the
reply in a tone that shows the indi-
vidual is mad or worried. "Well,
that's how is appears on the docket"
answers the reporter. But it wasn't
me-" continues the man. well"
says the reporter, II did not say it
was" mo you did not; but other
people dO,n urges the man. 1t is diff
fieult to persuade this individual that
there are many John Smiths in town,
or that the name is sometimes given
as an alias, or that it was not a spite
full attack up IN him. Maybe this John
Smith is a nOnentity, whom no one
cares for, or, as is probably the case
he has been on the recorders docket
himself several times, but for all that
he is anxious to have a correction and
if he behaves properly he is likely to
get one.
Another man, prominent mer-
chant comes up and greets the re-
porter in a most cordial way. and is
very anxious for him to join him in a
friendly drink. Yielding to pur-
suasion the reporter enters the saloon.
The merchant calls for "drinks,n and
almost before the reporter can get one
drink down, another is called for and
cigars follow, the best of course. Then
the reporter begins to smell rat"
In a very circumlocutory way the
merchant tells a sad story which
briefly is that he was out with the
boys last night, got full, was run in,
and fined by the recorder. Then fol-
lows the request that the dear, good
clever reporter" will oblige him by
emitting his name or putting it SO
that no one will ever know that he is
the man. The reporter remembers
that he solicited an advertisement
for his paper from that merchant who
then said che didn't want to adver-
tise because no one ever read the
papers and therefore he didn't think
that it paid" The reporter gently
reminds him of this fact and that as
no one read the papers and as many
men got full too, it didn't matter. All
in vain. The merchant has changed
his opinion. If his name gets in the
paper he will be numerically chaffed,
which is probably true, and he thinks
that his business will be injured if his
name appears in the recorders list as
published in the flight" Nothing
will satisfy him, but compliance
with his request, and if he gets this
he goes on his way rejoicing, but per-
haps he will again change his Opin-
ion when the advertising solicitor
calls.
There is another class of these char
acters who think that they can bully
reporters by threatening to whip
them if their names appear in the pa
pear in reference to their openly bad
conduct. The name of these persons
and their offences always get full
publicity. Reporters know well that
"barking dogs never bite" that the
bully is invariably a coward, and
ignores his threats. He may yield to
persuasion or good will, but he does
not yield to threats of that charac.
ter.
Some there are who say that
"there's nothing in the papers," who
complain at small inaccuracies, such
as occurs in every newspaper because
the reporter has been misinformed
and who criticise the reporters un-
mercifully. These persons, as a rule,
do not support the paper they con-
denim, and are the last persons to give
the reporter accurate news or an item
that will interest the readers of the
paper, although asked to do SO.
Some there are who cry d the
reporters" and say they have use
Whatever for them, but if there is a
party at their house, or any big event
occurring, they are the first to seek
him and get him to promise to come
around and write it up" The re-
porter perchanCe gets a meal and