Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-12-14

Lately he had decided that he wou'u
strike out for original me hodS anu mus III
crease his salary. He had noticed nov "oit
1t paid to do the detective-reportSf st!lo VI
work. and so he thought he would 90 soh1n
OF il. He had come on from an lhto!lVi
city. and other newspaper mon hau 'oIi
him that to get on rapidly he should 90
some difficult thing ana then wilte IL up
Other people had tried in New lOrk, Uut
failed because thcy lust tackled tho old re-
liable stock Of dimt museums. elevated rail-
road. Castle Carbon. and the IarR-so nc
ought to do some daring ana dangerous
act, after which he could write up ana get
big, pay for 1t. 49,, o.
all day and taking with the driver and con,
ductor. He picked out good-natur3d
looking driver and bright conductor Oh u
broadway car and rode al ono afternoon
with them. getting good stories from Doth.
while he rode first on the front and then on
tho rear of the car. Each man told him OF
the hardships OF his position. The driver
said that. though n young man. ne hah
quito a family at home. and that on his sal
AIRY he found it very difficult TO clolhe the
little ones, to say nothing OF sending them
TO school. His wife was blind, having lost
her sight from the effects OF overwork with
her needle at night witho suillclent llght,
80 that the little ones were practically Or
phans. He had long. hard days work to
do, aftor which he had to cook enough lor
the hext day. and mend tho children's
clothes while thew wore in bed. And yet
tne company locked him at every possible
point, and abused him if he dared to sit
down to drive on n dull day.
The conductor told sad story OF prlVa-
ton also. He said ne had only one little
girl, but she was u cripple. The child had
come one day to bring his dinner to him,
and on the way had been run over by IA
brewery wagon loaded with glucose beer
and a tat driver. The conductor heard her
1 T. IN IN ia a
out from under the hind wheels. but tn
other wheels ran over her and injured her
spine. Now he had To leave her at home
all day in charge Of his wiie's mother. who
was paralyzcd on one side ana an habltuas
drunkard on the other.
Yes. he said, the company locked him
for the time he was absent when he ran to
save his little girl. though he only lost one
trip. lie was not u complaining man. he
said. but sometimes it seemed hard. The
reporter made copious notes. and that
night made two columns OF tho 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 II atcrial or their Jour
mails, and when they saw that he was Sc
curing Information for publication they
proceeded Mt a rapid rate to fill him up,
and, even as the reporter was listening TO
the smooth and fearful tale OF the driver
would tell him.
In the ate: noon tho editor told him that
he would not do. You ought to know
better than that" he said. You have made
us IA subject o. mirth, 10. the other papers
have got their stories direct rom the
driver and the conductor Of the same car.
and the worst OF il is that they tell all
about how they loaded you up with prop
erty facts and IOw coarse faiscnOodS. You
ought to know better than to saow your
notebook. anyway, unless you want to be
done up. Now, go and act at oncC. and do
something creditable. or 60 away and
never come back any moro. | am sick and
tired OF people who have no originality Of
thought. Why do you not leaI u lie OF
shame or murder some one. and write it up
Tor us?"
Tho reporter said he would do the best
he could. He began by taking drink at
4. place where you can got cocktail, a
fresh egg. and a bowl of bread and milk
with music and shave. for ten cents.
When we stop to consider that tao cost OF