The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-05-01
HowAaD's First NEWSPAPER WORK.
The Genial Joseph Did a Checker Thing
Than Dilworth Choate of New York.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
New YORK, April 10.-The case OF
Choate, the reporter who hid in the jury
room at the Flack trial, has given rise to
all sorts of "reminiscences and yarns con-
corning instances Of newspaper enter.
prise, or reportoriai cheek. The story
Of Joe Towards first piece of newspaper
work il perhaps one of the most interest.
ing, and is certainly characteristic Of the
man.
Joe had just returned from an unsGc
cessful business venture in California
and was visiting friends il Lynn, Mass,
The great strike of the Lynn shoemakerS
was in progress, and when Joe reached
the hotel he found the names of hale Q
d"a Il well known newspaper reporters
on tie register. 1t was the fashion in
t.."s1 days for the correspondent to regis.
ter the name of the paper he represented,
and after Howard had read, 'So-and-so,
The New York Herald" Blank Blank,
The New York Tribune" and 80 on. he
became afflicted with spiri; of emuia.
ton and wrote in a large, towing hand,
Joseph Howard, Jr., The New York
Times" lie had, at that time, never
written a line for newspaper III his life,
and his only connection with The Times
was as an occasional purchaser. In the
course of the afternoon he met several
of the newspaper men and found that
they were IN the dumps. The strikers
were holding meetings with closed doors,
and it was impossible to learn anything
of their doings.
"Tll fix that, said Joseph, after listen
ing to the tale of woe
That evening he marched down to the
hall where the meetings were held,
shocked on the door, and when it was
opened boldly pushed his way in. He
strobe up the middle aisle to the plat,
form, stepped to the front, beside the
chairman's table, interrupted the speaker
with courteous yet commanding "Ex-
cuse me for one moment, please" and
then, before the astonished strikers could
regain their scattered senses, he launcN ed
into Enthusiastically Howardian
speech.
He told them that he had been sent on
by The New York Times to represent
their case fairly to waiting world; that
he wished to counsel with them, to advo.
cate their cause and assist them in gain
ing their point. He spoke enthusiastical-
ly of the rights of labor, of the power of
the press and the duty of American citi-
zens. He told them stories, got them
INTO thoroughly good humor and practi.
caIly took charge of the meeting. After
the meeting was adjourned he sat down
to write his first newspaper article. He
sent it to The Times without a word of
explanation, signed it "Howard" and
awaited developments. The letter reached
The Times Office late at night, and the
editor, supposing Howard" to be work
ing under Instructions from Mr.. Ray
mond, printed it.
The next morning when Mr. Raymond
came to the Office his first question was:
"Who is Howard" Nobody knew. His
matter was bright, readable, and a de
cided SCOOP" Mr.. Raymond com
municated with him and arranged to
have him follow the strike to the end.
On his return to New York he became
regularly connected with The Times, and
has stuck to newspaper work ever since.
If it had not been for his spirit of bluff
he would have probably been merchant.
and journals jm would have been with.
out one of its most entertaining figures.
ALLAN FORMAN.