The St. Johns herald., 1891-09-10
RAW JOURNALISTS.
Z!le Efforts Of Ambitious Young
 sttsrs at Interviewing.
.:oI.lc Specimens of the Ridiculous Figures Cut y the Journalistic Buds in t:ic I'-ese ce Of TroGni-
 neat Terson&Ges.

Ire 1ests to which g reporters stamina j. a-t t:1lcs put are often severe and trac -lss not always with success, says the J'..c..7) HCot. Among them, one which t~iEig tries tic soul of the young one is 2 1,4-t assignment to interview some prominent parsonage who has just ar rived. It is seldom that any other in- structions are given to him,
 ''So-and-So's at the - hotel Inter- view him for column says the city e,litor. And the young man, who has daald Of the renowned visitor times without number, will without doubt Immediately forget all he ever knew c5Eccr:ling the gentleman in question. Ie will perhaps begin to feel that his youthful ideas Of journalism were the outgroWth not of sound judgment but of dreams superinduced by an overload ed stomach. Pride, however, prevents his resigning; and into the presence of the great man he goes, his mind a blank, and with that empty feeling which comes to one unaccustomed to associate with celebrities.
 During the 'ecent visit of ex-United States Senator Warner GIiller to Chica- go, one of these journalistic buds called oa him at the Auditorium. The New Yorker received him graciously and of fcred him 2 seat. The bud took it. His rliEd was still blank and pinch did net start an idea. The silence was be- . coming a torture, when through the open window came the voice of a news boy far below:
 'An about Gen. Sherman dying" | l. was an inspiration. The bud was not up on politics But he thought he was, and with smile of confidence he said:
 i Senator, do you think that the death of Gen. Sherman will materially change the complexion of Ohio politics?"
 The astonisLment that came into the senator's face at the question was im- mediatcly chased away by smile as he replied that he hardly thought it would. The bud thanked him and withdrew.
 Several years ago when Ben Butler arrived in the city another bud was dis patched to sec him. He found the gen. ] eral smoking in the center of his room at ] eye through the Jackson street window and with the other through the window 1 that faced Clark street The young bud was attacked by stage fright, but after bit he collected himself enough to ask the general the popular question of the day:
 "Wh2t, general, do you think of Kels purchase by the BOStOnS?"
 The general surveyed the bud with his left eye, and in severe tone in- quired:
 1 ''WhO in thunder is Kel?" ! Deening himself unequal to the task of coping with such ignorance, the bud, gaddcnly recovering his self-possession, bowed stifly and, without deigning to answer, withdrew.
 When Hamilton Fish last came to Chicago another bud from the same pa- per, chancing to be the only reporter available, was sent to tap the distin- guished person. This bud managed to retain his self-possession, but he was not well acquainted with his victim, whose active career antedated his own by nearly quarter of a century. Mir. Fish was in a decidedly uncommunica- tive mood, and to a dozen queries he returned monosyllablic replies. This ended the buds store of questions, and he turned to go, when thought struck him.
 MT. Fish," he innocently inquired, ''were you ever in politics?"
 The question struck MT. Fish with the force of an electric shock. He sprang to his feet and, with mingled wrath, amazcment and disgust pictured in his face, cried:
 "Wha-a-t? Was I ever in politics! Why, young man, was once vice presi- dent of the United Statesr'
 And, like the guests of Macbeth, the bud stood not upon the order of his go- ing, but vanished with the echo of the thundeTed words.