Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1891-09-29
"ME SIDE PAisDN En-"
The Reporters "scoop." Which was Made
by Chance.

The Reporters "Scoop," Which was Made
by Chance.
Years ago lay in bed one morning,
reading what had written the night
before. After damning the proof read
ing, and admiring my stuff, which still
shone despite the efforts of poor ed
itor to take the shine out I bethought
me of the various uses I could make OF
the additional stipend resulting from d
scoop. lsaid: "Mv dear Mr.. Patter-
son. pursue the days doings in the first
person whose identity is logged into
your life this day. if his or her life is
open to inspection, and you will get a
story"
That afternoon 1 met, on a street
crossing, q man | had to interview. and
we stood where we met until | was sud.
denly nearly knocked or pushed down.
When recovered my usual dignified
bearing | found that had been pushed
from in front of runaway team by q
very bright, exceedingly self-possessed
and sOiled young person, who drawled
out between puifs of a cigarette: Yer
chump, did yer want ter get killed."
[ discovered that my polite and eff
cient friend was Il newsbOy had some
times 'staked"-I quote his vernacular
at early hours in the morning, when
he confded to me that his game of cru
soc" had resulted in breaking him.
l only knew him as Pete" and l
knew him SO we'll that | anticipated his
next remark: I'm dead broke, Mr..
Patterson, an amt got no stake for de
evenin' papers,"
| stakcd Pete and took him to cloth
ier's where had credit and furnished
him with suit of clothes-which he
called harness-when it occurred to
me he was the person l should pursue
for nv story.
He thanked me profusely for the gift,
and declared he wanted to run home
and "show de harness to me mudder an
falder."
followed unobserved, and discovered
that it was to another relative Pete de-
sired to display his fine feathers, for in
half an hour he emerged from a pawn
shop, dressed in his old suit OF rags,
and with 81 OF his uncle's coin in his
pocket
felt fairly rewarded for my pursuit,
and convinced that I was Gu the track
of a story, if not a scoop.
Pete made bee line for an alley back
of an evening paper Office, where l OBJ
served him lose my stake and his I'M
cle's loan in the varying fortunes Of
''crusoe," played with undaunted cour-
age but poor luck. | concluded. in the
wisdom Of my experience, that could
then afford to relax my watch; that, if
left alone, Peter would soon hunt me
up.
On my way down to the editorial room
after dinner, Pete waylaid me, saying
''Me ladder broke his leg in de foundry,
an me mudder sent for de doctor, who
said me ladders leg could rot before
he'd touch it. less he had five plunks
down in advance, de snoozer! So ups
and shoves de harness wild me uncle,
and wild wOt yer staked me | raised de
five, see? An so I'm broke, bein a good
boy, and lOvin' me mudder."
Thereupon Peter wept beautifully,
being excited with his efforts OF imagi-
nation and lack of dinner.
Then took my potential SCOOP to
coffee house-'a bun joint in his slang
and fed him. In the honesty begot-
ten of full stomach and contented
mind, Pete confded to me that he had
mo ladder nor mudder, nor brudder,
nor nothin'," but lived in de ''place" of
his ''side pardner."
Pete's side partner, he explained, was
Glasgow Jack, the keeper of a slogging
den-a kind Of place which fourished in
this community before the promotion of
slogging was made the vocation of the
male 200.
Glasgow Jacks being an all-night
house was frenuented In the early hnnrs