New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-09
4" ME SIDE.PARDNER"
A STORY OF A SoUGHT-FoR SCOOP.

Mn. DunnlCan SlnIIIDgIy
CALCULATIONS of the other newspaper men VINO gath-
FRED around Morman's supper-tabe. He had given
his paper a sensational scoop that morning. and
every man who congratulated him immedia'eV
asked:
" But how did you get on, DUNN? '
II got on to the story by accident, and that's
how nearly every scoop is brought In answered
III a story comes through the regular channels
there's chance for a scoop, and the newspaper
men who go about looking for chance stories eNlst
only in novels written by men who don't know
detail-book from scare hcad-barrlrg Tommy Paget
here. But Tommy is not newspaper man-he's
journalist"
More power to him!" exclaimed Mr., Lynn;
don't moind him. Tommy. Shure DUNN is Jeal-
Gus of ye It's the young gintlemen lolke you
who are elevatng the prOfeshion and the old hacks
loike DUNN and me must give way before tne
new regime, of which you are at once the orril-
ment and pride. glass of beer via you'
Tommy" .,
Tommy, who by this time was flushing slightly,
turned 70 Patterson and said with lofty scorn;
It's your turn, Patsy, TO score me jump IN
"pd strike bottom too quick" responded fatsy;
Any one else want to contribute To-, as ist
Tommy, with severe politeness; II not, II JUST
remark that while am humbly sensible Of my
sad deficiencies q journalist, which, by the
way. did not prevent my earning more on space
last week than Mr.. Dunnigan ever got as salary,
am still unwilling TO admit that because l keep
broke by retaining membership in a decent ciuo
instead of by. playing poker IKE Dunnl, or oe
cause / still bold 10 some decent social con-
nections, instead of totally outcasting myself as
all of you have am unwilling, ! say, 10 ADMIT
that / may not aspire TO the DIZZY proiessloal
heights capped by that group OF graces-Lyhh'
Tommy grew redder still at the roar of laughter
which greeted his fine speech, and glareo haughuly
Get out of III ring. you DUNN, and you
Patsy David has come again, and and Pm his
6eavy:weights-- Otto. schooner for Mr.. Paget. J"
Tommy continued TO glare at his ernning friends
for time. but soon Joined the grin, for. though
bristling with pugnacity, there was no one IN tue
party more alive than Mr.. Patet to the futihty OF
solitary grandeur in company of average NOR
tails SO
cred good-nature, ." before you all brayed at me-
that DUNN may he right in saying that most
SCOOPS are accidental, but sometimes they are
looked for. You remember my scoop in the Mel
bourne Rest robbery"
There was no immediate response 1t is pro
bable that every one at :he table did recall, but,
then, most of US sluggish in remembering other
well did get that scoop, and I did get it be-
cause / looked for il. IT about year ago
j had been doing the introduction to Patu nrst-
night, and was in evening dress so when turned
When told the driver to take me up here, he told
me. there was to he quiet cmcken-ilght In The
Melbourne Rest"
oh, Tommy, break away" interrupted DUNN; ;
"you got that scoop through the accident Of ring
ing for coop, the driver of which happened to be
That's So" admitted Tommy, somewhat crest
fallen; Il put on by an accident
They won't let you tell your story, Tommy
not accidental" said Mr.. Patterson. Years ago,
lay in bed morning, reading what had
written the night before as you all do every morn
ing OF your lives gentlemen. After damnng the
proof reading. yOu all do, and admirng my stuff
which still shonc despite the efforts Of a stupid
editor to take the shine out-as you all admire
yours bethought me Of the various uses could
make of the additional stipend resulting from
scoop. said Ny dear Mr. Patterson, pursue the
days dOings of the first person whose identity is
logged into your life this day., if his or her life is
open to inspection, and you will gee story
That afternoon met on strect7c i,s "a, a
met, until / was suddenly nearly knocked, or
pushed down. When l recovered my usual digni-
fed bearing, found that had been pushed from
in front of a runaway team by very bright. eA-
ceedngly sclf-possessed, and soed young person,
who drawled out between puirs OF cigarette :
Yer chump, did Yer want ter get kileded"
" / discovered that my polite and efficient friend
was newsboy had sometimes staked'-I quote
his vernacular-at early hours in the morning,
when he confdcd TO me that his game of 'crusoe'
had resulted in breaking him.
~ knew him only as Pete and knew him so
we'll that anticipated his next remark: I'm dead
broke. Mr.. Patterson, an amt got stake fer der
evenin' poipers.'
Il staked Pete and took him to a clothier's,
where i had credit and furnished him with suit
of clothes-which he called harness-when It oc-
CURED 10 that lie was the person should pursue
"IIe thanked me profusely for the gift, and de-
clared that he wanted TO run home and show de
harness to me muddeI an ladder
II followed unotservcd, and discovered that
it was 10 another relative Pete wanted TO display
his fine feathers. for in half an hour, he emerged
from pawnshop. dressed in his old sui1 of rags
and with four dollars of his uncle's coin in his
pocket
convinced that l was on the track of q story, If
NOT o scoop
Pete made Decline for an alley back of an
evening Newspaper Office, where l observed him
lose nv stake and his uDcles loan in the varying
fortunes of crusoe,' played with undaunted cour-
age but poor luck: concluded in the wisdom
of experience that ] could then afford 10 relax
my watch: that. if left alone, Peter would soon
ION INV way down 70 the editorial rooms. after
dinner. Pete waylaid me- Me fadder broke hi:
leg in de foundry he began, an me mudder
sent fer de doctor. who said me ladders leg
could rot before he'd touch il, less he had five
plunks down in advance, de snoozer! So upS
an shoves de harness wild me uncle an, wild wot
yer .stalled me, raised de FIVE, see An Sc
"Ihereupon, Peter wept plcntifully, being eX
cited with his efforts of the imagination and
Then i took my potential scoop to coffee
house-'a bun-joint' in his slang-and fed him
In the honesty begotten of a full stomach ant
contented mind Pete confided Ia Inc that he haG
Tut lived in the place of his side-pardner'
"Pete's side partner he explained, was Glasgow
Jack the keeper of slOgging-den-a KIND o.
place. Tommy, which fiOurished in this community
before the promotion of slogging was made thu
vocation Of the male two hundred.
Glasgow Jacks. being an all-night place, wa.
frequented in the early hours of the morning by
men who. having the drcar prospect OF anothe
day close at hand. sought 10 ameliorate the
conditions by that forgetfulness which comes from
an early glance at morning paper.
Pete, in exchange for the privilege OF sleep
Ing on the mattress used for wrestling matches
brought the earliest papers TO Glasgow Jack
thereby holding Jacks customers, 10 the prom
bf the bar. II seemed a fair bargain, as Pet
explained 1t, but the chances for a scoop were
not improving.
ITO make sure of my game, 1 agreed will
Pete 10 stake him in the press-room soon al
the paper off, and we parted.
THAT night went down TO the press-room, OF
the elevator, with the last plate, and there wa,
Pete, fighting, with science and success 10 main
tain his place at the head Of the line of waiting
newsboys, all anxious 70 get bundles for the all
night places, where two-bits is often picked III
for an early paper.
II was TOO dark 10 follow Pete, 40 told hin
] had notion 10 meet his side-pardner,' anc