The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-08-04
RAW JOURNALISTS.
The Efforts Of Ambitious Young
sters at interviewing.
Some Specimens of the Ridiculous Figures
Cut by the Journalistic Buds In
tho Presence OF Proml-
nent Pcrsonnges.

The'tcSts to which reporters stamina
Is at times put are often severe and
1raught not always with success, says the
Chicago Post Among them, Que which
fairly tries the soul of the young one is
first assignment to interview some
prominent parsonage who has just ar
rived. 1t 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
editor. And the young man, who has
heard OF the renowned visitor times
without number, will without doubt
Immediately forget all he ever knew
concerning the gentleman in question.
He will perhaps begin to feel that his
youthful ideas ofe1ouinalism were the
outgrowth not of sound Judgment but
OF dreams superinduced by an overload
ed stomach Pride, however, prevents
his rcsigning; and into the presence OF
the great man he goes, his mind
blank, and with that empty feeling
which comes to one unaccustomcd to
associate with celebrities
During the recent visit Of cx-United
States Senator Warner Miller to Chica-
go, one of these journalistic buds called
on him ut the. Auditorium Tho New
Yorker received him graciously and Of
fered him a seat. The bud took il. Ills
mind was still blank and q pinch did
not start an idea. The silence YVES be-
coming a torture, when through the
open window came The voice of nous
boy far below:
"Au about Gen. Sherman diving"
1t was an inspiration. The bud wss
not up n politics. But he thought he
was, and with u smile of confidence he
said
Senator, do you think that the death
OF Gen- Sherman will materially change
the complexion of Ohio politicsr'
The establishment that cnme into the
senators face at the question was i'm
mcdiately chased away by q 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 zee him. He found the zen
eral smoking in the center of his room at
the Grand Pacific hotel. gazing with one
eye through the jackson street window
and with the other through the window
that faced Clark street. The youna
bud was attacked by stage fright, but
after bit he collected himself enough
to ask The general the popular question
of the day:
What. general, do you think OF Eela
purchase by the Bostons"'
The general surveyed the bid with
his left eye and in n severe tone d.
quired:
"Who In thunder is Eel?"
Dee,ning himself unequal to the task
Of coping with such ignorance, the bud.
suddenly recovering his self-possession,
bowed stiffly and, without deigning TO
answer, withdrew.
When Hamilton Fish lost came to
Chicago another bud from the same pa-
per, CHANGING 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
Ply nearly aquartcr of century. MIR,
Fish was il a decidedly uncommunica-
tive mood, and to dozen queries he
returned monosyllablic replies. This
ended the buds store Of questions. and
he turned to go, when thought struck
him.
mir. Fish," he innocently inquired.
"were you ever in politics%'
= The question struck Mr. Fish with
the force Of an electric shock. lie sprang
to his feet and, with mingled wrath,
amazencnt and disgust pictured in his
face, cried;
"Wha-at? Was ever In politicsl
Why, young man, was once vice ra>esi-
dent of the United Statcs!"
And, like the guests of Macbeth, the
bud stood not upon the order of his 60
ing, but vanished with the echo of the
Numbered words.