Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-02-02
a TOWN wH1CH HAD 1DIoMs.
No Easy Thing to Do Newspaper Wori
in Such a Place.

IN Such q Pace.
After an hours talk the editor said
that he would board me and give ne S.
in cash for the week, and II suited and
seemed to FIJI the place we would make
some arrangement for the future. The
first thing l brought in and wrote up
was an article headed: "a Close Call
Attempt to Shoot the Postmaster" l
handed the copy to the editor, and he
read ABOUT half page and threw 1t into
the waste-basket.
II was afraid Of that" he observed,
as he turned to me. "You see, a
stranger cannot know the idioms Of
town."
81 fail to see any idiom about that"
replied. Its clear case of attempt
ed murder"
"Great mistake, my boy, great mis-
take. The man who did the shooting
is my brother-in-law, and owns half this
office. Considerable idiom about that, l
should say! Besides, any citizen is Ii
able to shoot at the postmaster any day.
It's sort of privilege we enjoy"
l went out and skirmished around
again, and had the good luck to drop
into q saloon just as row started. One
man was stabbed and two more had
their heads broken. made about a
quarter of column Of this affair and
handed in my copy.
"Um! Row down at the Bald Eagle
Saloon, eh?" muttered the editor. "Sam
Andrews stabs a man?"
"And Tom Kniff and Joe Sharp are
badly hurt?"
Yes, SIR"
cts no good" he said, as he tossed
the copy aside. II owe Sam 500 Dor
rowed money, and Tom and Joe are
regular subscribers. Besides that,
haven't we got a half-colum add OF the
Bald Eagle on the second page? That's
another idiom, my boy. 1 was afraid
you'd make a a failure Of it,"
was down at the heel, and wanted
that place bad. l went out and wan
dered around again, and was on the
hotel steps when the stage came in
bringing the dead body of man named
Pete Burbank. He had tried to hold
up the outfit and been shot by one OF
the passengers. l was writing this up
under three display heads when the
editor came in and asked:
"Well, what have you get hold OF
now?"
"Big thing. Road agent tried to hold
up the Rossville stage and is shot dead.
Body just been brought in"
Get his name?"
eyes; it's Pete Bueb2nk."
Cant touch that item," he said, as
he shook his head in solemn manner
''PeteS a brother of our Mayor, and the
Mayor has a mortgage on this Office.
He'd forecloSe on me quicker'n scat. As
I told you before, every town has its
own individual idioms, and stranger Is
quite apt TO walk on somebody's feel
ings. How are you on politics?"
"Pretty fair"
"Well, you might write me some
thing on the Mexican question"
That evening l handed him in half
column on "the situation" There was
Just then bitter feeling along the bor-
der, owing to the raids Of Mexican cat
tie thieves, and flatterep myself that l
had touched things up In good style.
"Sorry, my boy-Yery sorry" said the
old man, as he looked over the copy.
"You say here that these raids must
cease or Texas will rise in arms?"
eyes"
"Aud war may ensue?"
eyes"
"And you advise Texans to demand
satisfaction at the point Of the bayo-
net?"
"Of course"
st won't do he said, as he dropped
the copy into the waste-baSket. THE
only bank we have in town is owned by
Mexican, and I've got to borrow $40
of him TO get the next bundle OF paper.
If I printed this article he'd shut down
on me and bust the concern. You see,
every town has its odiomS."
"IS there anything in this town which
hasn't an idiom attached"
"Well, yes; but being a stranger you
probably couldn't. find it. Sorry for
you, and I'd like to give you a sit for q
week or two, but you see how 1t Is. |
expect Col. Joe King in tomorrow with
his mule train. and If you'd like me to
speak a good word for you
But I'd probably find another idiom
in that" interrupted.
That's so, you might. Come to
think Of it, Col. Joe has killed five men,
and he lives with four sQuaw wives, and
you'd progably be just burned idiot
enough to ask him why he didn't git re-
ligion and change his ways"