Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-11-09
MIKES NEW STORY.


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Mike was drunk
That vas natural. for Il VAS Friday
nieht and Mike ~as paid ON Friday
s{teruoon- We would have thought
IL nnnatarpl II Mike had nos been
drunk. He MAS not boiled drunk.
bat just drunk snoagh 70 have keen
edge On his vita
Ike was the Waterman In the report
er's roosn - the city hall In Philafsl-
phia- He had another nsme--a last
name--but We hardly ever heard H.
The fsct IL. We never did hear much
from OF about him Most OF the tiras
when on duty he read . Newspaper OF
. book. though sometimes, plying his
loneliness. we would ask him 70 Join in
. game Of s.high-low." He was good
player. had good luck and usually won.
Mike did deed on this particular
Friday night which viii cause him 70
BE- remembered. ~ long 90 tradition
lssts among reporters
II WA this way:
Mike had fallen asleep because he
was drunk. but he swoke while we
were discussing the lack Of news. some
one said TO him:
.'why don't you get us . story. Mixer
You ought to know something"
"P'r'aps Oh ought an pr'aps OF
oughtent.' he said. blinking his red
eyes-
"Now, look here" said he who had
first spoken. I'll tell you what well
do. II you'll give as . real elegant
story. well give you twenty dollars for
IL Won't wef" he asked Of the rest Of
Va. with broad smile on his face.
We said of course we would
Mike said nothing for fully \ minute.
while he gazed steadily ~ US, looking
from one to the other Of the six faces
before him.
"Will youse give the twonty 70 moi
wife to-morrcr. II give yer the sthory
now?" he asked, finally.
''0f course we will, Mike, but I
didn't know you had Q wife," an
swercd. We had always taken IL for
granted that he was unmarried, there
fore we were surprised when he spoke
of wife.
''oi have wife an OF can git .
sthory"
what IL she likee and have you any
heirs?" was asked. We were more in
terested TO learn something about
Mikes family than to hear the story.
for we did not have much faith in his
news capacity.
II have hairs an moi woife's foine
woman, she is. an blamed soight
too good for a drunken haste the loikes
of poiself. But that's no matter. win
yer give the twenty balls TO her IL Oh
git yer the sthory?"
Certainly we will. but you'll have
TO give us your address, Where do you
live. Mike?"
listen, an OH tell yer where at Oh
live" And we listened. Then he
made us give a written statement,
signed by us all. promising that we
would give his wife the twenty dollars.
Now yer SHAY right here till Oh
boiler TO yer to come Dim goin' out
on Their roof TO lack fer somethin'.
Sure as any of youse foller me Oil not
give yer the sthory. Does yer see?"
We saw and sat down to wait II
was twelve o'clock then. A half hour
passed. Three-quarters, and we be-
gan TO think that he had gone To sa-
loon and got drunken, SO that he could
not come back. and we had also begun
TO think that IL he did not bring his
''sthory" on pretty soon, we would not
get il in time for publication
Then we heard him call.
We jumped from our chairs and all
hurried out the door and along the
corridor 20 the roof. We could see
nothing of Mike after looking around.
so we shouted for him to tell us where
he was. He answered and we saw him