The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-02-13
THE STORY.
BY A. F. MATTHEW'S.
OF the New York Sum-

men," from presidents down to pugil-
lists; after one has investigated all sorts
OF cases, from murder mysteries to sui
cldes, robberies and disappeararces;
after one has seen great ceremonials,
religious and civic; after one has par
tlclpated in tremendous excli. ntcu5s Of
various kinds, and has g the miser
les, the joys, the shams, the real reali-
ties Of this world, as none but reporters
ever see them, to be asked what is the
most interesting and remarkable
episode of so varied an existence as a
reporters, is something calculated to
stagger one off hand. 1t is like being
asked to describe from memory which
was the most pleasing Or remarkable
group of colors in a kaleidoscope which
has been turning before ones eyes every
day for several years.
frankly own that I was unable to
answer the question at the time it was
asked, but l have thought much over
it since, and the readers of The Patb-
finder shall have my answer to the
question, taking it for what it is worth.
The most interesting and remarkable
experience | ever had as a reporter has
to do with a brave girl-a young wo-
man she might be called, for she was
Is years old and wore long dresses,
and, I think, was engaged to be mar
ried. If she hadn't plighted her troth
before the path of my life across
the circle of her existence, I am sure
she did so almost Immediately after
ward. Not, however, because 1 had
anything to do with it, for 1 didn't, but
because she proved herself worthy of
the admiration and affection of any
man, and there was a young man so
deeply in love with her that, I think,
he sometimes forgot he lived at all.
Nor do I blame him for it; and the
strangest part of it all is that l have
forgotten that girls name.
But then 1 was only a reporter-into
this thing day and into that the
next-and how could I be expected to
AOAlCLL4OOA " gu 14CbNl4O hOL4 L CT
saw buSonce, and never expect to see
see again, and whose heroism is the
only excuse l have for remembering
her at all.
When l was a reporter in Philadel-
phia, six years ago, the city editor of
the Press, under whom l worked, one
day came to my desk, and said:
Il have a telegram saying there has
been an accident out on the main line
of the Pennsylvania Railroad-well,
here's the message. It says that two
or more persons were killed by the
Pacific express last night, and l wish
you would see what there is in it."
That evening-it was in June-just
before dusk l got off at the station in
question, stepped up to the newsstand
on the platform and said to the young
man in charge:
Il understand there was an accident
out here last night somebody killed
on the railroad-was that so9"
That's a mistake" he replied, mo
body killed bus a horse"
I asked a few more questions and
was about to inquire when the next
train left for Philadelphia, so that l
might go back to the office and report
that I had gone on a wild goose chase,
when the young man said:
That's a mighty plucky girl that
was in that accident, sir. Everybody
is talking about here out here"
Well, if you're a newspaper man,
and some one makes such a statement
to you and you don't investigate it you
would better go out Of the business at
once, and begin driving a horse-car or
peddling fish or something of that kind.
investigated. found that about
o'clock on the might before a young
man and his sweetheart guess it is
just as well that l have forgotten her
name, for I think she wouldn't care to
have me use it, and, perhaps, she has
changed it for another-were driving
into Philadelphia on the old Lancaster
turnpike after an afternoon in the
country, photographing whatever took
their fancy. The pike crossed the rail
road on a bridge over a deep cut. The
bridge used to cross the cut in a slant
ing direction, but the county officials
built a new one, shorter than the other,
and placed it at right angles over the
cut, making a sharp turn in the road
necessary. In the day time it was
easy enough to see that the change had
been made, but this night vas SO dark
that the young people (perhaps there
was q little romance in it, too) decided