Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-02-21
ROMANCE IN JOURNALISM.

DCLIOi IL bHS 1IobOIy vi LII Lulu. SO
many things happened then to urn
u W Immediate world upside down
that we have not recovered from the
effects yet-indeed, they are only just
beginning to be felt.
In the beginning the editor accepted
a position IN a New York paper and
his place was filled by Austin NARROW,
a friend of our former chief and a
man who surpassed him, if such q
thing were possible, in severity and
industry.
About that time, too, the Avalanche.
a contemporary that had appeared be
fore the public in a blaze of glory
about six months before, was declared
insOlvent and died out in a flicker of
despair, and its corps of reporters and
editors were compelled to accept the
disagreeable occupation of seeking po-
sitiOnS elsewhere. BY some device, ONE
of them, a man who had something of
a power in the management of the de-
funct paper, cOntrivcd to be appointed
managing editor of the Call, and an
other one drifted around I'll way and
found refuge under the wing of the
Echo.
She was the second girl we had ever
had on the force, for in spite of the
BRILLIANT record Belle Scott had made
for herself before she ended her career
as a professional reporter by marry
ing the then city editor, the Echo had
persiSLently refused to allow another
woman within its portals, and we had
ora 1n1IlV resumed ON. 90 St off h hit-
and had become almost as badly de-
moraliZed as we were when our first
girl appeared among us. But when
Eve JamiSOn came over from the Ava
1anche the new management conSid-
cred the matter of accepting her for
awhile and then, to our mingled Joy
and regret, she became one of us.
The man from The Avalanche, who
had become manager of the Call, evil
IDENTIFY had ideas of his w about run
ming a newspaper, and he was rapidly
transforming the Staid columns of that
conservative old journal into a series
of sensational headlines and thrilling
paragraphs that made timid readers
tremble and wonder what the world
In general and journalism in particu-
lar was coming to.
One evening in the beginning of Au-
gust the Call contained a rather start
ling statement abOu the departed Ava
lanche. 1t affirmed that the premature
demise of that paper was caused by
mny crooked deals among some of the
business managers, transactions by
which q few interested profited at the
expense of the others, and which, if
exposed, would result in severe pun
ishment being inflicted upon the guilty
persons; and, it added, it was known
beyond a doubt that there were, at
the time of the writing, people in the
employ OF the Echo who were seriously
implicated in the d~iSgraceful affair.
Our city editor smiled when he read
it, and decided that, though the arti-
Gle savored of war in the near future,
it was undoubtedly the better part of
valor to let the tomahawk rest a little
while. But Eve Jamison was eager to
accept the challenge at once and in
some way she succeeded in getting u
vigorous reply in the Wednesday morn
ing echo.
That day about ten o'clock she re-
ceiyed a note from the editor of the
Call. 1t was brief, but emphatic.
please call at our office before we've
O'Clock, or you will surely regret it."
She asked the advice of no one, but
went as requested.
you are prompt the editor said
with a smile. You must have under
stood the full meaning of my message"
NO" she answered, Il did not IN
derstand that in the least, but l under
stand o well enough to know that
there is some v~illainy afoOt, and | wish
10 KNOW what it is"
You are frank, as USUAL he told
her blandly. mo, there is no villainy
afoot, now, Miss Jamison, only an at
tempt to expose past fraud. The
reason | sent for you is this. You
were in the confidence of all the lead
ing lights of the Avalanche, mi l
want you to- give me all the Informal
tion you can about the matter limited
at in the Call last night. 1 know there
T many things connected with that
enterprise that will not bear investi-
cation. | am going to write the affair
up fully in this paper, and if you don't
tell what you know, | shall take it for
granted that you are in with the head
schemers hand and glove and 1 shall
denounce vol as an accomplish"
you are right" she said, lin stating
that l had the confidence OF my en-
ployers. They trusted me far more
than they ever did you, even though
you tried so hard to %ingratiate your
self enough to learn all the ins and
outs of the business. l do not know
that there were yer any unfair deal
ings. But if l had positive knowledge
that there We're, 1 would let you de-
nounce me a thousand times over be-
fore 1 would give one particle of in
formation TO such a disreputable sheet
as you bave made this paper. In its
columns your own character is mir
rored. l suppose you are doing this
In remembrance of that little unpleas-
antness last winter"
well, not altogether" he said,
cooly. 81 don't mind admitting that !
do entertain a little more luminosity
toward you than any one else, for q
man never forgets such a decided re
lection as you CAV me. But l hold
a grudge against the whole concern
1ney never treated me right. consider
inp tho nnvvar r ao-lI 49, ~ =.