Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-06-07
THE REPORTERS STORY.

After the nights work, in The early
morning. Old Bill and l repaired To q
restaurant for lunch. Bill was a vet
eran reporter. a good worker and q
hard drinker AS usual his first order
wes for whisky and after he had drunk
it ais tongue l00sene1 and he told me
aov me took to drink.
81 don't often talk this way to young
reporters like YOU he said, "but I'm
going 90 make an exception now, and
tell how [ happened 10 take TO drink
ing. Perhaps it VIII be your duty one
of these days to- tell how Quit-a two
stick item-the old st0ry-you know
what mean.
Bin pulled his hat further down over
his eyes and brought his heavy hat
down hard on the little table.
OF used 90 live i'm Ohio, ne went on.
'I studied law. and was one OF your
promising young men, Everybody had
good word for me. i'm fact, the good
words came so rapidly that lost my
head. You've heard about the youth
who felt that he wasn't good tello"
because he didn't drink-on idea that
losing it's grip in these days. Well /
was o prominent member Of that class.
Won are o vOuugster now, and / nope
that YOU have a different sort OF brain
ia v0ur head from mine when 1t was
Young. Why. ia quit all OF this mis-
cradle busiuess-whisky the world
and everything if to was not for
Bin leaned back in his chair and
eq7el aft the ceiling. His white nat
frmb'ed TO the floor, but he did not APP
near to notice that it had fallen. HIS
heavy. short coat came open, displaying
shirt 'front.' on which spots of tobacco
iuice produced O polka-dot effect Ii
was q hants0ueiy-Cut face that the
electric light shone upon; the eyes were
closed and the experienced reporter
uumbled to himself. Then, after
moment or two. he broke ont again.
There's Just one thing that keeps me
i1 the swim. as they say. ! never told
vou did I. that I've got q ten-year-olo
chHd down at Sangamon? It's q girl
when ] saw her the last time she was
q pretty thing like her mother
hin smiled through the whisky gloom
of his face-One of those smiles based
on O thing that is gone, rather than on
% harrenig of the present or nope OF
the future.
You must know. he went on, that
she wouldn't set much of good LOOKS
from me- There's O. theory somewhere
.r French science tina q child gets rs
ver cent of ils characteristics from Jua
father 80 from the mother and o. from
the great ancestral line. So we'll leeI
the mother and the ancestors have creu-
f. for the good looks that my little Bet
tvs cot-Betty was her mother name
been dead seven or eight years. now.
Funny how you'll forget t&e exact time
of such unpleasant things. Betty
down at Sangamon going to school. one
of these DAYS I'm going TO bring heI 10
town and let her see the sights. IhaI
viii be a sort of vacation for her ana lot
me- too. She'll be some time IN getllhs
to- know me, for it's Two years no" since
I've been down there.
The clatter of q passing fire appartu3
drowned the close of bits sentence.
He STAGGERED TO- his feet, alert 20 oHeI
himself upstairs. Ii the fire amounted
taanvtbiDg. Orlinarilya hreal2rln ina
erea- city is commonplace natter
even I'd newspaper reporters; but 1Ae
zine of night and the fact that q downs
town apparatus was ont caused us 10
think that trouble was ahead. / hur-
-fod ro the elevator and i'm s. moment
was on the sixth floor, in the local
room of the Sun. The night city edi-
r9r was az the telephone.
Its the left wing Of the big Samari-
tan Hospital on Ninth street, he eN-
claimed. on instant later. "Here,
johnson. take charge of it on the
Ground. Henderson. take charge Of
me insurance-fnd the secretary.
Rliss. / want q good description Of the
General effect Browne. keep near the
authorities and don't miss al accident