The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-26

don't wonder that people dstrust the
| newspapers If men of your standing in
the profession are willing to write stuff
like that for the sake OF the few paltry
dollars it will bring in. Can't YOU see that
1t is just such things as this that are
making journalism byword and a re-
| proach."
The Young Reporter was very much in
earnest, as from afar his eye followed
the relentless course of the copy-reader's
blue pencil through his carefully prepared
cOpy-"manuscripr he called IT,.
My young friend" said the Old Re
porter, Il admire your enthusiasm, and 1
approve your sentiments. II is just such
spirit as yours among the best of the
younger men that will always tend TO
raise higher and higher the already lofty
standard of what you are pleased to call
journalism. There are, however, certain
of your statements to which take eXcep-
ton. In the first place, journalism is not
a profession; it is trade or a business.
In the second prace, l am not journalist;
I'm a reporter. In the third place, as to
the paltry dollar, I'm not in the business
for my health nor for any other consid-
Grafton than that which actuates men in
other kinds of buiness.
"As to the story of which you complain,
1t is a fake, as you say; ] confess It, But
perhaps when you hear the true version
OF II you Will think 1 was justified in MAX
| ing the changes that l did and you will
learn that it is not so much the things
which man puts in as the things which
he leaves out that makes the successful
reporter.
This is what really happened:
The mans name was O'Grady, and he
lived in Troy. He had borrowed bicycle
10 go on hunting trip through New Eng
land. He had a shotgun. This he carried
slung to the frame in the manner adopt
ed by military cyclists. But he had luck
He Travelled as far Claremont, N. H.
without bagigng so much as a robin. This
niled him with disappointment, which he
ala not like, so he proceeded to substitute
Tor 1t whisky, which he did like.
While he was in this frame of mind
darkness overlook him, few miles out Of
! the little village of Newport. The road
| was rough and lay through thick woods
suddenly OGrady was mortified TO see
a large animal come out from the bushes
by the roadside. A moments glance was
| sufic1ent to convince him that he was
| confronted by a bear of unusual dimen-
| sionS. He was startled, but not surprised
as he had been informed by a number of
| the leading citizens Of Newport, whom he
| had met at the tavern, that at least sew
| eral bears had been committing depreda-
| lions recently in the neighborhood.
"O'Grady was a quick thinker. and like
flash he thought he would stop. With
| OGrady to think was to act and he ap-
| piled the brake with such force that he
| was enabled to dismOunt without assist
ance over the handle bars. While ne was
| still II the air ne remembered that he
| had left his shotgun strapped to his ma
| chine. So the instant he landed he ran
back to get.
HE rapidly undid the fastenings, though
| he realized too well that the bird shot
with which his fowling piece was loaded
would offer but an inadequate obstacle to
| the onslaught of bruin, which continued
| to approach him, uttering weird cries.
He wished that he had brought some
rifle balls for just such an emergency.
| Then, like lightning, the association of the
two ideas of balls and bears made him
| think of the ball-bearings of the bicycle.
In second he had his wrench out and the
| fork off, and was ramming sixteen finest
tool steel balls down on the charge, with
bit of tire tape for wad
Not an instant too soon. The bear
was now close upon him, and, throwing
his piece to his shoulder, OGrady took
| hasty aim and fired. To his unspeakable
relief the shots took effect, and with
plaintive moo the bear fell to the ground.
At the same moment light flashed out
! from window to his right, and O'Grady
saw that his adventure had taken place
directly in front of a large farm house
sheltered by some noble elms. A second
glance revealed the fact that what he had
taken for bear was a fine Holstein heif-
er, which was tethered to the hitching
post with long rope.
THE sounds Of mems voices, and the
barking of a number Of dogs, which fol-
lowed closely upon the sound of the shot
and the appearance Of the light, caused
O'Grady to think that he had better be
getting to some place from which he could
send his explanations by mail
"On1y two methods Of escape occurred
to him-one way was on foot and the
other by bicycle. But on foot he would
be too nearly on even terms with possible
pursuers, and it was obviously not pos
sibie to ride his bicycle without its ball
bearings. With rare presence of mind
O'Grady whipped out his knife and rush
ing to the dead heifer found that all six
teen shots had taken effect in the animals
heart. With few deXterous cuts he re-
moved that organ entire and hurried back
to his wheel, extracting the balls as he
ran. Quickly replacing them he read
justed the fork, reslung his gun, mounted
his machine and was Off just as an ex-
cited group of farmers appeared upon
the scene. Fortunately an angry dispute
between two of the men, as to whether
the one who had just sold the heifer or
the one who had just bought il should
bear the loss and follow the bovicide en-
abled O'Grady TO get start that soon
placed him out of harms reach"
The Old Reporter stopped talking.
The Young Reporter looked at him with
respect. II did you an injustice" he
said. Il think you were perfectly right
to tone the story down"
Mamma: I think the baby is grow