The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-08-16
A BOOK THAT HELPED him.
Would Be Reporter Took city Editors
Advice with Great Results.


"Do / think that classical education
helps 20 giyea man start i'm journalism
echoed the man whose experience entities
him To be heard with respect on such
topic in endayCring TO answer such u
question il would be hard TO speak except
ing from personal experience. Many con-
tord, yory ably, that man should start
in early instead of spending the time nc
college. No man is able TO analyze the ca
reer OF another so closely as 10 indicate ex-
actly what turn Of fortune or circum-
stances has caused him TO achieve or fall.
"What would your own career lead you
to say about the matter" persisted the
young man who was seeking information.
81 don't hesitate 10 say that IL was the
possession OF "a slight acquaintance with
the classics that gave me an opening.
was fresh from college and was compare
lively without resources. wanted To do
newspaper work, and / hung around the
office OF metropolitan journal, despite
was no chance for me. ="
"Did you tell them that you had just
completed your Cducationl"
81 think / let some remark to that effect
drop 1t was a time when the ability to
ommendation to man than the ability TO
make sure that it was true. This was es'
pecially the case in the Office which l was
haunting. The city editor was IA man Of
abrupt manner, and being quite low in my
funds, and on the verge Of desperation, L
resolved TO give up trying to win him by
gentle diflidence. He was very busy when
i went up to his desk and said:
"'Well, I've been here good while
now; it's about time you were giving me
IN assignment. He did not look up from
his work and he spoke only three words.
1t was u most ungentiemanly speech-one
| which l should have resented under any
other circumstances. l smothered my
pride and turned away from his desk very
much discouraged | don't know when
have ever felt more blue than | did on that
occasion. l was thinking of all the study
/ had wasted aBd Of how little value tins
books he'd read were in such a crisis. anc
then haG an inspiration l recalled as
much as / could of Dante's Inferno,
which | had studied in the original, anC
put it into colloquial phrase l described
the scenes of the great poem with TIT
graphic enthusiasm of modern eyewit
ness. 1t took me about two hours TO fin
ish il. l held ON to il until l knew the cit
editor would be over his wU.,:y with tn
paper, and it was after midnight when
went up to him with II spectacular burs
of speed and dropped my story on his desk
"'Whatp he exclaimed. Are you bac
here agan?'
"'What did you think was going to haI
pen TO meY' ! returned, putting on as Dol
front as possible.
"He seemed dazed and picked up m
! manuscript. When he had read two c
three pages, he looked up at me and said
, "'This Is live stuff.
l "He finished it without another wore
} but could see that was leading him
{ lively chase with the shades. Then /
. wrote headlines for it, and, turning
r me, said:
: "'That's great story. I'll have yo
put on the pay roll and you can report Il
: duty tomorrow A rival sheet has run
q several fakes on us and we'll beat 'em
/. their own gany. But I'd like to kno
j. this: How did yon come to do thisy'
!, "'You sent me to get the story you
V self, l answered.
"'To the internal regionsY
q, "'Yes, sir, said, in so many words
!, Washington Star