The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-04

Would ~ Reporter Took City Editors
Advice with Great Results.

Would M Reporter Took City Editors
Advice with Great Results.
"Do think that classical education
helps to gives man start in journalismf"
echoed the man whose experience entities
him to be beard with respect on such
topic. I'm endavoring to answer such o
question 1t would be hard to speak except
/ Ing from personal experience. Many con-
send, very ably, that man should start
N early instead Of spending the time at
college. No man Is able to analyze the ca
/ recr Of another SO closely as to indicate ex-
actly what turn of fortune or circum-
stances has caused him to achieve or fall F."
what would your own career lead you
to say about the matter?" persisted the
young man who was seeking information.
II don't hesitate to say that IL was the
possession of u slight acquaintance with
the classics that gave mo an opening. L
was fresh from college and was compara-
lively without resources. wanted 10 do
newspaper work, and l hung around the
Office of n metropolitan Journal despite
numerous rebuffs and assurances that there
was no chance for me-"
Ibid you tell them that you had just
completed your education?"
II think let some remark to that effect
~
write startling story was more of rec
ommendation to a man than the ability to
make sure that it was true. This was es-
pecially tho case in the office which was
haunting. The city editor was man of
abrupt manner, and being quite low In my
funds, and on tho verge Of desperation,
resolved To give up trying to win him by
gentle difiidence. He was very busy when
/ went up to his desk and said
"'Well, I've been here a good while
now; it's about time you were giving me
an assignment. He did not look up from
his work, and he spoke only three words.
1t was most ungentlemanly speech-onc
which 1 should have resented under any
other circumstances / smothered my
pride and turned away from his desk very
much discouraged. ! don't know when
have ever felt more blue than 1 did on that
occasion. was thinking of all the study
i had wasted and Of how little value the
books had read were In such crisis, and
then l had an inspiration. / recalled as
much as / could of Dante's Inferno
which had studied in the original, and
put it into colloquial phrase. described
the scenes of the great poem with the
graphic enthusiasm of q modern eyewit-
ness. 1t took me about two hours to fin
isH IL. uciu OH tO IU uHUll L KNEW Une Guy
editor would be over his worry with tho
paper, and 1t was after midnight when
went up to him with spectacular burst
of speed and dropped my story on his desk.
WHAT he exclaimed Are you back
here again?'
what did you think was going to hap
pen to mcg' i returned, putting on as bold
"A front as possible
''He seemed dazed and picked up my
manuscript. When he had read two or
three pages, he looked up at me and said:
This is live stuff.
'Ho finished it without another word,
but / could see that l was leading him u
lively chase with the shades. Then nc
wrote headliness for it, and, turning To
me, said
That's great story. III have you
put on the pay roll and you can report for
duty tomorrow. A rival sheet has run in
several fakes on US and we'll beat 'em at
their own game. But I'd like to know
this: How did you come to do thisy'
You sent me to get the story your
self, i answered.
ITO the Internal regiOps?'
Yes, sir, said, lin SO many words '"
Washington Star.