The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-12
EXCLUSIVE TO THE HERALD. !"

only one paper gets. If you can possibly
secure one, on your first days trial, 1 can
assure you of regular salary. They don't
come every day, to be sure; but keep your
eyes open. Mark me- now: There is one
thing worse than failure to get SCOOP
and that is getting beaten yourself By
all you hold most dear, never let that hap
pen to you. In journalism, Mr.. Bentley, it
is justifable homicide to kill another re-
porter whom you suspect of having exclu-
sive intelligence of moment upon his per-
son-providing, again, you can do so with
out the news of killing reaching his Office
before it does ours
1t was somewhat f1ippant, but l thought
1 could make the old man understand in
that way.
He seemed lost in the intricacies of the
position. After pause he said: 1T all
seems very strange. / had no idea that
newspaper writing was $3.50 complex.
But l will do my best; and if there is any
chance of a scoop you can rely on me,
can assure you
AS 1 was showing him where to get some
copy paper the news editor came in. He
eyed the old man quizzically a moment,
and when he went out followed him with
his eyes.
terviewed as to why he lived so long?" he
inquired carelesslv as he took his seat.
Internationally, 1 never thought Burns's
humorous paragraphs worth printing!
NO that's the new reporter" 1 an
swered, with a slight uneasiness. "A very
competent man, i believe"
Yes, he looks like it, he grunted, turn
ing over his letters. You'd better put
him on inquests." This was the highest
flight of Burns's sarcasm.
About o'clock that evening the old man
returned. He looked pale and tired. Seating
himself at a desk in the reporters room he
wrote steadily for an hour or so, without
seeming to mind the noisy young men who
came in from time to time. In due course
he brought me his copy, and when he had
gone l seized the sheets eagerly. l reao
them through. About half the matter writ
ten so carefully threw into the waste
basket without thought. The remainder
l reread. Then, with a blue pencil, tried
to marshal the rest into something like
order When | had finished the half dozen
pages were covered with spiaer webs in
blue
The next day Bentley was awaiting my
arrival in a state of perturbation.
Excuse me, sir, he exclaimed, bursting
in from the reporters room with the morn
ing's Herald outspread in his hand, Eek
cuse me, sir, but l should have seen the
proof last night. Some of my reports must
what is here is so changed that can hard
ly recognize it. Can it be possible that the
printers can't read my writing? l try to
write very plainly. Do they leave out mat
ter they can't read?
Really, Mr.. Bentley" 1 replied, endeav-
oring to escape his eager gaze, 1T very
often happens that a great deal of matter
has to be boiled down. Contrary to the
general impression of the public an editor
Is always in a quandary what to leave out,
not what to fill up with. I'm sorry your
stuff was mutilated' Che WINGED at the
word stuff, generic for newspaper mat
teri, but I'm convinced it met a common
fate. Indeed" 1 added. glancing at the
Herald before me, i find that most of the
local was condensed and a large part of it
kllled-that IS thrown away, left out alto
gether, you know.
1t soon became question as to how far
/ could lend the old man assistance. Feel
ing responsible for him and for his work,
the constant watch over him was wearing
and inconvenient. AS the chief editor, no
less than the news editor, was a man of
moods, | was fearful lest he discover in
BentleyS copy cause for complaint, which
was with him tantamount to dismissal.
But the time came when I obliged to
absent myself from the office only for a day
and night. Until now l had been able
to exert a saving espionage. One of the
reporters was to fill my place, and to him
contided my fears with a request that he
look out for the old man and prevent his
getting into trouble. This he promised to
When 1 returned, however, found
pretty storm upon the eve of development
before the chief editor came to me.
Look here! he cried, waving the morn
ing paper furiously. who on earth wrote
this stuff? And who allowed it to pass?"
glazed at the paragraph indicated and
detected Bentley's style. Evidently his
time was come. L did not know how to
Mr.. Jackson took my place last
night" / began.
The chief turned to Jackson.
Jackson he cried entering the report
erS' room" Jackson, did you pass this
stuff?'
There was an ominous silence. Then. II
did, sir" came in Jacksons voice.
Indeed! And will you kindly give me
the name of the idiot who wrote it?
1t was all up with Bentley, I felt sure.
THE name of the idiot who wrote it,
came Jacksons voice again in calm tones,
lis Jackson"
A silence followed / saw the managing
editor striving to back down with dignity.
There was no better reporter on the paper
than Jackson.
never knew you to be guilty of such rot
before"
And in moment more he had made a
graceful retreat.
For the time Bentley was saved, but all
the reporters We're not Jackson, and felt
that 1t was but a. lull before the storm
that was bound to come. And 1t came but
week or so afterward.
When he came in shortly after o'clock
he seemed faint and ILL., and / tried to get
him to go home But he had to call at the
principal police stations that night to see
If anything startling had occurred that
evening.
The old man had come to be a sub-police
reporter. His chief was a STRIPPING of
convivial habits, in high favor with the
managing editor because he never missed
anything. This night the chief" so 1
learned, was off" consequently Bentley
for the first time was in a position of some
responsibility. When he came back to the
office late he reported that there was moth
ing worth writing about; but when the pa
per went TO press Bentley was beaten.
Among my duties when l first went to
the office in the morning was the compari-
son of the columns of the Herald with
those of our contemporaries, to see what
If any, items of news we had missed, and
what we had that the others had not. This
was, ordinarily, an easy task.
1t was only on Bentley's case that ever
felt anxiety for the prestige of the Herald.
On this particular morning / picked up
the Gazette first, and startled to find
of the sensational arrest of a. long wanted
forger, that had taken place late the pre-
viouS night. hastily referred to the Her.
aid.
There was not q line of it.
None of the editors had yet arrived. I
waited for Bentley. There was nothing to
do but to discharge him upon the spot; that
at least would save him from the abuse of
the managing editor.
In the course of half an hour the old men
came in. He smiled cheerfully and said.
Good morning." but he saw at the second
glance that something serious was the mat
ter. He paused.
''Mr Bentley do you know that there
was sensational arrest last night? How
came YOU not to hear about it at the chief
station? The other papers have it.
He did not answer he was evidently
trying to grasp the enormity of the stu
alton.
there's