Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-25
NIGHT WITH ST. NICK
B sing the Experiences Of Jones,
the Reporter.
WHlRLEDvR S ROOFS
Dizzy Ride Through Spacc.Bshind a strin =
Of Tlcet-footed Reindeer, witt, One
ar. Kris kr;nslc ana What
Came of 1t.

o~beJoytul Jones, the reporter, was
ousy every day in the week, but never
50 busy as on Saturday. On that dav
in addition to his usual routine he Had
10 get in his Specials" for the SUNDAY
edition. and. as Obejoyful was wont to
defer the task of tackling that work
from day to day. the wind-up OF the
week invariably found him Struggling
desperately with his accumulated as
sigIments.
This particular day had been an anus,
ually laborious one with the procrasti-
ilating Jones. but by an almost sunerhu-
man effort ne had turned in his six coll
umns of copy" to the city editor and
only one more story remained when the
supper hour came round. It was an
write up Of a prospective snort
ing event of more than ordinary imnort-
ance. "
ne reporter sat at his desk. deeply
ensrossed in studying the records OF the
itnietes who were to compete in the
forthcoming worlds championship con-
Test In the garish disk Of light cast
upon his desk ~ the shaded i~ncandes-
cent globe he had spread out his refer
ence statistics. His soul was burrow-
Ing IN the past glories that formed the
records of the respective entries"
Only the click of the religious report
ers typewriter, ~hammering out the
notes for the church news column, dis
yur'bed the quiet of the local room.
Weary. stiff fingered ana heavy-eyed
O%bejoyful delved and scrubbed alter
nately. On and on he pushed his pencil
over sheet after sheet until-until his
pencil stopped suddenly and the writer,
upon examining the paper before him,
discovered that he had actually finish
ed the story without being himself
aware of it.
That's odd" thought Jones. Never
had anything like this happen to me
before. Can't understand how
The voice of the city editor broke in
upon his reflections.
Mr.. Jones'" said that functionary,
81 want a NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. story
on how the streets look on Christmas
eve night. See What you can make out
of the appearance of the store windows,
the crowds around the hotels, the
throng of pedestrians and shoppers, the
tin horn and firecracker racket. and
ali that sort Of thing. eGt it in before
one o'clock and try and make it
picturesque" -t #
The reporter was still in a brown
study over the remarkable phenomenon
of his sporting story finishing itself Of
its own volition and the city EDITORS
speech failed to reach him comprehen-
sively.
Beg pardon, sir; speaking to me?"
he asked, wheeling his chair and facing
~ 2 stern-visaged man who had ad-
assed him. Whereupon the local edi-
repeated himself, with what seemed
Jones unnecessary emphasis and ex-
mutation. Then Obetoyful arose ODE
3! entity, dOnned his drab Overcoat and
yves, hung his horn-handle cane in
ne crook of his left arm and Sailed
forth, murmuring ,inwardly against the
necessity for stories that a fellow didn't
feel like writing and couldn't write de-
Gently ever if he did.
The odd appearance of Washington
avenue startled him as he thrust his
nose out into the crisp December air.
Holy Moses!" he exclaimed, this is the
quietest Saturday night I ever saw in
Newport News. 1t can't be more than
8 o'clock and it looks like $3.50
on an ordinary Sunday morn
of the Office and looked up and down the
street. Not an animate thing could he
discern within his rang of vision. The
cars had stopped running, the stores
were all closed, even the restaurants
were shut up as tight as wax. Peering
down towards Bar Harbor he observed.
to his utter establishment, that there
was not a sign OF life visible ven in
that usually active locality. The sound
of his own footsteps on the sidewalk
rcverberated with astonishing clamor.
O%bejoyfui looked up at the brilliant
moon hat foated in the heavens and at
the myraId stores that winked indeco-
rously down at him and bethought him
to consult his watch. 4M-
Yes, 1T vas early. Only a few minutes
after 9. ''Well, I'll swear gasped the
reporter, and had he not been brought
up in the path of rectitude he might
have carried out his threat. He pro
ceeded up the street, sorely in
mind. f5'.
II don't know what's the matter with
me- he %groaned. but if somebody
hasn't tapped me on the poll with a
section of lead pipe. I'm a good deal
worse off than I think / am AT the
corner of Twenty-eighth street he was
suddenly confronted by a queer looking
of the earth.
Hello, Obejoytul Jones' said this
party Familiarity. How do you think
you feel?" The reporter found himself
looking into the face of a ruddy-cheek-
ed. white haired old fellow. with IL pair
OF unusually bright eyes that twinkled
l~nischievously at him. Obejoyful halt
ed abruptly. '
This is odd. decidedly odd" he muir
INJURED, stepping back in alarm. This
queer old geezer wasn't here a moment
ego. No, I'm an Indian if he was. Then
he observed that the oddly of the mys-
tcrious individuals appearance extend
ed to his dress. The venerable party
Has robed in a big bearskin ulster that
fell almost to the heels of his heavy,
thicksoled, broad-toed boots, While the
sealskin cap that encased his head was
pulled down half over his eyes. Coarse
Fnit-wool mittens covered the ample
hands thai were thrust into the pockets
of his immense ulster. The reporter
sazed upon the figure in front of him
IN undisguised Amusement. .
Hello, Obejoyful Jones' repeated the
2ntlUue looking old pdrtv again, If
l We're you I wouldn't stare at a per-
son in that manner. It's rude, unpar-
donab1y rude. Does your grand
mothers cat play on the jewsharp? If