Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-09-07


and employee on The Daily News was
informed of the remarkable fact that
| the paper was going to press without
| word in it about the famous prizefght
Of Sunday. The reporters were simply
astonished beyond measure at the am
| nouncement of the fact. Every one in
| the stereotyping and composing rooms
| had something TO say about the unheard
| Of omission. Two or three times during
the day when Mr.. Norman had occasion
to visit the composing rooms the men
stopped their work or glanced around
| their cases looking at him curiously
He know that he was being observed
strangely and said nothing and did not
appear to note it.
There had been several changes in
the paper suggested by the editor, but
nothing marked He was waiting and
thinking deeply. He felt as if be needed
time and considerable opportunity for
the exercise of his best Judgment ia
several matters before he answered his
| ever present question in the right way.
| 1t was not because there were not a
| great many things in the life of the pa
| per that were contrary to the spirit Of
| Christ that he did not act at once, bat
| because he was yet greatly in doubt as
to what action jesus would take.
! When The Daily News came ont that
evening, it carried to its subscribers q
distinct sensation. The presence Of the
report Of the prizefght could not have
produced anything equal to the effect
Ct its omission. Hundreds of men in the
| hotels and stores down town as well %
regular subscribers eagerly opened the
| paper and searched it through for the
account of the great fight. Not finding
it, they rushed to the newsstand and
! bought other papers. Even the news
| boys had not all understood the fact OF
the omission, one Of them calling ont:
Daily Newsl Full count great prize
| fight t Resort News, siry'
A man on the corner of the avenue
close by The News office bought the pa
per, looked over its front page hurried
ly and then angrily called the boy back.
Here, boy What s the matter with
your paper? There is no prizefsht here
What do you mean by selling old pa
| pers?'
cold papers. nuthinl" replied the
boy Indignantly. That's todays pa
per What's de matter wild your"
But there no account Of any prize
fight here Look"
The man handed back the paper, and
the boy glanced at it hurriedly. Then
he whistled, while a bewildaring look
crept over his face Seeing another boy
running by with papers, he called out,
''Say, Sam, lemme see Your pile" A
hasty examination revealed the remark-
able fact that all the copies of The
News were silent on the prizefght.
Here; give me another paper, one
with the prizefght account" shouted
the customer. He received it and walk
, ed off, while the two boys remained
/ comparing notes and lost in wonder at
the event ''Somp'n slipped cog in
The Ncwsy sure, said first boy, but
he couldn t tell why and rushed over to
/ The News office to find ont.
There We're several other boys at she
delivery room. and they were all ex-
cited and Disguised. The amount of
slangy remopstrances hurled at the clerk
back of the long counter would have
driven any one else to despair. He was
used to more or less of it all the time
and consequently hardened to it.
Mr.. Norman was Just coming down
stairs on his way home and he paused
as he went by the door of the delivery
room and looked in
Nv hat the matter here, Gecrge1"
he asked the clerk as he noted the I'M
usual confusion.
The boys say they can't sell any
copies of The News tonight because the
prizetisht is not in it, replied George,
looking curiously at the editor, as so
many of the employees had done during
the day.
Mr.. Norman hesitated a moment,
then walked into the room and con-
fronted the boys.
''How many papers are there hero,
boys? Count them out, and I'll buy
them tonight.
There was a wild stare and wild
counting of papers on the part Of the
boys.
Give them their money, George,
and if any of the other boys come in
with the same complaint buy their I'M
sold copies. Is that fair" he asked the
boys, who were smitten into unusual
silence by the unheard of action on the
part of the editor
Fair! Well l should But will
You keep dis up? VIII dis be a con-
tinual performance for de benefit of de
fraternity?"
Mr. Norman smiled slightly, but he
did not think it was necessary TO an
swer the question. He walked ont #
the office and went home. On che way
he could not avoid that constant query,
Would Jesus have done it, 1t was
not so much with reference to this last
transaction as to the entire motive that
had urged him on since he had made
the promise The newsbCys were neces-
sarily sufferers through the action he
had taken. Why should they lose money
by it? They We're not to blame. He was
IA rich man and could afford to put
little brightness into their lives if he
chose to do it, He believed as he went
on his way home that Jesus would have
done either what he did or something
similar in order to be free from any
possible feeling of injustice. He was
not deciding these questions for any
one else, but for his own conduct He