Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-29
HOW HE GOT THE STORY

fact that you can't generally pick winner
by sizing up his hide and hoofs. BY the
same token, You can't pick natural born
newspaper man by his raiment or his man.
ner. I've known some newspaper men.
We'll. anyhow, one afternoon early IL
this closing decade, when 1 was doing re-
porting work on the Outer Sea-let it go al
that-in Chicago. a tail, gawky. loose
jointed young fellow walked into the city
editors room and asked for work. His
makeup was alice same Ipswich. Wis
consin. and no mistake He was coun-
try-looking young man to be riding UP an
elevator in a metropolitan newspaper build
ing and inquiring for a reporters job as
ever 1 saw before or since. His trousers
were shy about four inches at the bot
toms, his coat was bunchy in the back
as padded crazy quilt, and he wore a
crocheted pink four-in-hand tie and Il
s.ouch hat that was all to the bad from
every point of view. However, ne was dis
tinctly cieaniy. if farmerly. His method OF
lacking the city editor-who was a notor-
ously grabbed. but good-hearted, member
of the breed-was quiet and unassuming.
The gawky young chap simply stated that
he'd been working on a small weekly some
where in Iowa: that the small weekly game
ir Iowa hadn't looked promising to him,
and that he had therefore made the best
of his way to Chicago to see If he couldn't
manage to catch on. All of us smart
Alecs in the city room had grinned when
we saw and heard the countrified-ookins
chap brace the city editor-we had good
view Of the proceedings through the open
door leading into the city editors private
room-and we confidently expected the old
man to throw mucilage and ink and scfs-
sors and things like that at his visitor.
particularly as 1t was during the dull sum
mer season, and the staff was damned
full, and there wasn't enough work to go
around and good newspaper men from
other towns, applying at our plant for jobs
every day, were being turned down With
out any encouragement whatever.
1.-The old man wheeled In his chair and
pushed up his specs on his forehead and
sized the countryman up. We waited for
the explosion. but 1t didn't come. Instead.
a cold. sardonic, devilish light crept into
the old mans eyes as he surveyed the
youth. who only needed hay in his hair 10
complete a picture that no artist could
paint.
well replied the city editor to our
intense surprise. still grinning in that sar-
donic way of his, L don't know about Civ
ing you steady work-staff's beyond the
limit now; might try you out on an as
signment or So though, to what you
can do. DIE ever get mixed up in a
rough house with a man who knew all
about that game and more?'
Some replied the gawky youth.
quietly.
How'd you come out?' asked the old
man.
"'Well, I'm here answered the coun-
tryman who wanted reporters work.
"Tm-so I see. said the old man.
"Then the city editor gave the gawky
youth assignment. Out at the end Of
the big government pier at that time
ruffian and all-around bad man, who went
by the name of Black Jack had huge
barge anchored-it was called Black
Jacks bumboat.' Black Jack had estab-
lished a horrible affair which ne called a
concert hall on this barge and the bust
ness had become an eyesore to Chicago. 1t
was frequented by all sorts of abandoned
characters, and scenes Of violence We're of
nightly occurrence on the barge. Black
Jacks walters We're all ruffians like him
self. and if they didn't like the looks OF
any man who came on board the barge
they'd rough-house him up and then throw
him overheard. If he could swim we'll
better for him; if he couldn't, then 1t was
his funeral, and no mistake Black Jack
didn't pay for any liquor license whatever.
He claimed that his barge. being anchored
in government waters, was under the fed
eral jurisdiction. and such was the deadly
fear in which even the Chicago police held
the man and his band of desperadoes that
Black Jack actually made his contention
stick. and kept his nefarious business go
ing for long time. The papers roasted
the authorities for not driving Black Jack
and his loathsome barge to the north pole.
but the roasting didn't do any good. Black
Jack continued to stick and to snap his
fingers at all Of the efforts to dislodge
him.
Tine ola man gave an Oulllile VI lle
character Of Black Jacks malodorous
barge to the gawky youth who wanted
work, and asked him If he'd care to go out
to the barge and have talk with Black
Jack and look the plant over. The city
editor explained Black Jacks sworn ha-
tired for newspaper men and his particular
aversion for the city editor Of the Outer
Sea-'who is myself said the old man
or account of the ferocious attacks that the
Outer Seas city editor had directed against
his barge
Think you'd like to take a chance-it's
not q soft assignment, you Understandable
go out and look BLACK Jack" over? the
city editor asked the gawky youth. who
didn't hesitate a little bit in replying that
any kind of show was what he was look
ing for. So the old man gave him some
additional directions. and the ambitious
youth with the high-waters went out to
cover the assignment We thought-we
aforesaid Smart Alecs In the city room
that this was pretty mean trick on the
part Of the old man. We considered that
joke joke, and all that. but when 1t
came to putting an inoffensive country lad
In Jeopardy Of his life, we couldn't see the
matter at all.
well, here's what happened to the
gawky youth-he's now the managing editor
Of big New York paper-as he told 1t to
me long afterward:
He had a man row him out in skiR to
the starboard side Of Black Jacks barge
Black jack himself-a bu-necked indi-
vidual. with the looks and the strength Of
gorilla-was leaning over the side When
he saw the COMMUNICATING young fellow
In the boat he let out a guffaw, and called
a bunch Of his pals to the side to take in
the spectacle of the jay with the pink
crocheted necktie. They all roared. and
then Black Jack asked the gawky youth
what in the not place he wanted, anyhow.
Tim from the Outer Sea- replied the
young man, guielessly. and I came out to
have a talk with you, and to look at your
boat
IAN expression of stupefaction stole over
Black Jacks face. The amazing gall of
the youth from the country knocked him
all In heap. He tried to say something,
but he couldn't. 1t was fully three minutes
before he let out a sound and then the
sound a Of laughter that could
have been heard on the shore.
"You win. all right said Black Jack
then. Any dip wit a bunch O. nerve like
wot you packs aroun' wins wit me eight
days in de week. Come aboard
1.-The gawky youth. not experimenting the
fact that he was taking his life in his
hands. coolly stepped aboard the barge. He
had no sooner got aboard than Black
Jacks mood changed, and he began to rip
out oaths with regard to the city editor of
the Outer Sea that made the Lake Michigan
whitefsh turn over on their backs and cash
in. This was the gawky youths cue.
hfnIy oh rt,r1,t hn butt a5