The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-01-03
TRIED HARD TO.
Be TEMPERATE
Formsr Newspaper Man Relates
Early Experiences.
LOST BY A CHA G. OF BASE.
City Editor Would Not Employ Any Man
Who I'D Not Drink GIsai Chacgs
Ia PRESENT Getaoas.


prosperous look, II used 10 be in the
newspaper business myself II was good
many years ago. and l was II when II was
different from the present run oil things.
lin the old days they used 10 drink
more in all professions than they do
more than they do now. In fact
/ think they used 10 drink
these days.
"The competition Is so much swifter
now that the drinking man gets left In
cause of temperance than all the lectures
in the world.
II was only country boy, turned loose
In this big city TO run wild. and couldn'i
go the gait. The upshot of the business
was that got TO drinking too much and
neglecting my work. and consequently
one fine day was informed that my ser.
vices were no longer required.
THE sting OF the disgrace was too much
for me. wanted to get away and have
new start, where 1 wouldn't see the
crowd of good fellows who had uninten-
tionally led me astray in New York.
$50. with this idea In mind. packed
up and bade farewell to the metropolis
MY destination was a good-sized city
in the West, where ] thought I might
land a job. / tackled the editor OF one oi
the leading papers and told him who
was and where had come from l ex'
plained that I had come West for my
health and he put me at work.
" Go into the city EDITORS room and tel
him i said to give you job, said tho
great man.
II stumbled out Of the offlce In a great
hurry and found my way back to the end
of a long hall where there was sigr
which said City Editor Upon enterina
there / saw a young man OF perhaps 2
seated at a dilapidated desk. His fee
were cooked up on IL and he was lazily
chewing a straw.
" Where is the city editorT I inquired
" I'm the city editor. he responded will
some assumption of dignity.
WAS SHORT OF FUNDS.
my heart went down in my boots. Thi
was new type for me. but He'd TO hin
and told him I was glad to make his ac
quaintance. told him the message from
his boss and he said that l should COM
around that night and he would give M
something to do.
"Of course turned up and he sent m
out on an assignment with a Suspicion
looking young man who was very shor
I'm all his remarks. and. as / had occasion
to learn before the night was over. short
er in funds.
"As ! had landed In town with a com
paratively large roll. was generous an,
bought drinks with becoming frequency
with view 10 making my new found ac
quaintance more agreeable.
II discovered after few minutes h
was from the scuthland-thats what h
called II. believe that Mississippi wa
his native state. He conhded TO me la
ter that he had borrowed money from ev
cry white man In the state before leav
ing It, and from What ] learned of Un
later was prepared to believe him.
"As the evening wore on / found tina
my good resolutions we're fast going ul
in smoke. The oftener / bought drink
for my impecurious friend tn
the more careless became OF the morrow
But / won the gentleman from tn
Southland.
''When he arrived at the office the mex
eyeing me suspiciousy. as he had dom
ne day before, that was thoroughbred
and all right, strictly.
"Ti.is was a good beginning In one wa!
and bad one I'm another, but ] duietet
my conscience by swearing that this wa
the end OF good fellowship and that here
after / would be more careful.
"Well. the week wore on without incl
dent OF moment, until Sunday. At tn
usual hour for reporting, ! showed vi
along with the rest OF the bunch. About
o'clock the city editor came out of hi
room and looked over the boys.
" WHO going driving with me7' h.
asked.
Every man In the room except mysel
spoke up and declared that he was. TIL
city editor looked all around the room
until his eye fell on me.
You don't seem TO want TO go
guess III take you he said.
SOLID WITH THE BOSS.
"Of course. said I wanted to go. an,