The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-06-08
The 'sHot- Foot'' - y
~ ~ Learns the Toqun.


Here is clever bit of writing by Grant Richardson in
the New Orleans Harlequin;
1t long hot prouctte from St. Louis 70 New Orleans
in latter May days and the acknowledgements rich
ness OF lite beauty, color and perpexy human aud
civic conditions 1t is to laugh learn the town in
new orleans All other towns babes by comparison.
Learning the town" is newspaper shop talk, but i; is
interesting because no man on earth knows every
Wei as does the newspaper reporter
Inc true newspaper reporter only genuine blown
m-the bottle hot-ioot In the of his interesting
and mpecunious existence he covers tho map IRON one
end OF the country to the other and il he be lucky lands
at the end staff correspondent London or Paris where
is located Journalistic heaven, in good job with
Oblivion,
Now there arc only three classes Of persons in every
city who really know the townth reporters messenger
boys and the cabbie The latter know streets and
numbers reporters know those and also what behind
the doors at street numbers
When reporter lands in a new town his first duty "A
to learn IT. BY that is meant the spirit of first;
who's who and what and wherefore, and then the mere
mayhap crimes less interesting eatures-conuectcd with
houses and squares and public and quasi public buildings
It's mere trick of the trade and experienced and
mach travelled hoti needs only day two
But there towns and towns They pratc about the
mysteries OF great cities. the iabyiuhs Of and
places IN which lost Of lost in London or New
York Rot New Orleans district messenger hoy would
learn New York half day loot reporter in an
horr But New York messenger would have brain fever
in two hours drilling in New Orleans; God help the new
reporter in ris FIRST week. and it my belief that If he
came from Northern city he would never conquer its
life unless he possessed OF glowing imagination and
great ability for absorbing and assmang historic facts
living places
In no other trade commcudablc to be hot foot
but i'll the newspaper business tho rolling covers him
sell with the moss OF experience aud he must needs gather
it quickly The reporter is foster brother to the May fly
and other cphenera lie is here today he old
nay, dead Nobody dies reporter and yet
seldom hears OF dead reporter He simply passes OF
the face OF the earth when his feet grow ageard is
Of legs with reporter There are persons who
L a o bcpn 10 die
at the top reporters the process That why
they rush from city to city during their short career SHINING
the sweets sorrows OF each, and fitting
TO a reporter each presents its own peculiar and
particular characteristics which, believe, do affect
town is the girl you left behind second the city editor who
rulcd you third the pride the thought of how well you
knew IT, OF the secrets Of its proud and public which
lay concealed IN certain OF your brain cells and how many
regulations fell your hand to make mar fourth
how damned glad you OF it and another
have repeatedly through meodramas Of beautiful
maidcus being pursued through the New York
and into old warehouses and the East River with the
Brooklyn bridge always in evidence God knows whv /
learn a primer Any who loses his way in Gotham
would lose it in Gretna 1t is stretched along neck OF
land that calls itself island because separates it
from the mainland All the up the town all
the erosswise OF it. There you are 1t is like
checker board only longer. Broadway long vulgar
gaudy thoroughfare alley full of glazing electric lights
From it everything else leads away One knows it well
in day as mis- own bedroom Then there is Harlem but
that is another city, Mr. Kipng failed to say.
Chicago lies buried in mud in rainy weather and is |
hidden by cloud of dust in dry 1t is composed OF four
sections the town the North, South and West sides Each
for general purposes city of itself But you couldn't
lose blind in IL If he had forgotten his bell
They you well in Chcagoif you have money There
in Chicago despite its great area State and
Clark Chicago possesses wind of the lake, OF which It is
proud which takes to the hospitals with pneu
monia, Also Opie Read lives there.
After you get off the ferry boat San Francisco you
walk up Market ride IL you have enough money
left This is the main artery Of the city don't know why
called artery any exhibition OF warm
blood in it, The leading from II north and south
with other lesser arteries and west is all one need
know about the geography OF the town. Frisco has at
any rate two things worth while Its girls marvellous
complexons wonderous figures and friendly manners its
numerous saloons are extensively furnshed-I can not
he golden ga-heuce the name Of the city The fog OF
san Francisco is the thiekest and finest tasted
Respectable age winds, chilling rains and cold
Offering sunshine and map conceived In the brain Of
nan while in Of intellectual indigestion the best
Boston offers don't like Boston because requires mental
,xertion TO follow its abyrinthne alleys called streets
However they know how cook CLANS in Boston, and ii
have an back they tolerate you
have done my best forget Boston, although never
lad any trouble 10 my around the first day
asked direction a certain place and a policeman who
spectaces pointed and answered you will find at
he end OF the street" followed the II had as
many beautiful woman II led me to the ST.
harles river many miles away afterward learned that
the end Of the street" the first curve
As as you believe it TO be north, its south east
II west That Is ST. Louis. II that way with me
md have talked the matter over with perhaps hundred
ersons and they all testified the that there was
omethns wrong with the points Of the compass in that
own Il took three months get my bearings there
" last gave up and fell back the corner policeman
or directions and he would have 10 think FIVE minutes
eore he could get his bearings After you get TO know
however 81, Louis ia one OF the charming cities In
he country II would only mark It's stresis like sap.
With arrows pointing the north, 1t would be perfect II