The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-23
A CERTAIN KIND OF FOOL.

Dte0
read and the howl Of the daily papers
was fierce and unanimous The measure
was plainly the enabling act for a
| monumental grab. and Waldo @. Forbes
manager, of Boston. Mass. knew II. But
what is a man to do? Vice president and
general manager of the projected enter
: prise he had come all the way from the
Back Bay district TO get legislation. .
and he proposed 10 get it. Money was no
object and the board of aldermen was
easy. But the newspapers There was
/ the rub. He had succeeded IN silencing
one or two small disreputa bic publica-
lions. but their silence or their favors
only accentuated the chorus of maledic-
tons. threats and warnings uttered by
the responsible and respectable editors.
I Mr. Forbes had come to expect the
daily visitation of reporters. He never
would get used to their cross-fire of
questions. pertinent ard impertinent. and
yet he was obliged to endure them be-
cause he knew that they wrote the
stuff" appearing daily in condemnation
Of himself. his roau, his methods of ''ap-
preaching the Lawmakers and his evil
dent determination to capture valuable
franchise without sufficient remuneration
to the public No matter how well he
treated them or what be said 10 them,
they contrived to MAKE him and his in
/ terests appear odioGs in the public
prints. They described his clothes and
the vague, aristocratic perfume that ex-
uded from his apparel. They kept watch
upon his visitors and interviewed them.
They logged his footsteps by day and
night. They sketched him in paragraphs
and in pictures, they harried him, lam
pooned. jibed at and gibbeted him in
/ thousand ingenious ways that ate into
the very vitals of his vanity and made
him wish that he could win them over,
even at the sacrifice Of his franchise
bill
Then he began to figure OF how he
/ could reach them. Most of them were
] easy-going, keen-eyeu, happy go-lucky
i young fellows, with all the marvellous
| hit or miss acumen and assduity OF the
trained reporter. Most of them showed
a proper sense of the dignity of their
! calling; some of them were deeply and
sincerely in earnest some of them adj
mitted that tAey had no feeling one way
or the other. but were merly carrying
out orders all OF them treated Mr..
Forbes as a mere source of information,
subject for copy an incident an
impersonal and intangible institution
which il WAS their business to rap be-
cause their papers were arrayed against
franchise grabbing.
In his study of the reporters who daily
assailed, vivisected and exhibited" him
and his doings. Mr.. Forbes finally decided
that Bob Hinkley was available" In
the first place, Bob seemed to be the
dean of the city hall reporters. The
other boys all called him Bob" slapped
him on the back and asked him what
was doing" From the exchange of
Josh which passed between the re-
porters waiting in the reception-room Mr..
Forbes gathered that Bob's dignity was
not above the exigencies of an occasional
touch" He owed money to his contem-
poraries in the business, and by sundry
unguarded references to jack-pots and
openers, gave unsuspecting evidence that
he was "a good spender." To make as
surance doubly sure. Bob IS methods of in
terviewing disclosed a subtle and almost
necromantic insight into the selfish, re-
condite and guileful schemes of men.
Hes too cute to be sentimental
thought Forbes. I'll try him."
Therefore when Bob appeared a few
minutes sooner than usual and before
any of his rivals, Mr. Forbes of Boston
led him into his private office, closed the
door and. proffering a large and costly
cigar. began:
Mr. Hinkiey. you're a bit cutter than
most reporters. aren't your
Got most of EN- beat a block" said
Bob. lighting his cigar, but I've got lots
to learn at that"
We'll, now. see here" resumed Forbes
dropping his voice to a dulcet monotone,
we, that is. my company. are strangers |
out here. I've done my best to get this |
bill fayorably represented in the coun- |
ell. but you newspaper men seem bent up
on killing II. Now, know you personally |
don't care a rap whether my bill goes |
through or not. What I want you to do !
is to get the boys around the city hall 10 |
go little easy on us. l don't expect you /
to stand for the bill. nor to say anything |
Fsar-- J. 11H.
as lief you, ah-sort of forgot it. See?"
Yep, 1 see," snapped Bob Then, re- |
fiectively Saw it long ago"
Mr.. Forbes opened q drawer and drew /
out slip Of paper.
This" said he quietly. 'is the compa-
ny's check for $1,000. Mr.. Huxley I |
like you. 1 know you re the man to do
II. and all I have to add is that the check
is yours if you'll distribute it in little |
presents among the boys around the city
hall-f mean the newspaper boys"
And you think I'm the man" unused [
Bob. his gray eyes twinkling as he gazed
lovingly at the check.
Certain of it, said Forbes. you've
got influence with them. You can use
the money anyway you like. and you're
welcome to the largest part OF it for
yourself What do you say?'
Bob took the check. read il over. turn
spection OF the general managers face:
'Hully gee. Forbes. but you're an easy
mark"
How SOP
Passing out check to me. an utter
stranger, in the belief that because I
have casual connection with the Ga
zette. and passing popularity with a few
Of equal infIOoence. ! could or
would make a change in the manner the
papers treat you. What is to prevent me
from taking this check and showing You
Up as a briber? Or. better still for both Of
rs. pocketing the whole sum and lam
basting you for more? oh. Lordy.
Lordy! What a pudding you are,'
All. but know you better than that
Mr.. Hinkley." protested the amused Mr.
Forbes 4 know YOU re square. ] can
read men. I know you'd be above cheat
ng either me or the other reporters
You're as honest as the day. that's what
you are. Bob, and l know il better than ,
Fou do
There were minutes OF silence. during
Thich the franchise seeker gazed with adj
hiring expectancy at the reporter. while .
he latter stared AT the window with a
'uzzied, speculative look on his freckied :
ace. .
Wei. Bob. have You made up your
mind >" ,
7 can't make NJ my mind how
How the ID men Ike you get onto :
uch fat jobs used 10 think that Won :
lad AZ least ordinary human Intelligence.
IT. Forbes. but here you come and ask I
ne To sell out my paper. peddle the Z
property interests Of my employer stuI-
ify the Gazette which hires ne. and