The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-12

Somehow everyone else knew that he
wasn't cut out to be a Charles A. Dana
or James Gordon Bennett long before
he did; but then Tom, poor fellow, was
Fact is If an entire funeral procession
was to run away, with the hearse in the
lead, it would not be until about two
days afterWard that Tom would sud-
denly be seized with the idea that the
occurrence would make a. good story.
When it did dawn on him of course it
would be after he hadread it all in some
other paper Some of the fellows used
to say that if a funeral procession did
run awaythat Tom wouldn't realize that
1t was worth two columns unless he
happened to be riding inside the hearse.
Others were mean enough to spring
that time worn joke that Tom would
be run over by a hearse or a street
sweeper some day when he wasn't look
ing. Fact was, Tom was slow, awfully
slow, but the hearse and street sweeper
joke was a little rough on him, almost
as rough as the street sweeper would
be going over him.
Tom, or Tommy as he was patron
izingly called, always had the idea that
he was in sphere a degree lower than
he should be. He began his journalistic
| career oding the devil act on little
country weekly. He worked up lot OF
muscle in his legs kicking an old fash
| Toned job press. That muscle would
have stood him in hand in later years
if he had only had the news instinct.
" nlie ne was kicking mat press anu
Wip1ng gobS of ink off his hands on the
office towel, he was sure he was not
appreciated. He thought that little
daily in a. neighboring town, which took
1000 words of telegraph over the pony
wire each day and daily received a page
or two of plate matter, needed his SER
vices.
The editor of the country weekly
wasn't averse to giving him a lift. He
sent him over to his editor friend of
the little daily. 1t wasn't long until
the editor found that Tommy, in Tom
my'S estimation, ought to be running
the paper instead of himself Tommy
was mighty long on editorials; that is,
the editorials were pounded out by
him by the yard. Boiled down they
made pretty good local mention for
the little daily. That boiling down pro-
cess gave Tommy the idea that the edi-
tor didn't understand his abilities. He
wrote editorials by the column and the
editor blue penciled them and put them
in by the line; generally line and
half was the amount left after the boil.
OF course when Tommy wanted to
! get berth on Topeka paper the edi-.
tor did what he could for him. He
thought Tommy might do well in the
capital city. At any rate to help boost
him to a little better job was mighty
good way of disposing of him.
Tommy went to work on the Topeka
newspaper with rush; a regular buck
the center and make touch down
llOuIlS0. OIlG Ol lie lklSI
he received was to attend woman's
club meeting. Tommy went. He found
some women there. They were engag-
ed in a heated discussion about the
treasurer being short $3.50. The treas
urer was sure she had spent the money
for something that was needed but she
didn't remember what 1t was. A mo-
ton was made to expel her from the
club. Finally the chairWoman decided
that the club could do nothing of the
I -~,t nTASanf-
Tommy went back to the office and
wrote two lines saying that nothing
was done at the meeting because a
quorum was not present.
Tommy wasn't with the paper long
until he decided that his talents were
still unappreciated. He announced one
day that he had resigned, that he was
going to work for another topeka pa
per "You see," he said, "a fellow isn't
appreciated on this paper. I'm going
where my work will get more attention"
Two weeks later the editor of the
other paper where his work was to re-
ceive more attention, sent him to at
tend cheap burleSQue show al one OF
the theaterS. Tommy went and saw and
heard. He returned to the Office and
wrote a Scathing editorial, a column
long. denouncing such attractions. He
pointed out the depravity which must
be in the make up of every man who
witnessed the performance. Tommy
hadn't gotten over being long on eul-
torials. The editor cut the thing to one
paragraph; the paragraph which an
nounced that the burlesaue show was
given at the theater. After the paper
had gone to press the editor heard that
three bushels of potatoes, five heads of
cabbage, four dozen eggs and a peck of
turnips were thrown by the audience at
the performers.
.sWhy didn't you write about that?"
roared the editor.
.fyVhy. I didn't think about it, said
Tommy. Anyway" lin an aggrieved
tone) you didn't use what 1 did write"
The editor never recovered from that
shock and neither has Tommy.