Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-11-02
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
The PRESS CLUB BOON THAT
WENT ASTRAY
10y the HON. w. II. C"6uckD HIN.
RlcHsEN. in Chicago Inter oeean.)

RicHsEN, in Chicago Inter oeean.)
ut was long ago" said Colonel Al.
bert Benton, that made my first act
i've attempt to run the politics OF my
locality. shall not say how long ago.
Tor that might reveal my age" and the
old gentleman smiled. Il was only %.
and reporter on the paper which |
now control.
The paper was called the Banner
then. and was owned and managed by
Colonel Leasing, shrewd business
man and a good writer. We called him
old.fashioncd, but he knew what he
was about. lie conducted his paper
for profit with incidental glory, not for
glory with incidental profit, a system
that has produced so many changes
among newspaper owners.
Il had been connected with the Ban
ncr for two years. and was prouG OF
the fact that had reached the posi-.
tiOn OF city editor. True, | gathered
most of the city news myself, having
but one assistant, and he boy, but ]
was officially designated as city editor,
and drew salary OF $l7 week.
"lrOntown was not so large as 1t Is
now. but 1t was good chunk OF city
Tor the times. and actually supported
five daily papeTs-twO morning and
two evening papers, besides an even.
ing paper printed in German.
while there was usually a lively
war between the managing editors of
the different papers, the city editors
were friendly from necessity, and were
in the habit OF meeting daily Tor the in.
ter change Of the regular items OF
news. We had reduced the practice
to pretty fair system, dividing the
routine work among us and trading, as
It were. OF course, this gave the pa
pers an air Of sameness, but 1t was the
custom of the time, and was sanction
ed by usage.
The city editors were all young
men-somc of us very young-but they
were bright. active, and ambitious
and, with one exception, possessed
some ability.
The Banner and the Statesman
were morning papers, the local editor
OF the latter being owen Trahey, wit
ty young Irishman with a red head and
a delicious brogue. The evening pa
pers were the Spy and the Defender
and their city editors were, respect
lively, Harry Rush and Bud Collins
both good and pleasant. Herman Wal
baum did tive work for the Teuton, tbs
German paper, and he was said to b'
a good writer. Being unable to reat
German, We took his word for II.
"Walb2um always began and CLOSED
his days work at Spiegalhausens sa
loon, large and popula" place, file:
with small tables and the smell o
beer. In Spicgalhausen's saloon W.
organize a Press club, and grew rath
or proud OF II. The club was the prod
uct of evolution. Al Walbaum's sug
gcstion we mot at Spicgalhausen's ey
cry day at 3 p. M, to compare note
and exchange iterIs of news, and n
WalDaum stayed there most of tn
time, he was able to reserve for on
! around which we gathered and chatts
: and did business.
I'VE soon fell into the habit of drlnR
ing at least one round of beer at eaa
meeting, and sometimes We had a littl
lunch. Spiegalhausen was a good"ni
= tured German and always gave us
/ pleasant welcome. He called us ID
: Baper club and finally gave us the o.
e elusive use of little room near tn
back door furnished with round Il
e BILE and chairs. And SO we became
t club.
u Our sittings grew longer and loI
b ger, the beers more and more hume
Gus, and our criticisms of our emplo
. ers more and more severe.
In this little den great plans wei
. made We contemplated the esta
lishment OF a great paper, and discus
= ed its departments and makeup, som
: times disputing. but never giylI
thought to the ways and means, O
= though there was not 500 of capt.
= in the whole group.
From the organization OF gree
y newspaper 1t was easy to drift into pC
=, itics, and we resolved to rule the pu
- lie affairs of the country, confident tn
it was an easy job, and all nation
- problems were settled in our discu
sions.
=, "Our club was in fine working orde
=. That Is, We were consuming a regul
:. quantity of beer at each of our dai
:. sttings and had become so accustol
:. ed to the odor of our den that we ft
: perfectly at home In it. Besides, '