The Springfield herald., 1904-09-30
)
W BYRON WILLIAMS
Tho Cub Reporters Fate.

Politics were working like can OF
Aunt Polly's preserves in D., when
the cub reporter secured sit" on
the Morning Fog Horn and was sent
out to get the great Danville's speech
Tor early copy.
Danville was a friend Of the paper
and good fellow. When the cub
found him at the Burris Hotel. he said
yes, in Barkis-is-willin' mood. and
summoned a stenographer. While the
steno made curleycues, the cub sat
on the foot of sofa In Danville's
room and wondered when he would
be great and influential like Danville.
The speech being transcribed. the
reporter proceeded to inter5ect into
the copy at divers closing paragraphs
the words:
"Great applause!"
Demonstration in the audience!"
"Uproarious commendation!" !"-and
the like. Then he handed in the man
uscript and went out to the sinker
counter to allay the hunger within
him.
Now Danville was much admired
speaker, but lesser light than either
the gubernatorial candidate or the To-
cal chairman (D both of whom
talked long and dryly at the evening
rally" Despite the fact that many
people had driven in from the rural
districts to hear Danville, who was
last on the program, it was soon evil
dent that he would not be heard ex-
cept very briefly. Thus there was
uneasiness in the nauseated throng
and disintegration of the compact
body as the farmers pulled their
freight" for pastoral haunts.
To further embarrass, there was to
be politicians banquet at the lead
ing hotel following the speeches and
this must not be delayed too long.
Danville, much chagrined. but tact
full. settled the fldgeting by calmly
referring to the lateness Of the hour
and withdrawing to his hotel.
The cub reporter, buster than he
had ever been with the Cross Roads
Advocate, was throwing OF copy in
bales, while all this was happening.
On his way to the hotel. however, he
stopped in the office Of the Fog Horn
and hastily shouting up the tube to
the city editor to revise that Dan.
VILE speech" hurried to the banquet
hall.
He was visibly excited over his po-
litical affiliations when he returned to
the office, but he obeyed instructions
when the city editor blurted:
Sutton, write caption to that
Danville article. Say you met him in
the rotunda of the hotel and he spoke
on the issues of the day as follows"
The cub retired at, O'Clock that
morning feeling he had earned at
least part of his stipend that night.
But his sense of security and graft.
fcation was visibly Jared next morn
ing! When he read the Fog Horn he
discovered:
There was the caption to Danvilles
speech all 20 X" just as he had writ.
ten it-Danville in the rotunda of the
hotel talking to the reporter-and
then
Horrors! In the body OF the article
were those interjections standing out
as boldly as blue and red polka-dot
wrapper at Sunday school picnic:
Great applause!"
Demonstration in the audience!"
"Cheers!"
And all this when the great Dan
vile was talking to mere reporter"
in a hotel lobby!
The cog had slipped!
This incident happened during the
year of the big wind and was, Curl
ously, about the time that the cub
blew out of the Fog Horn office to
test his ability to swim on other blad-
ders in untried seas Of prospective
glory.