The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-10

On the Chicago paper where tiny
were both employees they were known
Editor. Before they went to Chicago
| they worked on Kansas papers, in towns
within so miles of each other, and then
they were both known, at the very be-
ginning of their careers, as Cubs.
The Cubs began as all young men do
in a county newspaper office by buck
ing job presses, sticking type, and do
ing anything and everything that came
along. 1t was a good schooling for
both of them.
They rose, like all young men OH
Kansas country newspapers hope TO
rise, and finally they went to Chicago,
Chicago isn't so big but newspaper
workers there will get acquainted.
The Cub who became the Star Re
porter, or really by the proper title
The Star Man, went right to the front.
He mastered the work and intricacies
OF reporting in large city. He forgot
all his country newspaper ways that he
should forget and retained those he
was looked upon as a mighty good
man and after he had been sent out on
two or three stories that no one else
could get, and got Them he rose by mu-
the right and title of the Star Man.
Then more than ever he was sent
for that which the other members of
the force could not get. When others
mad failed he was given a message to
Garcia" order and that was sufficient.
What he went after he got and he new
err failed. No wonder he was the Star
Man.
The other Cub, on another paper, did
we'll and later went to the same paper
with the Star Man. He was competent
and he was successful and he made a
record, in q different line of work, equal
to that of the Star Man and then he
was made City Editor. The Star Man
and the City Editor were friends, close
friends, and they often talked over their
boyhood days in Kansas and their
friendship grew stronger.
1t was not long ago that a new COM
pany bought the Chicago paper on
which the City Editor and the Star
Man were employed. Soon after both
the Star Man and the City Editor came
to Kansas on their vacation. They met
at Topeka.
1t was while in Topeka that the City
Editor received a letter from the New
Management of the Chicago paper. The
letter explained that the New Manage
ment had decided that only young men
should be employed on the paper and
that as the Star Man was just over the
two score mark, and his hair was just
little gray, that he should go. Not
because he was doing poor work, not
because he failed and not because there
was any fault to find with hinl-eXcept
that he mad grown older and the New
Management, an all wise and sage in
stitutiOn so the New Management
thought, would have young men.
The City Editor was instructed to
tell the Star Man. while they were both
in Kansas. that he was no longer to be
a member of the staff under the New
Management. The letter stated that it
might be easier for the City Editor to
tell the Star Man while they were in
Kansas; to tell him that his years of
faithful service counted for naught;
that the New Management did not ap-
preciate good work but would cast him
off as a traction company would cast
off a plug street car horse.
Easier to tell him in Kansas" NUT
tered the City Editor as he read the
letter in the lobby of the Copeland Ho-
tel while the Star Man was up stairs.
He showed the letter to Kansas
editor and remarked: do you think it
will be easy to go up stairs and tell him
he is fired just because he is a shade
over forty years DID,?
1t was some time before the City Edi-
tor could muster courage to climb the
stairs to deal the blow for the New
Management.