Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-09-30
EXPERIENCES OF REPORTERS.
They Include knowledge of Happenings
Both GIoomv and Cav,

Leaving aside the consideration Of
the personal equation, perhaps no
class Of men furnish more interest
ing group than reporters, owing to the
nature Of their profession. Recruited
from all walks Of life, the cardinal
news, the pursuit of which not only
takes them into the most complex sit
uations, sometimes dangerous as often
pathetic as humorous, and always more
or less exciting; but they daily run
the gamut of human nature in delv-
ing beneath the surface. What they
turn up does not always possess a
current news value, and, in fact, the
various personal experiences Of re-
porters seldom find their way into
print, for the simple reason that they
are too busy with the joys and troub-
les Of other persons, their own being
simply incidental to the business.
Not long since a number Of news
paper men. all Of whom have been In
the business long enough to lose their
pin feathers, happened to drift togeth-
er and got to talking SHOP" out of
which came some interesting expert
ences. After considerable urging John
H. Finn, who can justly lay claim to
being veteran. was induced to relate
how he came to adopt the newspaper
profession for his life's work.
Guess 1t must have been my voca-
tion." said Mickey" blushing, "but 1t
came as a blessing unexpected. In
1884 was studying at Notre Dame.
when I had a row with one Of the
professors. So 1 quit and went to
Chicago. The Worlds Fair was about
20 start in New Orleans, and as had
some money I decided to take 1t In.
Gradually my financial condition forced
It's attention on me, and I was In sore
straits to discover how I was going to
make out, having neither trade, pro-
fession or any business experience.
One day was sitting in little park
thinking how close I was to the cush-
ion, when a young fellow sat down be-
side me and we struck up CONVEX
sation. When he learned my plight he
suggested that go up to the Plea
yune and apply for position as report
er telling me that they wanted ex-
perienced men on account Of the fair.
It did not appeal to me, as knew
absolutely nothing about the business.
but he insisted that I would be kept
on for a week, and as never had to
consult a nerve specialist I decided to
try It on.
1.-THE first question the city editor
asked me was where had been work.
ing, and I named prominent Chicago
paper This satisfied him, and in a
few minutes he assigned me to go to
the st. Charles Hotel and interview
Colonel Bob Ingersoll, who was then
at the zenith of his fame. I knew
that I was up against 1t, but Colonel
Tngersoll received me in a kindly way
Instead of making a bluff I told him
that had secured the job under false
pretences, but that I wanted to hang
on for a week. This evidently tick
led him, for he said: you're pretty
hard up, my boy. Well, I'll give you
better interview than anyone else
has ever had He did, too, debating
1t to his stenographer, and I copied 1t
in my own handwriting. That inter-
view created a sensation and I was
the biggest man from the north that
had struck New Orleans for some time.
hung on for six months as they as
signed me to the Parish Prison beat.
The fellow that covered that beat for
the opposition paper was named Kel-
ly, who helped me out. That's the way
I got tarred with the stick, and I have
been in the business ever since"
Training enables newspaper men to
see and catch many things that would
60 unnoticed by the ordinary observ-
er, and while constant contact with
passing events might seem to dull
their sensibilities. startling happen
ings in which they have part are sell
aom forgotten.
"The most pathetic incident I ever
had anything to do WITH" said a we'll
known newspaper man, occurred some
years ago In Chicago. The very first
assignment received was to write up
the suicide Of a girl who had taken
laudanum. The surroundings were
striking, but 1t seems that suicides
were frequent, and I was told to let
| It go with four or five lines. That
same evening I was sent out to fash
ionable quarter Of the city to write up
the coming-out ball Of the daughter Of
a wealthy merchant. She was girl
Of eighteen years, handsome and sur
rounded with all the luxuries that
wealth could give her. My instruc-
tions were to spread, and I remained
long enough to get saturated with the
atmosphere. After had left the house
and was walking to the car detec-
tive from the central office, who had
been on duty there, Joined me.
II noticed that you covered the sui
eide of that girl this morning. he re-
marked.
Yes I replied; a sad case
"Sadder than you could ever sus-
pect,' said he. Those two girls are
| twin sisters
1t took my breath away. but the
statement was true. The dead girl
had run away with waiter year be-
fore and her father disowned her. AS
usual the man deserted her and she
drifted down the primrose path. To
this day I often think Of those two
girls, one surrounded by the glitter
and gayety Of fashionable society, while