Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-12
IT WAS NOT HIS FORTE

"a couple OF years ago the registering son
OF an eastern millionaire went broke IN
Chicago" said one of the Chicago CORE
spondents. when he found himself pretty
close to down and out from the financial
point OF view, and when he found that
the old gentleman. his dad, back east
wasn't doing any producing in response
tic his urgent appeals for coin by wire, the
young fellow figured that, as 1t was prob
ably going to be a case of make his own
living for space. Journalism. with cap
ital J. ought to be the thing for him.
$50 he presented himself to the city ed
itor OF the paper that I'm attached TO-
The city editor. kindly chap looked the
young fellow over. He'd heard about the
young fellows father of course. and the
young chap didn't look unlikely at that
ned been through one Of the big univer-
sities-and SO the city editor thought that
the reportorial thing might be drummed
into the young man after while. So he
took him on.
THE university educated son of the mil
l1onaire happened to be the only reporter
in the city room when the city editor came
across half-stick line in the last edition
OF. an evening paper stating that the body
Of very lovely young woman of evident
refinement, had been taken from the lake
late that evening, and that the body was
at the South Side morgue.
The city editor instantly saw the story
In that, of course. but he had all of his men
out on their evening assignments. and so
he handed the clipping to the young
man who thought he'd make a hit IN
Journalism and told him to hustle out
and nail the story.
-" Here Is chance for you,' said the city
editor in his kindly way to the son of the
eastern millionaire 1t looks as II 1t ought
to pan out into frst-page spread story.
got frat
rate story. and it won't hurt you any
around here
THE young fellow grabbed a bunch of
copy paper and started out. He was gone
till II o'clock that night. Meantime the
South Side police reporter had telephoned
In to the city editor that there was a big
suicide story back of the finding of the
young womans body, that he himself was
up to his ears in some other sizeable police
stories, and asking the city editor If he had
man out on the morgue case. The city
editor replied that he had, and he already
saw the bank head on the big story the uni
versfty-educated young man was going to
bring in.
The young fellow strolled into the office
bit after II O'Clock, while the city editor
was out for a bite of lunch and he sat
down a a desk and wrote about hundred
words. to the effect that a young woman OF
pleasing appearance. with many jeweied
rings on her fingers, had been picked up in
the lake by some boatmen. and that the
Side morgue. He further set forth the fact
that pocketbook that had been found
within the drowned young woman's waist
had contained a number of visiting cards.
giving the name of Miss So-and-So. and
that there was in the pocket book in adj
Gition, unsealed letter addressed to an
extremely prominent young Chicago man
| about town.
That's all. The new young man had
| just finished writing his little hundred
words when the city editor came in. and,
| espying the university educated youth who
| had been out on the big story. he rushed
| over to his desk and eagerly picked up his
| copy. He came near falling down when he
| read those hundred words.
Did you go to the young woman's ad-
| dress on Prairie avenue?' he gasped.
! mo. sir. replied the journalist. hunting
| through his pockets for match to light
| his cigarette. L thought that as long as
I got her name from her visiting card that
| would do
THE city editor backed up to the water
| cooler to get drink. in order to moisten
| his parched throat
did you hunt up the man whose name
| is given in that unsealed letter.? he man
| aged to articulate.
| "tNo. sir was the reply: I didn't sup
| pose the poor old chap was to blame In any
| way. you know. and so / thought"
'1n two jumps the city editor reached one
| of the non-collegian' reporters, who was
| writing a story Of no very great import
| ance. and in just twenty-five seconds the
n-collegian reporter had his hat and coat
| on and was off in quest of the details OF
| one of the most sensational suicides that
had occurred In Chicago in years.
| 1.-THE non-collegian reporter was back al
| the office by 1 o'clock with enough notes
! scra wled on his little bunch of copy paper
| to make a fine first-page, double-leaded
| three-column story. and he beat to a stand
| still all Of the other morning paper ac'
| counts of the sensational affair
| 1.-The city editor didn't have time to fire
| the millionaire's son that night but when
| the new young man made his appearance
| in the city room the next day the city ed
| itor called him into his room closed the
door and said:
! my boy be good, and go home to your
| paw. He needs you. He'll be good to you
| If you'll only be good to him. It's dead
| easy to be good, too. If you only half try
| You don't like newspaper work. It's too
| hard. IT'S too exacting. It's too onery.
| It's a heap better graft to be the son OF
| a millionaire than it Is to be any old kind
! of newspaper man. Return to paw and
| all will be forgiven. Later on, after a
| few years have flown by. you'll thank me
| for having tipped you off this way. Good
! bye, son. Take care Of yourself and the
| Young man was mildly whitfield into the
! hall.
1.-THE young fellow took the tip. went
| home and threw himself on the mercy OF
| the paternal court. was taken into the old
mans business, and has been behaving
| himself ever since. Several times, on his
| trips to Chicago. he has dropped In TO
shake hands with that city editor and
thank him so ODDOrtunely firing MIN