The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-07-01
WHEN FAIRBANKS
 HUNTED FUR NEWS Had Trying Time as a Reporter
 in Pittsburg HE ALMOST FELL DOWN" How the Future Vice President Tried to "Cover" an Important Assign
 ment and the Narrow
 Escape He Had.
HE ALMOST FELL DOWN"

Charles Warren Fairbanks was at one time associated with the newspaper boys in an active capacity. When he graduated from the Ohio Wesleyan university in 1872 he was 20 years of age and he at once cast about for some means of livelihood He became a reporter and entered the service of the Associated Press being assigned to the duty of representing that organization in Plttsburg.
 Pittsburg. grimy now beyond words, was grimy enough then, and unutterably depressing to country boy who had just started out to make hls own way in the world, Pittsburg then was a much smaller place on the map than it now Is, and the Associated Press thought that one representative there was sufficient for its needs. And Fairbanks was the one representative. He had edited a col lege paper and had indulged in dreams of journalistic ambition. Now he had to face the hurly-burly of covering the city for news, singlehanded
 His First Assignment.
 Almost his first duty was to cover" a convention of some sort. The town was invaded by the convention folk, and the new reporter was hard pressed all day and nearly all night for a week Right on the heels of the convention came Horace Greedy, who was stumping the country on his presidential campaign. The new reporter, thoroughly Tagged by this convention week, dra gged himself around after Greeley, and was on hand for the latters great Pittsburg speech"
 Good shorthand reporters in those days were rare Fairbanks knew nothing of the stenographic art, but he made friends with the star reporter of a Pttsburg daily and arranged for the use of his proofs after the speech He went with his friend to the hotel where Greeley was staying. and took up position un- der the balcony from which the homely and pugnacious editor-candidate was to address the crowd. Just as Greeley be- gan to speak light rain began to fall on the upturned faces of the crowd one of thost light Pittsburg rains which fail like mists of ink. The stenographer cov- cred the speech. and Fairbanks covered the stenographer and his precious notes with his umbrella.
 Fairbanks had apprehensions, and the stenographer had the notes.s The notes seemed rather shaky even to the unprac ticed eye and the stenographer was un- occasionally shaky. He had had hard week. and was worn out. The rain fell, the crowd thnned, the speech eventually came to an end, and the stenographer went away to transcribe the notes. Fair banks was to call later at the newspaper office for the proofs. Meanwhile he busted himself about the descriptive matter and an interview with the grea, man.
 The Editor Choked.
 At the appointed hour Fairbanks ap- peared at the newspaper office and asked for the proofs of Greeley's speech.
 Speech" yelled the news editor, who sat on low platform in the middle of a large room, a sort of island surrounded by heated writers, who were flashing an ocean of copy" Speech? Greeley's speech?" And the editor choked To this day the vice president remembers that pallid face with the fierce eyes glaring at him under a green shade-a white face with a threatening black mustache. eyes that bored holes in you-"Speech? Gree ley's speech? Haven't you got it? We havn't?"
 Jones'" we will call him Jones, took it." gasped Fairbanks, who had an instant vision of the Associated Press left in the lurch, and his own discharge. q haven't any speech" he added. ''Where's Jones?"
 Gone home" shrieked the infuriated editor Couldn't read his notes. Sick? So ann I. We thought you had the speech
 Fairbanks bolted. He ran down the stairs, ran down the street, ran to the office of the Pittsburg Post. explained the case to the editor in charge who said "Yes we have Greeleys speech But we've given 1t to the New York World man. who made us promise that you shouldn't have the manuscript But" he continued, after quizzical pause as he watch the disappointment on Fairbanks face, "I guess, young man, We can Jet you have our proof slips"
 That saved young Fairbanks from to- tai fall-down and he hasn't to thls day forgotten that good editor who helped him out of a bad hole