The Prescott daily news., 1908-07-20


 He had that valuable thing in news paperdom, "a nose for news A news paper usually pays double rates for "beats," and this reporter consider ably added to his bill every week by the exclusive stories he turned in Yet he was neither an exceptionally bright man nor a brilliant writer. But he was the kind of man who knows news when he sees 1t, and who. when he got on the track of an exclusive story never let 1t get away from him. don't know that a bulldog is especially intellectual but he usually accom- plishes his object by hanging on. That is what this reporter did He hung on. As a writer he told his story in a straightforward, logical way and with out frills. "Castiron" Is the term ap piled to this style of writing in news paper offices, and 1t is style that is safe and, in the long run, lasts
 He himself never told us when he became engaged to be married, but the fact leaked out, as such things will, and the city editor, who naturally had great admiration for him, wrote little congratulatory paragraph about tt and put it in the paper Whether ne liked it or not the reporter did not say nor did the fact that he was en- gagged make any difference in the hours he put in at work, and l often wondered when it was he found time 'o see his fiancee In fact, even when We heard of his engagement we had wondered how he had found time be- tween scoops" to meet the girl, let alone become engaged to her, until we learned that the police captain in his precinct was her guardian. Then we concluded. that he had met heT through the captain, who always sent for him when he had a good news story to give out
 l remember the interest with which 1 watched him to note whether he would let up little on his work, so that he could see his girl now and then, or whether he would work all the harder, although it didn't seem to me that anybody possibly could put in more hours at work than he did al ready What actually happened was that he didn't make any change in his work at all He went right on just as if nothing unusual had happened, scoring his beats" and writing up his stories in his customary "cast-iron" way. Somehow it seemed to me that T. !. ordinary, "cast-iron" affair and 1, be ing perhaps trifle sentimental, won dered if any girl long could be satis fled with an engagement of that sort.
 One day, about a week before the date set for the wedding was at the telephone and, as sometimes hap pens, instead of my call going out, call for the office came over the wire. A girls voice. somewhat vexed, thought, asked for the reporter. told her he had gone on an assignment. "Oh!" she exclaimed in a voice that was out and out annoyed. Then she said something to person who evi dsntly was at the phone with her One moment. please" she said to mo- and then a mans voice came over the wire.
 "Hello!-Who's this?-Oh, it's you Miss Stahl. I'm" (the police cap- tain's son, whom had met once or twice on occasions when had been sent to get small stories from his ia. ther). Have you any idea when Charley'l be back?"
 Not till late tonight. The assign, ments an out-oftown one-a big story"
 Well, now that makes 1t very awkward for Sadie. He promised her two pasteboards for the matinee to day. That was early in the week, and she hasn't seen or heard from him since. If you were engaged to man, Miss Stahl, even to newspaper man, wouldn't you expect him to drop a big story now and then to come to see you? I'm speaking right out in meeting because, dad being Sadie's | guardian, l know her well enough to | say what think. She's set her heart | cn going and here she is almost cry | ing, she's so hurt and disappointed. Why don't you take her yourself ?' | I hinted Then there's church to- | morrow, too" l ventured to add. There was joyous gasp at the oth. ~ end and up went the receiver. Had set any mischief on foot? Probably not, and what if I had7 Charley was the last man In the world to mar ry, the last man in the wt rid to mako woman happy. His wife always 1 would be second to his newspaper. {