University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1913-02-20
A GIRL REPORTER IN THE CITY
At First She Walked Around the Block to Get
Up Courage-How Persistence
Won.
Won.

Mrs j.. 1900 Madison street, is
suing for divorce. Says he made
love to the cook. See her and get the
story and her picture"
Such was the nature of one of my
first assignments on city afternoon
newspaper, with a partiality for
human interest" news.
To one, who is journalism stu
dent, had trembled when told to get
stories from cautious professors who
didn't want to be quoted" or would
be modest students VINO hated news
paper notoriety," this assignment was
appalling.
l was hoping the street car would
break down or l would faint on the
way. But l got there safely, picked
out the house and then walked around
the block twice to work up nerve On
the second round told myself as
had often done before that not hav-
ing the cleverness and originality the
reporters of magazine fiction always
possess, must win out by
persistence. So putting on my don't
care-if-I-am-kicked-Out-in-the street.
attitude, went up to the house.
1t all came easier than l expected
didn't get the picture but the wo-
man, glad of my sympathy, suppose,
told me her story between sobs and
thereby saw my first life picture
of human unhappiness.
Contrary to the fiction stories, the
city editor did not tear his hair when
l returned without the picture Write
the story and we'll get a snapshot
of her." he said
Some Typical Stories.
After that l became well broken in
to going for pictures. Sometimes it
was of grande dame whose son had
eloped with the stenographer, again
of an unfortunate woman who had
married bigamist, once of a country
widow lured to the city by matri-
monial shark, and still oftener of an
ordinary person who had made a dis
covery or written a book.
Talk right up to them. Don't let
them bluff you," said a reporter
once, giving me advice But l found
that the best results always came from
being corteous and in my turn was
never treated impolitely.
Moreover, such talks as these came |
but seldom and the joy of the other |
assignments more than made up for
them.
Chief among the latter were women's |
An afternoon paper is
at disadvantage on these, because
much of their important business takes
place at night 1t was in this way 1
got scooped the third day 1 was on
the paper. Some startling disclosures
were made at a night meeting and
these formed a good story for the
papers. had tried to get
this in advance that afternoon but !,
had given up too easily. l didn't re-
ceive as riuch of a calling down as
deserved but it impressed me so I
hat l was never scooped in this way
again. / got so l would study a con- ;
7ention program as a text book and 4,
Gould imagine l saw something ex- ,
;iting week ahead in the closing
hight session of even a Ladies' Aid
,
AS to callings down they were not 7
requent and never discourteous, but ,
Ilways impressive. l shall never for !
,et the split infnitive the city editor .
'ointed out to me or the expression -,
at the corner of Ninth and Broad
vay" which he asked me to explain
In Quest Of the Unusual. 4,
1t was the same way with advice. r
Watch out for the unusual" was all I
e said when / started out to cover
lecture. Don't bother about the
march of civilization but if a man
ays the way to kill a chicken is not
D take its head off, that's what We
ant.
Remember that being at college
ont insure your making good in
he had said to me the
rst morning. The best reporter l
ave rose from an office boy"
That was very true. But not being
genius like that reporter 1 was
lad l had some education to help