The Colorado statesman., 1914-12-05
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STAR OF The STAFF
BY A. ELLIS HENEsERGER.

as ever drifted into the office of the
Madison World with lofty ideas of
the journalistic profession" and a
firm resolve some day to set the ma
tion afiame. 1t is true that he was a
little taken aback when, after a month
of probation, he was placed on the
SALARY list" at ten dollars a week,
but he had read somewhere that Dana
was once city editor at little more,
and he took courage.
Duffy, the managing editor, told
him he was to be congratulated on
getting any salary at all in so short
time.
why, on the New York -" he
toh Morrison, college students serve
six months without pay, and are glad
of the opportunity. Anyway, you
haven't caught the World style. Watch
Snead's articles and you'll get line
on what We want"
Snead was the star of the staff, and
Morrison always regarded him envi-
ously as he came in from an assign
ment and tore off reams of stuff that
was practically railroaded to the COM
editors pencil. Snead put no dis
count on his own work.
There was but one man in the
World editorial rooms who did not
share Duffy's opinion of his pupil
for Snead himself had been a cub un-
der Duffy. That was Billings, who
handled the telegraph.
When in a good humor he had been
known to chuckle over some of it.
At other times he might have been
heard to mutter, "Slush''
1t was a bleak day in January. A
heavy snow had fallen, blockading the
car lines and putting business to the
bad all over town. Snead tramped
into the office with the police reports,
which he threw in a heap on Duffy's
desk for inspection, and settled him.
self to write an article on East Side
distress.
Duffy glanced the reports through,
and entered the various assignments
on his book. This completed, the re-
porters came forward to receive in
structions for the day.
"You, Morrison" he said, "look up
this distress case. Take it down:
Mrs. Edith M. Lindeman, 1925 Calvert
street; two children; without food
two days. Here's an order on the
cashier. Buy her food and wood If
she needs it; and write half column,
sure"
Morrison sailed forth that morning,
armed with the office currency, and
fought his way through the snowdrifts
! toward the East side. It was a pc
culiarity of the town that one might
find wealth and squalor side by side
even in what was known as the lex
elusive section" But it must be con-
fessed that Morrison was somewhat
nonplused when he read the number
1125 on the door of veritable man
sion.
Here's the devil to pay" thought
the reporter as he consulted his notes
again. But there were the figures
staring him in the face.
A maid, neatly attired in cap and
apron, answered his ring. Yes, Mrs.
Lindeman lived there, and what was
his business, please. He felt like a
fool as he blurted it out.
"A mistake, of course" he finished,
with laugh.
"Quite natural one, though" said
quiet voice behind the maid A
woman, evidently the mistress, came
forward. She was a strikingly hand
some young woman, but her eyes were
very sad
Marie she continued, this gen
tleman no doubt is looking for that
Ifav vail ~,
idea they we're in such straits. 1t is
the rear of 1125 you want. The maid
will show you.''
Guided by Marie, Morrison entered
an alleyway which emerged on anoth-
er running Just behind the Lindeman
house. Ascending a flight of rickety
steps, he brought up at the door of a
squalid tenement
An hour later groceryman and a
wood-dealer had relieved the imme-
date wants of the Sonnatini family,
and Morrison, with two receipts made
out to the World, was hurrying to the
office to write the story of his life.
Duffy was knee-deep in copy, but
he liked that. He handled all the
local" and kept the linotype opera
tors crying for quarter most of the
time.
Morrison had finished his story and
was off on another assignment. Snead
was grinding out suicide, with the
usual tear trimmings. Duffy weeded
out the copy rapidly. casting the
''slop," as he called 1t, right and left
and piling up the spicy matter for the
regular two o'clock edition Morri-
sons Sonnatini story came in for
rapid perusal and immediate disfavor.
"D-n that cub!" muttered Duffy.
Come on. Snead," he called out
Cut that story off. I've got a good