The Washington herald., 1920-07-26
GETTING SCOOP
FROM SCOOPERS
Cub Reporter Interviews
Other Newspaper Men
In Zeal.

He was the greenest Of cub re-
porters. Fresh from the halls Of
an upstate university. he had join
ed the staff Of a metropolitan news
paper in New York and had receiv-
ed his first assignment. He had
been told to cover" the return OF
the excursion boats, which followed
the international yacht cup races.
1t was not as big" a story as he
had hoped he would receive. but
he had a city editor to satisfy. and
as he was a conscientious youth
all cub reporters are-he was de-
termined TO get the whole story
Fearful that he would be late.
he hsstened down to Battery place.
where he had learned most OF the
boats would put in. Already the
extras had been on the street for
more than an hour telling OF the
accident TO the Resolute and of the
victory OF Shamrock ". in the first
tilt OF the series.
Hires Taxicab.
A cruising taxicab slowly passed
him. He hailed il. and with a hur-
ried word jumped in. IT drew up
to Pier A just as he saw several
men jumping ashore from a tuzboat.
A load from the excursion boats, to
be sure. He ran down the pier.
His neatly folded brown felt hat
doggy" they would call its style
on the college campus, the soft
white shirt. tweed suit and polished.
low tan shoes disguised him to the
Homecoming newspaper correspond
ents. who had been out on the press
boat following the race. For the
men he saw landing on the pier.
unknown TO him. were all newspa-
per men. many Cf them years old in
the business, men who had served
their years apprenticeship on the
street
He approached a leading group
Timid his manner might have been.
described, although under it one
might have noticed the aggressive
ness OF despair that comes to every
reporter out on his frSt story.
Did you just come in from the
race" he asked. striking a pose
unconsciously. which he thought
TO a full hedged re-
porter.
Yeah" answered one grizzled
reporter without realizing he was
being interviewed by one OF his
own trade
Tn from the New York -" he
continued. Did you have a good
trip? Were there any accidents?"
= Struck Dumb.
Too dazed with surprise to an
swer the first old-timer looked al
his young contemporary in fascIna-
tion.
Another who had not caught the
entire conversation and who thought
the young man had been assigned
to cover the race but had in some
way failed to go out volunteered:
Accidents? Say, don't you even
know who won this race? =. AccI-
dents? Do you mean 10 say you
don't know what happened to the
Resolute?"
''Oh. yes. l know about her. But
that is not what I am interested
in," the young man answered easily.
What I wanted TO know was
whether you had any trouble. any
one blown overheard, or anything
like that, you know? Oh. yes. 1
knew about the Resolute."
Il guess you have made a mis-
take, young feller," the first broke
in again while a group Of reporters
gathered about them. You are In
terviewing a bunch OF newspaper
men. We're not the ones you want
to see. Better go over and tackle
that excursion boat that is just
coming in"
And the Blush.
A blush had spread quickly up to
the hair of the conscientious in
terrogator. without a word he fed.
We'll, I've been in the game for
twenty-three years" the first re-
porter unused as the group broke
up, but that's the first time l ever
got interviewed. Now / know what
it's like to be on the other end Of a
string of questions. Well, that's
new one, which is about
the chief thing about the newspaper
game. Always banging up against
a new one. even to bein' inter
viewed by a cub"