The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-07


~ TMY 0YHlC8 D0l.
& y'bIns. this = ~ hfst ptsce !
oyoe wrote for . neWtDep6. III
III gyou II On how Il happened.
mes has becn I'll klnds Of r0ugn
tax n our once betveen tho c1ty
editor and his report1g1 over some
st1n6 OF : party the Rock Island
club II to have next Saturday ntghs.
The city editor has been going
abOnt with crepe hanging all over
his face. So the other day ] up
and asks him what the hell. ana
he tails me that he has been get
ting dumped on one Of the best
news stories that has ripened IN
thess parts In year. Well. both
my ears flop hard when ! hears
that, and asks him to let me In.
and. he tells me that that Is Inc
trouble; he has been trying to get
on the in for two weeks. and that
he knows about as much about the
party now as he knew when he
got the first tip that It was to be
held. 1 asks him what was the Sc
cret, md he says that everybody
belonging to the club seems to have
been given the order Of the clam.
II you know what l mean. and the
4 result Is that he has been made q
monkey Of. Our city editor, when
he wants : story, doesn't like 70 be
thrown down. He tells me that be
has sent two reporters out to get
the story and both have returned
with what he calls a lot OF bunk.
He says his reporters have been
given the string, and he is getting
tired of burning up a lot OF
valuable space. with print paper at
such high prices, and not telling
HIS readers anything. Well, ] says.
what does he want to do with me!
He stands there blowing air into
my face, and that isn't getting me
anywhere, and it isn't helping him
any with the story that he hasn't
(. been able to get.
Well, the city editor told me that
he always believed that I would
make a pretty good reporter If l
had a chance. and ! told him that
] never went blooey on anything !
had tackled yet: but didn't know
whether l could make good as
reporter or not. He said all l had
to have was q little nerve and some
staying power. Well, l said. one
day on the way home from school
l had fight with another kid, and
we battled three hours before
made him say he had enough
When l told him that he grasped
me by the hand and said l was
his huckleberry, and for me to &c
forth and find. And l wants to
know how much there is in it if
brings back the real news. Then
he says how does he know whether
the news that bring back is real
news or not.
So l told him he'd have to take
1t from me the way got it from
the guys that I went to. l asked
him for running orders. and he
told me again that there wasn'
any running orders. All he knew
was that there was to be a party a
the club Saturday night, and tina
there was so much talk about i
that everybody In the club seemed
to be UP in the air, and nobod,
really knew what was going t
happen until they all get togethe
under the main canvas next Satur
day night. ...
said 1t was funny II ther,
wasn't some of the swell gees a
the club who would loosen up ant
tell about the party, If it was t
be on the square, and the cit.
editor said lot Of those who ha,
been talked to had acted as il the.
were trying to keep something un
der cover, and he wanted me +
pull the cover off-he didn't car
how did it. He said he was hire
TO get the news. and there was II
use talking. he had been throw
down beautifully so far about tn
club affair.
Well, that was where I stood
! folks, when Jared forth to get tn
goods, The first gent l met wa
: Frank Welch, the local john
Rockefeller. I asked him II hi
dues were paid up in full at tn
club. and he said it wasn't any G
my business and what right did
have to ask him such a persona
question. whereupon | uncovere
and revealed that l was reporte
and that l knew that he WASH
afraid to talk out in the open.
there was going to be anythin
happen at the club that he wa
ashamed OF. says l, then i didn
blame him for not talking; but
II was to be a perfect lady-lik
blow. then he ought not be afrai
to tell me what he knew. Where
upon our oil king drew forth
long black cigar and handed me
match. l put my feet upon hi
mahogany and told him to shoe
his wad. He fiddled. as the priz
fighters call it, for a few minutes
and said probably he had bette
not say too much. Then you ar
coward, l said. He replied tina
he never was a coward in his life
Then / defied him to spill.
We'll" said our oil king. "Ther,
have been so many lies told abou
the club party that l feel. in justic,
to me and my fellow members, tina
the straight goods ought to be Civ
en- to the public. You may sa,
that 1t is to be a stag party and fol
members only. 1t will begin abou
s o'clock. and when midnight ar
rives the clock in the club CORR
dor is to be chloroformed. There
will be q jazz band and two or,
chestras. That much for the mu
sic. Four entertainers are to be
imported from Chicago-three girls
and q man. The man will give 9
monologue and the girls will sing
might say that those girls come
from the first families OF Chicago