The Washington times., 1934-09-07
Still a Reporter

Still a Reporter
And so 20 years have passed
and I am still a reporter with q
daily assignment but no badge.
In 1914, part Of my daily duty
called for the collection Of a
minimum Of 10 personals, as we
called them. At night, I visited
the lodgeS-Elks, Odd Fellows,
Moose, Ancient Order Of Hibern-
ianS and other organizations.
The night life Of the town con-
centrated in the clubroomS Of
these societies. I reported the
names Of such local celebrities
as were present.
In 1884, I find my routine
has not changed much. still
collect personals" DiSit clubs
and report the names of those
present. In 1914, of course, it
1UGS considered better taste to
1D0it until an heir had GrriUed
before making the announce
ment. NotU, In this more liberal
age, De announce impending
UtsttS of the stork, many months
IN GdUGnce.
In 1914, we did not bother
much with the romances Of the
towns young but waited pa.
tiently until there was a formal
betrothal. A girl did not con-
slider herself formally engaged
until her swain had slipped a
ring over the proper finger. Our
present-day couples don't go in
much for formal engagements
but girls still welcome the ring
the more rings, the better.
They have been 20 faScinat-
ing years. During that time, I
have interviewed an ex-PreSi.
dent Of the United States while
he sat on the edge Of . bed in
his underwear-the late Will
liam Howard Taft; q gentleman
who tried very hard to become
President Of the United States
the late william Jennings
Bryan; q notorious bandit, Ger
aid Chapman; any number Of
famous screen, radio and stage
stars.
have stumbled over the body
Of a murdered man, witnessed
the hanging of a killer, watched
. ceasarian operation, lodged
bullets intended for another
man-bullets which did not
reach him but did kill a woman;
have rewritten trite philoso-
phies under the name of a Ru-
manian queen and triter cpl
taphS under the name of Helen
Keller. These are all fragmen-
tary highlights for no man can
be in this newspaper business in
any capacity without witnessing
or participating in interesting
and often epochal events.
E. O. S. Wires
Through those 20 years the
busy wires brought reports Of
momentouS happenings. In the
early days, the telegraph oper-
0tor tore them out of his type.
writer and rushed them to the
desk in short takes. Later came
that amazing electric typewriter
the teletype printer. You
stood around and watched the
words link themselves into SEN
tences - sentences that might
change the course of your en-
tire life. E. o. S. bulletin:
The Lusitania is sunk by a
German submarine! E. o. s.
bulletin: War is declared! E. o.
s. bulletin: President signs
draft bill! E. o. s. bulletin:
American troops in first battle.
You sit at a desk and con.
template the brief bulletin be-
yVBO 0VWs NWI HCWOPUPCJ 10
conservative. Shall you 1Urite
O. ttDo-colun17l heGd-or is it
north three columns? The piece
of paper announces the death
BY lynching of the unfortunate
Leo Frank. A bomb is tossed at
pGrGderS in a Preparedness Day
march in San Francisco. A
labor organizer, Thomas J.
Mooney, Is arrested. A new name
GppeGrS-KerenSky. Russia be.
comes a republic. There is talk
OF national prohibition. i've
imperial family of Russia is
shot dotDn. President Harding
Is dead. Ninety-eight are killed
IN the collapse of the Knicker-
booker Thedter in WASHINGTON.
One hundred thousand are
killed in earthquakes and tidal
waves in Tokyo and Yokohama,