The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-03-11

feel something in the atnoS-
phere. There are the same old STAFF
members land vis.to-sl dropping IN
for the weeks dcadline the
xare huge stacks OF mail 70 hc as.
sorted and boiled down 60 readable
items or thrown INFO the vase bsS.
kct +. the same jsnclns ~ The
telephone ana nc same .rQH res
bot still. there : SON etn.ug fer.
ent 50 q ferCpt N fact that
Just can; seem 20 get IA the
"groove
ACROSS THE DESK from me
Russ CoWsrS 5 fJGirG over I'M
necessarily long dispatches .
swesrug 81 the bad handwriting
of cores pon6cDts lie looks UP as
Sonny Edwards ard Fari Fowler
wax into the room with pictures
made over the week end Old
Russ, who should have grown phil
osoph cal about such matters long
sgo, begins his regular weekly
beef because ore photog apher is
late and another missed an import
or, picture o.. lie II 90 this all
over again when Frank Brown and
Charles Dickson report, winch VII
be aoou, ten minutes before the
sheet goes 20 bed
TO MY LEFT N.y.euc Cooper.
who. unfortunately started drop.
ping into ;h.s of.ce JUS, for some
experience ana now cant pull
herself away. writes heads with
her lct; hand foy soc.a' items
pauseS for long moments then be-
s.ns tipping away on last weeks
most important social event Next
20 her desk is Larry Ch!sms, piled
b.gh with canned copy and letters
from soldiers and ni,elfc fans
Harry still gets more Mail than any
other negro ncwspa pcrmsn IN the
city, The Old "Hepras,cr" won't
be in until about 4 pm, so I'll have
10 welt -unttl~then for MS weekly
"tih' with Russ. They'll have il. TO
be sure, but after it's over they'll
settle down 10 the job OF getting out
q newspaper, for that's the way il
is with newspa permcn-they fuss
and fume" with one another, but
there's nothing that can stop them
from meeting that desdline. For
ss Boots Frost says. "once news
paper man, always a newspaper
man"
IN THE FRONT office Francis
Leonard is breaking in a new girl
Sarah Garner, for in a few DAYS
Miss Leonard will be back in the
city room. That's where her heart
Is and that's where she'll be OF
greatest service 10 the Michigan
Chronicle. In his Office next
70 the city room, L. NJ. Quinn has
begun his long day Of interviewing
and in another room Vivian
Matthews. the keeper OF the
books is struggling away at checks
and balances Upstairs in the
advertising department, Clarence
jackson and Don Bryant are work.
ing furiously on their advertising
enpy--<he lifeolood Of any news
paper. -. The phone rings on my
desk, and on the other end of the
line ! hear the voice Of Chief Louis
Martin there's a story for me
to check it's probably the last
assignment he'll ever give me, and
ouT conversation isn't as light as il
has been in the past.
ORDINARILY THE WHOLE staff
Is wisecracking or telling funny
Jokes that somehow seem funnier
to the accompaniment of rafting
ppewriters and ringing telephones.
There is usually much talk
between Russ and /, but today-a
blue Monday il ever there was one
the old city room where ! have
spent three OF the most eventful
years OF my life. is devoid of that
spark OF life which is reflected in
the printed page OF the Michigan
Chronicle. Yet the room is Just
the same. The water cooler
is as near empty as it ever was
the coat tree in the corner is filled
with overcoats and hats which for
some reason or other are never
hung on the hangers provided for
that purpose the radiators are
making as much noise as they ever
did on cold day there are
the same old piles OF books, papers
and magazines; and scattered copy
over the desks and on shelf
near my desk is dust-covered
globe that went out Of date when
Hitler went into Munich con-
slant reminder OF Louise Blackman
who is now doing stint for a rival
sheet.
AND EVEN THIS column is
harder TO write, for this is my last
desdline for the Michigan Chron-
icle. In the three years ! have spent
writing choice of -the-record1 bries
for this column. have never found
II so difficult 10 get out 20 inches OF
copy the thoughts are there,
but just can't get them on paper.
But that's because in this last offer
ing / must say goodbye 10 Detroit,
the city nobody knows. 10 the peo-
pie who have made headlines read
around the world and 10 a staff of
grand guys and girls-some OF the
incest people il has been my privi-
lege 10 work with 4,
BEGINNING NEXT WEEK !
shall take over the Job OF editor
OF the Cincinnati Csll-Post. the
fastest growing Negro paper in the
city that sets just North of the Bor-
der. In leaving Detroit am leav-
ing many people whom ] shall miss.
but whose names Will ell the
brightest pages of my book OF
memories The big fellows in the
weI-appointed Offices. the men.
women and kids in the slurs. the
factory workers. streetcar conduc-
tors and bus drivers, doctors and
lawyers. tsvernkeepers and stree,
sweepers. the ministers and the
soldiers-all these people who have
helped me 10 write tbs column.
shall miss But l am sure I will
find the same people in Cincinnati
for you can change cities. but you
can't change the people SO with
the last period in this column say
goodbye and good luck-and may
my successors association with you