Year: 1872

his newspaper career:


In turning over the pages of memory,
he says, find those relating TO my early
experience as a reporter marked by fire.
quent exclamation points printed in col
ors, and in jobbing type. When l an
nounced my intention to live by my wits,
my father, with delicate appreciation,
prophesied that | would starve in two
weeks. Owing to the strength of my
constitution, did not but l wish had
and my friends wish so too. When
had secured place as reporter on the
Daily Bugle Blast of Bentlyville, the
paternal voice assured me that | should
see what / should see-and did.


On the day on which my engagement
commenced, was sent to write up case
of highway robbery, in a neighboring
village. ! interviewed the robber, and
he said his name was John Smith, and
he told me all about it. AS he seemed
as wicked as he could be, | selected the
blacklist ink in the Office, and when the
next days paper appeared John Smith
stood out boldly, the blackest sillhoutte
illustration of total depravity that could
be painted with pen. The next day a
stranger called to know why had put
his name in the paper, he observed that
he had as good mind to punch my head
as he ever had to eat dinner, and he
looked like man to enjoy dinner. Said
he :" I'm John Smith" "Oh, no you
amt" l replied. " Yes, am," he said
! told him about the other John and he
seemed IA little more quiet, but he said,
as he turned to go: every one who
knows me thinks it was me-" "WeIl, "
| mused aloud, "you should not lead II
life to subject you to suspicion" He
turned to make some other remarks, but
he missed me, and only broke one or two
pieces out Of the back of my chair. |
went away then.


That evening | tried a concert. The
leading vocalist was famed the world
over for her talent as a singer, and haz-
arded an opinion in print that she sang
WELL There was vocal music in my Vi
cinity for several days. Every singer /
met belonging to Bentlyville said / was
fool until ! began to think it must be
so, and they united alike in condemning
the concert and my ability TO write mu-
sical criticisms.


Then there was a lecture. l did not
like that lecture, and profting by expe-
rience l did not praise it. AT the same
time, and equally influenced by expert
ence, l did not condemn it rather
evaded an opinion. The lecturer called
around before night, with quite thunder
storm percbed on his brow. He said |
damned with faint praise. He did not
damn me in that way, he pursued the old
fashioned snlphurous method, and felt
that he was through long before he did
get through. He advised me to appen-
tice myself to blacksmith.


related these incidents to the man.i-
ger. lie told me not to take any half
way ground. IF you hit man in print
hit him so hard that he won't want any
more" That sounded well, and so when
the Bentlyvile singers gave concert,
which was in every respect a miserable
failure, l just charged among them and
cut right and left. My life was not de-
void of incident for some days. The ten
or called at my house regularly for q
week. was always out. The basso
promenaded Main street with big stick.
The sopranos brother made anxious in
quiries after me. All the singers quit
singing in public, and the church people
left without choirs, pointed me out to
their children as an infidel, and hereto
who had interiered with public worship,
and who dld not know anything about
writing for newspaper. | attempted
= pacify these musicians by telling them
that had dealt with them exactly the
same. as they had wanted me to deal with
the other singer; but my efforts proved
Intellectual and accomplished nothing.


Then the chief of police sent for me.
A dastardly assault had been committed
In the streets, in open daylight. The
man was dead to feelings of shame, and
had so tar escaped punishment for similar
offenses but the chief thought that by
ridiculing the offender | should make
him feel his shame, and that by making
the thing prominent / could secure his
punishment from the proper authorities,
/ thought so, too. gave the item dis
play head, layished the most scalding of
sarcasm and the most mirth- provoking
lidicule on him, and the effect was highly
satisfactory-until the article appeared in
print.


The next morning the man sat in my
chair. He had been bailed. In his hand
he bore persuasive bludgeon. He
wanted to know why put display head
on him, and acted as though he intended
to put display head on me. His inten-
tions were carried out soon after-and So
was |. He made several objections to nv
method of getting out police reports.
The most striking Of these objections was
the bludgeon. | calmly replied to his
arguments with paste-pot and pair of
shears, following up my temporary ad-
vantage with paper weight and una
bridged dictionary. Before he recovered
the thread Of his discourse an elderly man