From Office Boy to Reporter; Or, The First Step in Journalism

by Howard Roger Garis

“I think you had better cover that strike,” said Mr. Emberg to Mr. Newton one day. “You’ll have to remain on the scene all day. I’ll send a boy up with you and you can send your copy down. Telephone if anything big happens, otherwise write the story as it goes along and send it in. Make it interesting, for the people like to read about such things. What boy do you want?”

“I’ll take Larry,” said Mr. Newton. “He’s quick and smart.”

“That’s the reason I like to have him in the office,” said the city editor. “But go ahead, take him with you. And you’ll have to keep an eye out for him and yourself too. The strikers are in an ugly mood, and they have little use for the papers.”

“I’ll look out,” said Mr. Newton.

Larry went uptown to the office of the cab concern. In order to have a headquarters near the scene of battle Mr. Newton arranged to have the use of a little store near the cab stables. There was a telephone in it, and a small table where the reporter could write.

Larry and Mr. Newton reached the place about nine o’clock in the morning. No sooner had they arrived than there was a fight between the union and non-union forces. Several of the former attacked a cab taken out by a new man. They pulled him from the seat and then, turning on the power full, allowed the motor vehicle to run wild about the streets.

Several persons had narrow escapes from being injured and two horses were knocked down by the big cab with no one to guide it. Another horse ran away from fright. The police reserves were sent for, and altogether there was considerable excitement.

Mr. Newton wrote a lively story of the happening, and sent Larry back to the office with it. Then he sat down in the store to await developments. They were not long in coming, for, pretty soon, the strikers upset a cab. So, when Larry got back, there was another batch of copy waiting for him.

“Plenty of stories!” cried Mr. Emberg.

Newsboys brought several copies of the Leader around to the headquarters of the cab firm that afternoon, and the story of the morning’s happenings was eagerly read by the strikers.