From Office Boy to Reporter; Or, The First Step in JournalismGaris, Howard Roger
General
From Office Boy to Reporter; Or, The First Step in Journalism
Garis, Howard Roger
Journalists -- Juvenile fiction
“I think it would be better to keep all mention of the details of the
matter out of the press,” said Mr. Newton. “That’s a strange thing
for a reporter to say, but this case is different, and concerns the
_Leader_ more than any other papers. The unions are fighting us, and
we must fight them. We can do it best by keeping quiet in this case.
I think I can manage so that little of this will get into the other
papers.
“The police station you went to is in a lonely part of the city, and
reporters are seldom sent there. The headquarters men will not bother
much with the story, and beyond the mere fact that Larry has been found
I think we will not go into details.”
This plan was followed and the next day small items appeared in all the
papers, to the effect that the missing boy was at home.
Larry went back to work that morning, and was warmly commended by Mr.
Emberg for the manner in which he had acted.
“You not only get news, but you do what is even harder,” said the city
editor, smiling, “you make it.”
Larry was a real hero in the eyes of the other copy boys, and he had
to tell the story over at least a dozen times before they would be
satisfied. The other reporters, also, were interested in hearing the
details from Mr. Newton.
Larry was glad enough to be chasing copy again, for he remembered how,
when shut up alone in the room, he had feared he might never more have
a chance at it.
The cab strike was over three days later, the strikers giving up. Mr.
Newton tried to learn who was back of them, hoping thus to discover the
man responsible for Larry’s kidnapping, but he could not, though he
got several clews that pointed to a certain person. However, proof was
lacking, and without this the reporter could not proceed and cause an
arrest.
Several days passed. Larry was kept busy, for there was plenty of news,
and there was no lack of copy to run with, proofs to get, and other
errands to do around the office. But Larry was getting to like it more
and more, and was counting on the day coming when he could write a
story.
He continued at night school. The first feeling of strangeness had worn
off, and the classes had settled down to study. The boys, after the
first night of fun and excitement, did not play any more tricks, and
Larry found them easy to get on with.
He feared he would have more trouble with Peter Manton, but the latter
did not come near him. He saw his old enemy occasionally, but, as they
were in different classes they did not meet inside the school, and only
once or twice outside, and in the company of crowds of other boys.
Larry was studying writing, arithmetic, reading, and spelling. He also
took history and geography, and these kept him busy enough. However, he
was bright and quick, and the teacher complimented him on the progress
he was making. He got permission to take his books to the office, and
at odd moments he conned his lessons.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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