THE AMERICAN REPORTER.

Mataura Ensign, 21 March 1907, Page 1

THE AMERICAN REPORTER.

(By Stanley Bowmar,) 1 was sitting at the desk, clicking away at tho typewriter, when the [■ cashier came up and said: "This ia a reporter from the 'News/ and I would be glad if you would give him a puragruph or two,. He is a friend of mine." "Mr V gave me your address," the newspaperman hastened to explain. "He said you could, if, you would, give me an interesting talk." I am looking for human nature stories." I knew Mr V., who ia a Londoner, now prominont in Denver literary circles. '"Human nature stories"' soundod pretty big and importanthalf frightened me—but it was agreed that ho should meet me at 6 o'clock that evening to gather at least a few particulars of my motor cyole trip from the_ Eastern States. He arrived punctually, and when leaving thanked me profusely for what lio said would males a "good story." He also requested me to give nothing to the opposition papers until his story appeared, which would not be until two days later. I had not then the slightest intention of giving anyone else notes, and certainly had none after bis spread appeared. My experience with Yan Wee reporters is that they have small regard for the truth, especially if a traveller is concerned—or a political enemy. They, stick ut nothing. They get hold of an insignificant fact and weave round it such an amazing lot of fiction that it is absolutely impossible to locate the fact. But this-Denver man cappud all, both. in.-the space he occupied in his paper and tho length ot his lies. Prefaced by half a column of glaring headings were many columns of an adroit mixture of halftruths, exutriteration, and pure fabrication. At the outset his imagination was exceedingly fresh and brilliant, for ho crodited me with being connected with a New Zealand newspaper that does not exist—at least/1 never heard ol it. Who, in the name of all tho gods; of war, ever read a copy of the 'Daily Dunedin/ Gore, New Zealand. I told him J was not connected with any, paper: but. ho apparently thought that to give his ''story" something on wfyich to hang it was necessary to somersault my statement, and forthwith proceeded to mix up the places I cUd mention to serve his purpose. But this is not all—only a prelude. He informed tho Denverites—and it was news to m«—that I was "conspicuous among the mavericks at tho Convention," which was then meeting in Denver. In our conversation the Convention was never mentioned, and as for my connection with it, I did not even know,where its meetings ware held. I knew a lot of tho big guns of tho American l'rcss were in conference tin Denver, having high jinks tourine Colorado on free railroad passes,but unfortunately the number of my dollars decreased every time I went within a league of • railroad ticket office. Then followed a spread about tho Old Country. As about two per cent, of this is true, or approaches the truth, we will let that pass. Two per ceut. of truth is a good average for an American newepaper nlan. He made me say that wages were higher in Now Zealand than in thu States. ,1 believe I did say t&at, all things considered, they were almost as high : but reully I think (t better to withdraw even that, for thisi aminblo young fellow told mo that his salary was 25 dollars per week, and it is certain that no New Zealand editor would treat him so handsomely—not for more than one week anyhow. At the close of his story our brilliant friend seems to have been troubled with tho depressing thought that ho had nothing of sufficient strength and interest to mako a fitting and forceful close, and found it necessary to manufacture a. good "black 'un" to fill tho breach. "Ho has planned to return next year with a party of New Zealand bovs," ho coolly writes, "to visit tho United States and all tho countries of Europe." It beats me why he omitted to give tho names of each of tho party. The whole "interview," with tho exception of tho first two paragraphs mid the last one, was written up in the first person, _as if he had taken the words verbatim. In reality, out of two thousand words there were not more thnn two hundred mine. If this is writing up "human nature stories," all men must be liars after all. "Tho American reporter, God bless him." No, sir, please don't.