A SPIRITED REPORTER.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 7, 14 November 1890, Page 29

A SPIRITED REPORTER.

(Jno. Gilmkb Speed in tha American Prat.")

There is in New Yoik a certain banker who at one time was •• prominent in political as in monetary affairs. He was noted for his bad manners, and there was not a reporter in New York who would go near him. I was the city editor, and the cnief bad directed that certain questions be asked of this churlish magnate. There ws in the office a very gentlemanlike young man who had recently been graduated from Harvard, aad who had only that day reported for duty. I was sure that he would not shirk the job, for he did not know how disagreeable it might be. I told him what I wished, and as he had only heard of Sir. Blank as an eminent financier and conspicuous politician hs was glad of the chance of seeing him. Arrived at the Fifth avenue home of Blank, be was left standing in the vestibule while the footmm took ia bis card.— Blank did not come down stairs, but said gruffly to the reporter, who was in the hall : *' Wbat do you want ?" The reporter told him . " Get out of here," yelled the aogry banker, " aad tell the man who sent you that all tbe fools are not yet dead."

" But, Mr. Blank," persisted the astonished reporter, " won't yon kindly tell me ao and so f " •' No, get out of here, I tell you. Why don't you go t " The reporter's dander hai now arisen. He replied : " That is scarcely tbe way, sir, for one ge a tie man to speak to another."

" Who said you were a gentleman ?" growle 1 Blank as he hobbled down stairs. Reaching ihe hall he caught the reporter, woo towered some tea inches above him, by tha ear and pushed him to tbe door. At toe d»r the rep >rtur caught Blank in his arms, carried him tenderly down the froat stairs and deposited the now writhing millionaire bead foremost in the slush and snow of the gutter. He raised bis bat aud walked quietly away, wtuli liveried footmen ran to the rescue of the astoniaaed Blank. fne reporter hai taien first prize the year before as the best all round athlete in Harvard university. We did not print any account of this encounter, but we had lots of fun over it, and thw fun was not diminishei when the chief sent to me a letter from Blank coaaplaiaiag of the brutal rudeness of tbe new reporter.