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Riis, Jacob A., 1849-1914

"The Making of an American"

" I suspect I must have been a rather
unlovely customer, take it all together. Still, every once in a
while it boils up in me yet against the discretion that has come
with the years, and I want to slam in after the old fashion. Seems
to me we are in danger of growing stale with all our soft speeches
nowadays.
Things enough happened to take down my self-esteem a good many pegs.
It was about this time I made up my mind to go into the newspaper
business. It seemed to me that a reporter's was the highest and
noblest of all callings; no one could sift wrong from right as he,
and punish the wrong. In that I was right. I have not changed my
opinion on that point one whit, and I am sure I never shall. The
power of fact is the mightiest lever of this or of any day. The
reporter has his hand upon it, and it is his grievous fault if he
does not use it well. I thought I would make a good reporter. My
father had edited our local newspaper, and such little help as
I had been of to him had given me a taste for the business. Being
of that mind, I went to the _Courier_ office one morning and asked
for the editor.


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