Prev | Current Page 218 | Next

Riis, Jacob A., 1849-1914

"The Making of an American"

Perhaps the notion of a police reporter
praying that he may write a good murder story may seem ludicrous,
even irreverent, to some people. But that is only because they
fail to make out in it the human element which dignifies anything
and rescues it from reproach. Unless I could go to my story that
way I would not go to it at all. I am very sure that there is no
irreverence in it--just the reverse.
So I dived in. But before I did it I telegraphed to my wife:--
"Got staff appointment. Police Headquarters. $25 a week. Hurrah!"
I knew it would make her happy.


CHAPTER IX
LIFE IN MULBERRY STREET

It was well that I stopped to make explanations before I took hold
in my new office. Mighty little time was left me after. What the
fight was about to which I fell heir I have long since forgotten.
Mulberry Street in those days was prone to such things. Somebody
was always fighting somebody else for some fancied injury or act of
bad faith in the gathering of the news. For the time being they all
made common cause against the reporter of the _Tribune_, who also
represented the local bureau of the Associated Press.


Pages:
206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230