The Young Reporter

This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design. Dick Sumner is a hardworking eighteen-year-old printer's apprentice in Russellville, torn between loyalty to his widowed mother and sister and his dream of a future in printing. When his editor sends him to cover Governor Wright's arrival, a sudden carriage accident turns an ordinary errand into a career-making scoop. Racing the news to The Daily Transport in New York, Dick is thrust into the fast, competitive world of big-city journalism, where he sees his story confirmed, edited, and splashed across the front page as an exclusive beat. The success earns him twenty-five dollars, a trial position on the paper, and the confidence of editor Dr. Goode, who recognizes his news sense and helps open the door to reporting. Though anxious and often left waiting, Dick proves himself through hard travel and careful observation, writing vivid dispatches from Cuba and Mexico, including a grim visit to the imprisoned Comacho in Belen. His reports win wide acclaim and new assignments, carrying him onward to Porto Rico and a freighter voyage on the Smeaton Tower. Through every change, Dick remains modest, loyal, and guided by the strong ties of home, even as journalism pulls him toward a larger life.