November 24, 1934
THE STATE
Page Three
From Cub Reporter to
Washington Correspondent
Bj
/
II.
Б.
C. BRYANT
Practically everybody in North Carolina knows or
has heard of H. E. C. (“Red Buck”) Bryant. For a
number of years his dispatches from Washington,
D. C., gave the people of this state a fine conception
of what was going on at the national capital. Prior
to that, he served a strenuous newspaper apprentice¬
ship here in North Carolina.
He probably has had as many interesting experi¬
ences and has been in contact with as many interest¬
ing people as anybody in this state. At the present
time, his residence is still in the capital, but he has
quit the arduous daily grind of writing and only
turns out an occasional article for some big paper or
magazine. (He’s far from being financially broke,
too.)
Mr. Bryant has consented to write a series of ar¬
ticles for The State on his experiences in North Caro¬
lina and in Washington, and we are confident you will
enjoy them.
TWENTY-SEVEN years ago the
late Joseph Pearson Caldwell of
Charlotte sent me to Washing¬
ton to represent hie paper. I had been
with him, reporting everything from a
dog fight to prayer meetings for rain,
from June, 1895, when I graduated
from the University of North Caro¬
lina. Ilis friendship, with the excep¬
tion of the blood, character and
training given me by my mother and
father, good, substantial people of
Mecklenburg County, has Itocn the
dominating influence in my life, lie
heard my appeal for work, as I was on
my way home from college, with a
diploma in my trunk and a debt of
8800 (obligations incurred for my edu¬
cation) on my head. For the first two
months 1 worked for nothing but ex¬
perience, and was glad of the oppor¬
tunity. The third month I received
$20, and lived on it. At the end of
the first year 1 was getting $W. and
liquidating my debts. It was an up¬
hill road, but Mr. Caldwell was doing
the Itest he could for me. Ho was try¬
ing to establish his paper, and put it
on a paying basis. Ho, and the late
Howard A. Banks, and Miss Adelaide
Caldwell, were the writing staff. I
made the fourth montlicr of the crew.
Twice, hard pressed by creditors. I
launched out for myself, hoping to
make more money: 1 bought the old
MR. BRYANT, as he looks today. His looks, however,
have nothing to do with his ability as a newspaperman,
for he is one of the best that this state ever has known.
Caldwell to endorse me for it. and he
wrote me a recommendation that con¬
vinced me I should not accept it, and
I took the train for Charlotte, and
resumed my course with him. As the
Caldwell letter indicates the character
of that great North Carolina editor I
shall give extracts from it. It was ad¬
dressed to Scott C. Bone, managing
editor, but sent to me to deliver in
person. It said: "Mr. Bryant was with
me quite a while, and I know him
well. Personally he is pure gold he
does not need to be discounted. He has
fancy and talent for newspaper work
ami has put up some excellent stuff
for this paper on assignment and
otherwise. Generally speaking he has
been one of its most attractive con¬
tributors.
“I must add that he has not been
properly trained in the business.
Пе
furnishes copy which is had in all re-
( Continued on page twenty-seven)
Charlotte I )
сто
-
era/, lost $2110, quit
it and went hack to
Mr. Caldwell. In
1897, without con¬
sulting me before¬
hand the late Col.
William II. Osborn,
of Greensboro, of¬
fered to give me
twice what I was
making to manage a K«*clcy Institute
in the District of Columbia for him
and associates. Believing that 1 could
more speedily lift a financial burden
from my shoulders I accepted the po¬
sition tendered with the understanding
that at the end of three months, if I
did not like it, 1 would return to Mr.
Caldwell. It did not take me long to
realize that I was not cut out for di¬
rector of a booze-fighting hospital. I
hardly knew one drink from another,
but had never worried about the fel¬
low who did. The struggle for exist¬
ence on the farm, at college, and after¬
ward was so hard that I had no money
for such drinks, and I was fond of
milk and water, on which I had
1юоп
brought up. Therefore, at the end of
my try-out I notified Col. Osborn that
I would have to leave him. The
Washington Post, then published by
Beri.nh Wilkins, ex-congressman from
Ohio, offered me a job. 1 asked Mr.
