Finally, “the following are visited by the reporters several times, or only once a day:
“Police Stations. Municipal Courts. Board of Health Headquarters. Fire Department Headquarters. Park Department Headquarters. Building Department Headquarters. Tombs Prison. County Jail. United States Sub-treasury. Office of Collector of the Port. United States Appraiser’s Office. Public Hospitals. Leading Hotels. The Morgue. County Sheriff’s Office. City Comptroller’s Office. City Treasurer’s Office. Offices of the Tax Collector and Tax Assessors.”
Mr. Given’s example of the broker, John Smith, illustrates aptly the point I am making. “For ten years,” said Mr. Given,8 “he pursues the even tenor of his way and except for his customers and his friends no one gives him a thought. To the newspapers he is as if he were not. But in the eleventh year he suffers heavy losses and, at last, his resources all gone, summons his lawyer and arranges for the making of an assignment. The lawyer posts off to the County Clerk’s office, and a clerk there makes the necessary entries in the office docket. Here in step the newspapers. While the clerk is writing Smith’s business obituary, a reporter glances over his shoulder, and a few minutes later the newspapers know Smith’s troubles and are as well informed concerning his business status as they would be had they kept a reporter at his door every day for over ten years. Had Smith dropped dead instead of merely making an assignment his name would have reached the newspapers by way of the Coroner’s office instead of the County Clerk’s office, and in fact, while Smith did not know it, the newspapers were prepared and ready for him no matter what he did. They even had representatives waiting for him at the Morgue. He was safe only when he walked the straight and narrow path and kept quiet.”