START ON THE DAILY EXPRESS 



I wrote " Turf Topics," and for a time in the Morning 

 Standard as well the " Asmodeus " article. 



This is the outline of a decade during which many 

 other experiences will be related which may be a guide 

 to younger men. The ups and downs of fortune will be 

 alluded to, and an explanation of how I have always 

 been a greater success for others than in my own 

 ventures. It will not be an excuse — nor is any part of 

 this book — for the whole thing is merely a record of a 

 career from which you can make your own deductions. 

 \^Tiy is there the craze to launch out into speculations 

 of our own ? Some men are very much better salary- 

 earners than profit- makers when they are in control. 

 It is chiefly because there is the spur when there is 

 a daily responsibility to satisfy both the public and 

 a critical editor and proprietor. Journalism is an 

 excellent thing for young men, and perhaps there may 

 be some useful pointers for those who are undecided 

 as to their career, but there should be no delusion as 

 to taking a chance without experience or training, 

 for I can tell you with present-day competition a man 

 earning a salary in the newspaper world has to 

 deliver the goods. 



Through my former acquaintance, Kessell, I had 

 several interviews with Mr Pearson, and the whole 

 thing had been fixed up. It is here that I would sug- 

 gest to journalists who have done any particularly 

 good work in the way of signed articles to keep a series 

 of newspaper cuttings ; they may then be able, apart 

 from any reputation they may have, to show how 

 versatile they can be, and my book of cuttings was a 

 make-weight for me going to Tudor Street. 



There was an immediate change made in various 

 features of the sporting page, and this step by step led 

 to the increasing popularity of what my department 



i86 



