Kansas City Star - Hemingway's six month employment as a reporter, from October 1917 to April 1918.

After Ernest graduated from High School, his father's desire was for him to go to college but Ernest had very different ideas. Ernest Hemingway wanted to join the forces or learn to write.

Having been forbidden to join up for the First World War by his father, Ernest applied for a job as a journalist and by October 1917 Hemingway was employed by the Kansas City Star.

Ernest had to leave home to take up his job. His father accompanied him to the train station and stood by the train until his son's moment of departure. Ernest was to remember the leaving for a long time afterwards and wrote about it in 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' relating the mixed emotions he felt of sadness, relief and adulthood.

He first lived in the 3600 block of Warwick Boulevard with his uncle whilst the Star newspaper building was at 1800 Grand Avenue between 18th and 20th Streets. Later he lived in a small rented apartment with his friend Carl Edgar, in Agnes Street.

Ernest's job on the Star was to cover the 'short-stop run', which entailed the 15th Street Police Station, the Union Station and the General Hospital.

This meant he had to write about everything that went on in the Police Station, the train station and the hospital. So his first training in writing was reporting stolen goods and crime, accidents and any famous people who might have passed through the Union Station. (According to his sister Marcelline, Hemingway covered "fires, fights and funerals, and anything else not important enough for the other more experienced reporters).

He was trained 'on the job' by studying a style manual which declared good writing entailed short sentences, vigorous English, positive and not negative writing. He learned at The Star that professional reporters stated the way things are. They did not ramble on about how things might be if this or that were true; they declared what was. The idea was to tell the readers what had happened, for first a man had to go out and find what was happening.

Hemingway also found a very good mentor in Lionel Calhoun Moise. Hemingway as a young rookie was impressed with Moise's facility with words and his hard drinking, along with his undisciplined lifestyle of alcohol and violence.

Some insight into Hemingway's life as a newspaper reporter is written in ' Ernest Hemingway, Cub Reporter'. Edited by Matthew Bruccoli

Ted Brumback, another rookie reporter for The Star, gave this account of an incident by the Union Station - the newspaper article was entitled "Throng at Small Pox Case:'' Written by Hemingway and printed in the Kansas Star on February 18, 1918. What follows is the story behind the newspaper report and then the newspaper article written by Hemingway.

On the stone floor lay a man on a stretcher. He was bundled in blankets. The crowd had formed a circle around him at a respectful distance, for his face was broken out in ugly sores. There seemed to be no one attending him. He was moaning a little.

'What's the trouble here?' Hemingway demanded.

``He's got a contagious disease,'' someone in the crowd replied. ``No one dares touch him. Some one sent for an ambulance.''

``Why is he left alone like this? Isn't anyone in charge of him?''

``Two men took him off the train and brought him here. Then they went back on the train. I suppose the man's a pauper and couldn't afford to pay anyone to take care of him.''

``How long since they sent for an ambulance?''

``About half an hour.''

Hemingway swore. ``Why, I wouldn't treat a dog like that. What's the matter with you people? Why didn't some of you carry him out on the stretcher and put him in a taxi and send him to the General Hospital? The man's got smallpox and will die if not given care immediately. I know what smallpox is because I'm a doctor's son and recognize the symptoms. Who'll help me get him out of here?''

At the word of smallpox, the crowd retreated. No one offered to help.

Hemingway became angry. ``What's the matter with you yellow bunch anyway? Are you going to stand there and let a man die?''

When still no one made a move, he himself picked up the man in strong arms and carried him out of the station. Then he ordered a taxicab and took him personally to the General Hospital, charging the expense to The Star.

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