There was no Internet, few talk shows and we still wrote on portable typewriters.
Ralph Morrow was the executive sports editor, and he could type faster than you can talk.
When I say we had time, it was like 20 minutes. My wife pulled sheets of paper out of my Royal and read them to Ralph, who had them in the hands of linotype operators before I could compose two or three more paragraphs.
It went on like that for a few minutes and they didn’t even have to hold the presses.
You might not remember Ralph because Si Burick was the big name around here, and he surrounded himself — with the help of Morrow — with an all-star cast (the other guys, not me).
Morrow put in about 30 years here and was going to retire to Key West and drive the Conch Train for kids and visitors. Somebody found out he could write and edit, and knew a good story. He found out he could wear shorts to work.
He’s 75 and still working in ink. He’s in town this week, visiting family and friends with wife Patsy.
Sure I miss those days, because in those days, we gave the Internet a model — speed being a big part of it. Morrow had a lot to do with that.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDaily News.com.
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