After leaving United Press, he free-lanced for a year, writing a column for local papers in the West. "This venture lasted about a year and did not succeed, as it does not for many people." He then moved to "Pathfinder Magazine", a general news magazine. From there, he moved to the "Washington Evening Star", where he gained a reputation for the quality of his writing. Various pieces from this period were collected in a volume entitled "Three Kids in a Cart".