New York Times metro columnist Clyde Haberman is gone like a cool breeze. His Friday swan song signaled the end of the NYC feature “after 16 years and something on the order of 1,500 columns.”

Headline/lede:

Before Going Dark, One Last Attempt at Explaining New York City

Eons ago, the student newspaper that I wrote for and edited at City College of New York had a tradition for former editors who were graduating. It gave them a final crack at the typewriter to produce what we called a Thirty column.

Literally, they had 30 column inches to say their piece. The title was also a nod to a newspaper custom in precomputer days. The number 30 at the bottom of a reporter’s story (typically rendered between hyphens: -30-) signaled to the editor that nothing more was coming. Why 30? Various theories have been offered, none that would seem proof positive.

This is my Thirty column.

Haberman had an interesting career at the Times: He was fired in 1966 when, as the paper’s campus correspondent at City College of New York, he fabricated material for a Times report. (Haberman chronicled the incident in a 2006 NYC column upon the death of Abe Rosenthal, the editor who fired him.)

Haberman, obviously, worked himself back into the good graces of the Good Grey Lady. But now he’s gone. The reason?

Decisions were made. Let’s leave it at that.

Too bad. His NYC column was a lively take on city life and will be missed, at least by the hardworking staff.