Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-07-31

anu UNDERSTAND the eat performed without
injury TO horse or lider.t
The penny n line men arc to the press, what the
Cossacks are to regular army; and some cases oil
venalty on their parts have encouraged an opinion,
that nothing is easy in the way OF reports, than
for the bride of ~ 3D. ut the utmost 81 TO sup
press procure the insertion of any article 1t
would be difficult we believe, for persons who pro-
fess to entertain this belief to point out any instance
OF regular reporter having so wrongcd the repua-
tion OF his employer disrraced his character;
but it Is not impossible that some of the needy occa-
sona reporters. who do not scrupcto reprcsentthem
selves connected with some paper, Scneray the
most respectable have been guilty III the way allu
luded to- The peculiar mode in which these persons
who probably abuut twenty IN number, obtain the
means y. subsistence is worth notice. The rcuderS
OF newspa pers have sometimes expressed much sur
prise that the news should appear IN the same
words Ill several papers, Published al the same hour
l. is thiS manaccd-whnn the facts upon which the
article i; to be manufactured have brGn collected or
invented the reporter, by means ofticr paper some
thing between silver and bank paper, called tiDisy,
ana prepared sheets otsIlk coverc over with printer
ink II dried, makes seven eight copies for the sew
cral morning or evening newspapers. This is aten-
ded with very !;jlctroubc. The black and white
sheets placed alternately, the reporter writes on
The upper phrer with p!nce Of steel glass, not too
finely pointed. so ti,at the paper my not b. cut
and with moderate degree OF pressure the ink
- transferred trGm the black To the white
sheets and he obtrins seven ee ut perfect copies.
To each of these copies he afiixcs his name, and
then sends them round to the newspaper Offices n
take the chance of their Insertion. If the subject I"
the report is thought interesting. he is well paid; For
report OF half c0lunn, IN each of the morning
papers will produce him. i'll the whole, more
than 81. SIS. From the competition however
among these gentlemen, and the prudence of some
editors as 10 the Use OF reports furnished, it is sell
dom, indeed, that they fortunate. y curious
story is told OF two worthy Competitors OF this pro-
icsslon. poor devil of penny line man. who
lad been more than fortnight without real acct
dent conceived the design OF clever and romantic
murder In Il few minutes the murder ION paper) was
committed, the maIitod copies We're made, and the
reporters desired take them round to the
newspapers The hey, however OH his way met
with another penny line reporter, VINO read the
account and contrving to delay tine lad with SOME
excuse, wrote up another account OF the murder and
sent It rapidly round for insertion. In two instances
his arrived first, and was therefore used for
Is KIND OF principle to take the first copy II fairly
done; on the following Saturday, when the real IN
vcntor of the.murder went for payment, it retu-
sed on The ground that the murder was not of his
reporting. Tho poor follow insisted. observing that
the wedding, indeed q. the account was not exactly
the same, but that tie murder Must have been his
own, because other person least no other
porter had been OF the transaction. The
two reporters were then brought face to face. The
aglarist contended for the correctness of his state
men,, and the inventor declared that the other report
must have been plundered from his copy. The plagar
LIST still commended for the ccrrectess of his statement
and for It's having been obtained from Il pure and
certain source. The quarrel was becomnr fierce,
when at length The original murder maker exclaimed
In passion, You rascaiy s'vir1ler, how can YOU
say hat YOU knew OF the murder, when no murder
had taken place, and 1t entirely Of my own
invention. ~
When the Emperor OF Russia was in this country he visited
oNor IN account OF his arrival there in evening
sent up by morning paper which printed
ana Inc paper containing was s;nr 10 Oxford 10y express,
morning