Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-06-21
Dickens "a a ReD0Pfer.


q newspaper reporters struggles with
the stenograpbic system of shorthand
reporting, which was so ineomprehensi-
BILE in its details and 40 difficult to mas
ter that the luckless learner was driven
to the verge of distraction by the se-
verify OF bis labors This passage and
its allusion TO the life of Cnewspaper
reporter has generally been regarded az
a bit Of Autobiography; and this COZ
clusion is verified by Mr. Dickens re-
cent speech At the EswspapsF OPress
Fnnd dinner in London, at which be-
presided .s.s 4 ......., s.. ...as.z
TIE Newspaper Press Fuad Is = asN
institution ia London founded two years
ago, for protective and charitable purs
poses. Its second celebration took
place on the Goth of May Mr.. Dickens
made the opening speech, ia which, afs
ter abiding to the power exercised by 8
free press, be gave the following pleas.
ant "reminiscences oil hlsl 0wn hfe5a a
reporter: s44sss ersr
went into the gallery of the House
Of Commons as a parliamentary report
er when | was boy not eighteen, aud
/ left--I can hardly believe the inc xor-
able truth--nigh thirty years ago, aud I
have pursued the calling Of q reporter
nader circumstances Of which many Of
my brethren at home in England here,
many Of my brethrenas successors, can
form no adequate conception I 'have
often transcribed for the printer from m y
short hand notes important public
speeches in which the strictest accuracg
was required, and a mistake in which
would have been to young man severe
ly compromising, written on the palm of
my hand by the light of q dark lantern
in post chaise aud four, galloping
through a wild country, all through the
dead Of night, at the then surprising
rate OF fifteen miles and hour. st4f
The very last time | was at Exeter
/ strolled into the castle yard there to
identify, for the amusement Of friend
the spot on which | once stooh, aas we
used to callit, an election speech Of my
noble friend Lord Russell, Ia the midst
of q lively fight rmaintaiRed by alf tha
vagabonds in that division of the eoun-
try, and under such pelting rain that
l remember two good -natured colleagues,
who CHANGED to be at leisure, held a
pocket handkerchief over my note book,
after the manner of statue canopy in
an ecclesiastical procession Laugh
ter ''f' ~ .-n''s Of
II have worn my knees by writing on
them on the old back row Of the old
gallery of the old House Of Comm ns,
and have worn my feet by standing to
write in a preposierous pen in the old
House Of Lords, where we used TO he
huddled like SO many sheep, Claughter
kept in waiting till the wool sack might
want re-stOfiag. a laugh. Return
ing home from excited political ceilings
in the country to the waiting press ia
London, i do verify believe l have been
upset in almost every description of We
hItle in this country A Elapgh1 /
have been, in my time, belated on miry
by-roads, towards the small hours. fortT
or fifty miles from London, sn ricketty
carriage, with exhausted horses and
drunken post,boys, and have. got. back in
time before ppblication 70 be RECEIVED
with never-forgolteh compliments BY Mr..
Black, in the broadcast of Scotch, coming
from the broadcast of hearts ever knew
[Aear, hear
Ladies and gentlemen: | mention
these trivial things as an assurance to
you that have not forgotten the fasci-
nation of that old pursuit. Cheers I
The pleasure that / used to feel in the
rapidly and dexterity of it's exercises
has never faded out of my breast
Whatever little cunning Of hand or head
Itook to il, have so Fetained as that /
fully believe Icould resume it to NOR
row IChesrs. To this present year
Of my life, when sit jHihis ball or
where not, hearing ,aFSiull speech-the
phenomena does, occur Laughter -
sometimes begnile the tedrum of the mo
ment by mentally following the speaker
in the old, old way; and sometimes, if
you can believe me, l even find my
hand going on the table-cloth. laugh.
ter. Accept these little truths as O.
conhrmation Of my interestin this old
calling. Accept them as proof that
the feeling for the vocation Of my youth
is not a sentiment taken Hp tonight. TO
be thrown away tomorrow, hear, hear
but faithful. sympathy which n part
ofmyselG1 tcheersl IEedlJ Believe,
/ am sure, that if / had never quilted
my old calling l should have been fore
most and Eealona in'the interest of this
institution, believing it to be sound,
wholesome and good one. Ladies
aud gentlemensE am t0pfopnsetp you
to drink Prosperity tothe Newspaper
Press Fund.