Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-03-06
Neu York Rennrters-


The Public Spirit has an interesting
article titled "a Gentleman of the
Press,D from which we take the follow
ing ia relation to New York reporters:
The pay Of reporters in New York is
certainly poorer, according to the amount
and value Of their work, than that OF aEy
other business or profession. Their SAL
aries range from five to fifty dollars per
week. There are not probably over three
reporters in the city who get fifty dollars
. week, while there are eighty or more
who de not get more than fson five to
ten dollars.
Many of this latter class write for the
weekly papers and thus add something
to their limited income, while others de-
pend on extra work in the way ~OfFepOrt-
iugfor other papers than their W or the
writing Of "~ssnsation" articles on all
sorts of subjects. Good sensation arti.
cles are always in demand, aud good
sensation reporters command high prices.
The talent to write a thoroughly inter-
esting and readable article at short no.
tice on any subject for q daily paper, is a
very rare one, and when it is found edi-
tors find it quite TO their advantage TO
pay well for it. On the whole, reporting
cannot be said to be a none making
business.
Mr.. Parton, in his article Oh the New
York Herald, published some months
| since in the North american Repietu,
said that there was onIy one writer on
the press in New York who received a
salary sufficient to keep q t0lerable
house and bring up & family respectfully
and Comfortably 600 a week., and be
was connected with the pSpsr OF which
he was writing. This gentleman is Of
| course connected with the editorial man
sgement of toe paper, and there is no
doubt his services are worth the salary
he receives, as One would soon believe Il
he had to prepare himself for such q posi-
ton.
OF the shorthand reporters in New
York, scarce any Of them are paid what
their services are worth, their salaries
ranging from $50 to $50 a week. An ir-
crease of seventy-five per cent. on these
rates would be nothing more thsn fair,
| when il is considered how valuable their
services are. For "extra" work the
papers generally pay S. a column, though
articles on special subjects, requiring
| considerable time and trouble 10 write,
command higher prices.
The Tribune pays ten dollars a night
| AOI AAb SCI hAIC1 vi AAG EAGa 5uUlL AAhu
reporters, who are expected to do a.
much work as they can, in the way OF
writing out notes, up to the time Of going
10 pFess-ab0ut one O'Clock. Most re-
porters can write out q column and 9
half up to this time, after their return
from a meeting, though some have been
known to accomplish two columns.
- =
The amount Of work reporters have to
do on the city papers depends almost al
together on the city editor of their paper.
| II the gentleman has met with any great
misfortune in early life, or is afflicted
with dyspepsia, the liver complaint OF
rheumatism, aud thereby has a bad tenn
/ per, the reporters are blessed for cursed,
according as they LOOK ct it, with an
abundance Of work. 1t is found among
city editors that if they are ut all uncom-
Portable from aoy AUS themselves, they
deem il q religious duty to make others
share 5 part OF their observation-disclosures