The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1869-01-23
A MEMBER OF THE PRESS.
BY GEORGE ]. MANSION.
From the New York Citizen.


From the New York Citizen.
WHAT is o reporter
have heard, in my time, two defni-
tions of a reporter, or, as he generally
calls himself, "a member of the press"
One was from gentleman who labored
under the disadvantage (aecording to Mr..
Saxes idea) of being "a very funny man"
His definition Of aTeporter was this: GA
man with cast iron body and no soul"
The other definition heard from a lady
who, though not ''yery funny" was ex-
ceedingly pleasant and agreeable, and was
often guilty Of uttering very good things.
She called reporters, expressiyely and Ia
conically, ink Wigglers. ] do not know
which Of these definitions is best; the
reader must choose for himself
When we come to the qualifications ofa
good newspaper reporter, we say that the
principal one must be that Of impudenee.
never knew modest man to be re-
porter, or, to speak more correctly, good
one. There are few modest men in the
profession, but they are soon lost sight OF
and forgotten And This impudenee on
the part Of reporters Is Of great benefit to
the public, if they would think a amoment
on the subject, lf it were not for this
came impudence the readers Of newspaS
pers would not be edited with half the
gossip that Is ahoat 1t is through the inn
pudence of the reporters that you hear
| little items Of intelligence Of all sorts,
about the Prince Of Wales, the inventor
Of the Atlantic Telegraph, the Japanese,
Mr.. Weston, the famous actors and act
resses, the President Of the United States,
| Wendell Phillips Anna Dickinson, the
4 Sorosis, and last, but not least, the Wick
edest Man In New York. While other
people are outside the show, and think,
| and wonder, and surnise as TO how things
are, the enterprising reporter goes in to
the, great presence (whoever be, she, or it
happens to bel only soon to.emerge there
| from with his note book tilled with an ac-
count Of Just how things really are--and,
sometimes, / fear, how they are not. The
reporter must never weary Of doing BIS
duty to that large constituency TO which
he speaks every day the largest any man
/ can speak to the mighty public.
To illustrate what impotence will dc
/ let me relate an anecdote. A message
once arrived at certain newspaper Of
4 fee that frightfM murder had been com
/ mitted Ii a small village near by, and thai
the inquest on the murdered body was tC
be held In the course Of the day. Re
porters were, Of course, dispatched from
all the various city newspapers to give ai
account Of the affair On their arrival q
the village they were informed by thu
cOroner-rather an unusal circumstance
that he would not allow any Of them t
be present OF the inquest. The reporters
however, were not 10 be put of. Thel
held q consultation among themselves
and resolved on course Of action. Al
each witness came out Of tho coroner
j room he was politely taken il charge b1
a gentleman Of the pyess" standing Ilea
I the door, and ushered Into another room
5 where the other members Of the Graf
3 were sitting around large table, loolLinI
I very solemn, after the manner Of officials
The witness was then told 70 repeat owe
i his testimony thesarne as he had done b
! fore the coroner, the reporters renoarkin
} that they were there to record It for tn
! satisfaction of the public. Being mostl
) Young men from the country, and nj
Z particularly sharp, heWitneas8ssu suppose
/. Il was ali right, and proceeded TO giv
. their testimony with even greater volt
/ biiity than they had given it before II
3 coroner. The long account of the iuquas
occupying four 0r I've cl0sely printe
columns, which appeared IA the noEnin
Z papers, was due, aside if0m The work,
{ the enterprise -or shall We eay impudenf
7 --pf lbqEepogteas
Capital ois afc told q tie didefal
( varieties ol reporters, especially og thol
K of tho old school whichis nov, happili
3 passing away Ihels q tie ffighllull
i eager reporter wha N always en- duGl
& never forgetting Dis mission. Irsmeinbl
!. one Of this class VINO was roussd from Il
) slumberB one eight by diet1thanoe q
!. hls doorstep, MS alarmed spouse con
pelled hsin 10 descend and go what 8
Y matter Was, and on opening The door
discovered 9 man stretched serosa &
! slganh0ld III Ct " Mary MaryF oTii
! hs ~ hig heltfF Ra pYlHs ple Iily ae