Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-02-20
John Happy Lays Bare the Mysteries Of
fpe6A the Editorial Sanctum. 'fga
From the Nashville Press and Times, l7th.l

John Happy Lays Bare the Mysteries OF
o6 the Editorial sanctum. fsoI
From the Nashville Press and Timss. l7th.l
One of the finest audiences that has
convened in Masonic Hall for q long
time listened last night ts the lecture
upon the Press" by John Happy.
Many of the hits made by the lecturer
were particularly happy, especially his
pictures Of editorial life and character.
He said there were great many kinds
of presso-such as the old hand-press,
the Adams press, the wine press, the
cider press, the clothes press and the
press of business. Being very modest
man, he had been tempted to plead the
latter when approached by the managers
of the Robertson course. .ot lectures to
make one on their list of lecturers.
By the press, as he should speak OF 1t,
however, was meant none OF the torego-
ing, neither was included the types or the
men who ranged them into lines or col
umns, but the editorial fraternity. He
gave an amusing picture of an editorial
sanctum-wrapped in mystery, located
in some gloomy region as far up as possl-
BILE, and attained by climbing intermina-
BILE flights of stairs. Thus situated, the
editor compelled people, no matter how
limited his influence, TO look up to him,
in measure. 4 cea.e
He sketched 10 graphic colors the
ravenous dead beat" who takes away
exchanges by the armful, displaces pa
pers, and makes himself generally disa-
greeable about an editorial room.
Closely linked to the insatiate dead
beat y was the lounger who loafed about
sanctum hour after hour, and could not
be driven away by any amount Of cold
ness or formality on the part of the ed
itor.
He gave a sketch of some Of the prin-
cipal characters in an editorial sanctum
the managing editor, who, perhaps,
never wrote himself, but exercised the
closest scrutiny over the production of
others; the political editor, who con-
cocted the thunder the city editor, who
wrote the puffs and ate the wedding cake;
the reporter, who, with unwearied legs
and tireless energy, ferreted out sensa-
tions, and CLEANED the gossip and the
news of the city, and the " scissors, who
clipped from the exchanges, and in the
absence or sickness Of the chief editor,
could fix up the most powerful bass
wood editorials with few snips Of his
scissors.
The political editor of most country
sheets be described as some aspiring
lawyer-sometimes a secondhand petit
fogSPr-who has not such an amount OF
practice in his profession as would en-
danger his health. In large cities the
dailies so, petimes had two or three, or
perhaps ha.'f dozen, political editors.
II was the business of this class to look
after the inter, ests of the great public,
and see that th ey we're not iniringed
upou. In the CO untry the principal
object of the man who occupied this
responsible position was to keep the
public printing from goi.Ng TO the sour
rilous, abusive sheet across the way.
Scissors was described as usually OF
Milesian extraction; chap great on the
I FFenisbs, liberal ia his hrogne and not
scrimped as to understanding; q great
worker and always at his post, or, II he
was not there, at the New York Post, or,
if he was any way loose in his ideas, at
the Chicago Po1t.
The city editor, the man who concocted
the display heads, wrote the obituary
notices, with deep touches of pathos now
and then, and fixed up puffs generally,
was pictured as a man of versatile tai
ents, knowing 8 little about ritualism,
free trade, the gold market, price OF
stocks, a good sampler Of liquors, and
in the masticating of indi-
gestible wedding cake, and wonderful IN
the quaffing of beer. .nuTnU -s
The reporter par excellence was q
man who had need of the most indefstl-
gable energy, not troubled with modesty,
aud able to scent out an item under the
most dscouraging circumstances. The
reporter had been described as a man
with cast iron body and no soul, and
the speaker was reminded of one whose
antiquated head and worn appearance
suggested that he must have
wcrn out several pairs Of legs and at
least couple of bodies in the chase for
items. ara
The lecturer gave an amusing photo
graph Of the tout ensemble of q country
newspaper Objects hdbitues generally,
and presiding genius in particular. ln
addition to the humor evolved, there was
much positive information about the
as well as the metropolitan
press. The style of delivery was, OF
course, not that Of the prseiiced hand,
but was altogether very clever.