Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-08-03
The Night Editor.

The Night Editor.
The Office of morning paper during
the greater part Of the day is as dull and
quiet as a school-house on . Saturday
afternoon About eleven o'clock the re-
porters generally stroll in to get their
assignment and Instructions from the city
editor, whose duty i; is to look after local
news. the courts, meetings, and every
thing relating to the city and its suburbs.
The exchange editor l. also on hand to
wards noon, to look over the files of ex-
changes, cut out and prepare whatever
may he of interest, and mark such articles
as should bc seen by the editor in chief,
or any of his assistants. But the real
work OF the office begins about seven
O'Clock in the evening, when the night
editor comes on duty. Then there is bus
tie everywhere. In the city editors apart
ment i score Of reporters are busy at their
desks, writing ont their noies; the ex-
change editor, scissors in hand, pen over
his car. and paste pot within easy reach,
is pouring over files of newspapers from
every quarter Of the land, carefully ar
ranged by their localities. The facility
! of good newspaper reader is something
astonishing. With one glance of his eye
he takes in the contents of whole page,
and with unerring instinct always lights
on the one item, perhaps, which is worthy
OF his scissors. The only quiet room III
the establishment are those where the cdi
torials writers are at WORK, fashioning
articles on the various topics suggested
by the news,
The busiest man of al is the night edi-
tor. on whom falls the responsibility of
receiving and arranging the news as IT
comes in from every part of the world.
His position is no r;rccure. Ii Is, In fact,
most laborious and wearing. If fit for it,
he must be a person Of extensive and ac-
cara,e information, of large intelligence,
and qIickncss of Judgment He is res
ponsible for the whole paper. Every line
of print, except the advertising columns,
passes under his eye. As the telegrams
como in he glances rapidly over them,
writes in the proper heading, makes a
note or two, perhaps. for the benefit Of
the editor in chief. and then sends them
to the composing room to be 'set up
There is no order in the kilograms as they
arrive. They are sent from the office of
the Associated Press in envelopes con-
| tanning from one to dozen shee.s, and
the dispatch on each sheet may be from a
different quarter of the world, and incom-
plcte in itself The same envelope may
contain news from Washington, St.
Petersburg, Paris, London, San Francis
CO, and China and it requires experience
and skill to arrange them properly.
Between eleven and twelve o'clock the
night editor makes up the first side of the
paper, which, if it be an eight-page jour
nal, consists of the I'd, I'd, 9th, and 9TH
pages. On this side are generally printed
most of the advertisements, the market
and law reports. book reviews, and let
tcrs and articles of general interest which
do not come under the head of news.
| T his done, he returns to his desk, where
he sits till about half rast one, arrang-
| ing dispatches, and looking over the
proofs of the matter he and other editors
have seat up to be pat in type. These
proofs are taken on strips of paper gencr-
ally about the length of column. 1t is
second side-the 1st, 4th, 9TH, and Sth
pages. lie gathers his proofs together,
taking i'm their contents with a rapid
glance, and mentally deciding on their ar
rangement lie thinks 10 himself, per-
haps' "This news from Paris is the most
important; it must lead the paper with a
big display head. This will make about
two columns and half will lead the
fourth column with the great Pittston
disaster, with a display head. Washing
ton news is unimportant, and may go on
the last column, or, perhaps, on the fifth
page" And so he goes on making up
as he glances through the matter, so that
before he goes to the composing room he
has the arrangement of the whole paper
clearly in his mind. Telegrams are per-
haps still pouring in; but these are rapid
ly arranged by an assistant, and sent up
to the composing room.
1t is in making up that the necessity of
a clear head and quick judgment is most
evident. Dispatches that must be print
] ed together may be scattered over half a
dozen proofs, and places must be reserved
in the forms for Others not yet in type.
The foreman and his assistants make up
all the pages at once, placing the matter
as the night editor directs. When there
is TOO much, he is Obliged to cut down or
omit what Is least important All this
occupies less than an hour. BY half past
two the pages must be ready to be stereo-
typed, and by an1ittle after three they
must be lowered into the press-r,om The
weary night editor goes home, turns into
bed, and lets newspapers slide for the
next seven or eight hours.
1 Such is the routine of a night editor :
life. Wearisome as it may seem 70 oati
| siders, il has charm and attraction for
the genuine editor which never wears off
Tho constant variety, the excitement the
responsibility, keep the mind continually
iexhilarated and on the stretch; and few
night editors ever settle contenteily into
more quiet purSIits.--Bross'gr fasetsr z
80 -,