Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-03-13
MiseeIlaneous. q
Peculiarities Of Reporters.

Reporters are peculiar in their ways,
and perhaps it is just as well that it
should be SO. 1t makes considerable
fun for the curious, and whenever their
little errors, accidents, characteristics.
or oddities are strung together, one
gets an idea of one side of an inter-
esting class of men. City reporters
are often men of as high an order of
talent as their brethren, the editors
Often, indeed, they are men of greater
calibre. and they are almost always
more versatile. They know how TO
amuse, if they are not schoolmasters,
and their motto is, to be anything.
rather than dull" 1t is a good axiom
for newspaper work, and is highly con-
sidered by most newspaper readers.
Country reporters differ from city men
more from the fact that they are
younger, are learners, and from the
difference in their experience, than
from any radical difference in their
composition. They are all human,
and they all err. The object OF this
article is to give in relief some Of their
more prominent features. The local,
who would rather be head cook in Vassar
College At ten dollars week than be President
of the Bauk OF America al salary Of S20,VO0
year.
is a fair sample Of the delight in ladies'
society possessed by the average re-
porter. He likes ladies' he is gallant
towards them, and is. in most instances,
eonsiderate and respectful. Once in a
while he will indulge in little mild
cynicism oyer the tickle nature of the
sex, or throw out hint at their cruelty
in heart-cracking but in his reports he
inclines 10 throw the responsibility of
conjugal happiness upon the male, and
makes it "his fault" where he can de-
Gently do SO. Here is an example of
lovlng-kindness in the lady and base
treachery on the part of the young
man. The reporter is ashamed 10 pre-
tend to be a poet, so he throws in his
rhyme solid:
He took her fancy when he came; he tool
her hand, he took kiss; he took no notice o
the shame that glowed her happy cheek at this
he took TO coming afternoons; he took an oatl
he'd ne'er deceive; he took her fathers silvel
spoons, and after that he took his leave"
In cases like the following he does
not stand upon much ceremony:
"A Lynchburg eolored woman fell thirty fee
J out Of a third-story, striking the ground head
foremost. They are filling mp the hole. sh
wasn't hurt any"
But it is very seldom that he is sc
OF: hand with a lady as in this:
"Sarah johnson, Of Wiliamstown, Tenn
never liked q cock-hght, and got scratched il
separating one, lock-jaw succeeded. and whel
the bells they went ringing for sarah, the nus
hand, too, laid down and died. Ii is touchn
tale, and over their mutual grave rings tn
cock-a-doodie-doo Of the contrite rooster"
He got into trouble, however, wheI
he referred TO a young mans sister
e who wore, at ball,
!. "A double shirt neatly trimmed with narro'
d satin ribbon"
+ He was very lively In shifting til
:. responsibility on to the broad shou
i ders Of ''that Internal proof-reader."
The most gallant Of the reporters
the seaside man. He knows that man
ladies go there for show, and wei
aware that bis best friends are anon
Of the sex, who, when they read the p;
N per, read the reportorial items, such :
n. locals, accidents etc., he inclines
m exaggeration. Thus we find that
j sNr. Flourcer will this summer occupy b
= new lnot cottage1 but CHATEAU at Long Brane
and that the lovely aud accomplished Miss
T, ergiade will be the reigning star Of Newpt
hotel society. Mr.. jenkins, who proposes
occupy ~ usual with his family a plain IN
Z. story -frane structure At Cape May during t
hot months, is compelled to read to his horr'
and the Infinite amuseDenf Of his friends. II
he will occupy this season his charming u
ca rine villa" etc., etc.
When he does not like to make
= vidious comments, he 10 very bril-
The reporter is man Of facts, not j.
opinions. For example: