The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-09-06
REPORTERS.

A New York correspondent Of tue Chicago
lines writes up the reporters Of that city in
severe style. Alter referring to his ideal re
porter, whom he would choose from such mer
as Lowell, Holmes, Curtis. Howell and Others
OF ilk, he descends to the actual 1t must b,
admitted, he says, the actual reporter is no
generally what it is desirable he should be
Here, it may we'll be said, there are reporter.
and reporters Some OF them they are un
happily in the minority--are capable. careful
and conscientious; quite as good as could bt
expected under circumstances adv.rs to theil
best development.
More, on the other hand. might be STYLED
without prejudice, sorry lot: incompetent
reckless, unprincipled These, however, are
not worse than are wanted. If they Were the =,
would he expelled from the ranks and forced tl
/ choose an occupation Tor which ignorance and
impotence are the highest recommendations
As IA rule. it may be said that, III any business
! the kind Of men wanted are ultimately secured
! If they fail to give satisfaction to tie public
4 they at least give satisfaction to their employ
ers, who otherwise would not retain them
! Bad as many OF the New York reporters are i,
is not at all necessary that they should be bad
Well qualified men could readily be pat in THEN
place. The fact that those are not substituted
1 tor these proves concusiyely that tie bad ar
i preferred to the good.
THE PRICES PAID.
/ One cause that operates against the employ
ment of the right kind Of reporter i, INSULT
Client pay. The highest salary USUALLY received
here is SO to $50 per week: and rs a reporter
regularly employed on a daily pap is not al.
lowed generally-even if he had time
to work for any other daily. his
prospects of perpetual poverty is brilliant.
Money may be rather vulgar thing re-
garded POLITICALLY and abstractly, but i'll this
concrete and prosaic world it is absolutely
essential; on il as an axis this feverish and
turbulent plan forever swings.
A thoroughly competent reporter is worth
at least $50 to SO week Were such prices
paid he would be very different person from
what he is.
Men capable Of writing
NICE ENGLISH
cannot be had cheaply. There are not enough
OF them. To write SO is a distinction. Such
writer, to be secured must have something
like adequate compensation. No one who
has not tried it can be CONSCIOUS how long an
experience person of natural parts and Care
iul education requires to use his native tongue
with grace and precision. He must write
continuously for ten or fifteen years before
he can learn how to manage his and>, BITS,
tors, and such little words as common Serb
blers take no account Of.
The popular tout-oi-town) notion that, III
Manhattan, men Of genius and large attain
ments are lying around, either loose r tight
out Of food and ont at elbow, is ridicElotlsly
erroneous. There may be such instances oc.
casionally, but they are exceptional and hardly
ever of other men than those Of contirmedly
dissi pated habits, or wholly responsible
character. Edgar Poe was ala example per
haps, but he was as much below the average
moral 1t. above the I
standard-a predestlned hopeless, ilreclaina-
Die drunkara. An industrious, trustworthy
capable writer a. a rule, rarely zoe, long u
employed here, II he put limsei. ~. tLe way Of
employment.
QUALITY As ~ oB1H ZION
Another cause-paiJly grown. ont If the
first that prevents the engagement II com
petent reporters is the quality 6: certain
class. Reporters OF the TriL,u., T,.e. and
Ece,ung Post are generally .duca.ea honora-
be well-bred: lille those on other lailie.
are frequently as indifferent to decellcy IS the,
are ignordnt Of the principles Of .he English
tongue. He who has every reason t" Ieliev.
himself gentleman. doe. hot like 2" be assoc
ciatei with coarse, illterete. nncpnihed fel-
lows. without shame Of tlev ,haue.uness
DEBAsENEkT ~ THE CABLING.
Worthy ana useful as the position o. u re-.
porter Is III itself. is constant ,,ebaseLlent
IN this city cannot be doubted VIA, /. t:ela Sc.
mtnt, though il De by discredttbI. persons,
inevitably hur.. the entire guild. II would
on Til, account be hard TO fiji the newspaper
offices here with eStilnabl- members o. the
craft. The disreputable have lett stain up
it that renders it. to say the least. very ull-
desirable. And this. with the small relnuuc.
ration, keeps ont OF the occupation thos who
legitimately belong. and would otherwise be
in it.
SPECIALISTS.
Reporters talk Of making often IS much q )
$50 to 500 a week: bat mo-. Of their talk
rests, like MAN. Of their statements on a slen-
der basis Of fact They claim TO do this by
working for diff rent papers without any per
lnanent connection. Occos! 1n.,lly. they may
reached the figures named. but Lo- often. 4
few reporters who are specialists, vino are IL
dustrious ehrewu and clever, rally turn then
brains and legs to fair profit by hunting up
interesting things for themselves, and selling
their articles to the press. Obliged to toll
continually, however. tAey ought {" earn dol
lar, where .ey get pennies, by their mere eX-
peuditure OF physical intellectual and nervous
force. This kind Of employment is not apt to
last very long, 1t is precarious, too, and like
~ to END IN the SPECIALISTS taking regular
situation The reporter who by a slecit,! or
NOR fortunate DIAN the majority O: his tribe.
COOP AND BAD EoEE
Generally. remuneration is no greater for
very good than tor rerr poor production.
What is written j, counted iy quantity, not by
quality If Eatlpllli i Hdwtlome We're alive,
and should write a weird and wonderful de-
scriptiul q scenes iii tenement houses. from
actual observation. he would get no more for
it from the ha1'3, UnieS- Iii. name were used
as an Advertisement 'or the .ti,er than Patrick
haho.Ie al. "ol.it. O.. tor -imil.. account
Don. N Che .hosce~' N.e.ian. ,ech!es. ct
ostho. .Hv.l.. siei,sn.-. - .yl'ay Ii . report
-. a.. KAT. .assi,g occurrence. were pad 10Y
According - merit. .hHg" would DE som. III
Il. 'e.n"n, toward excellent Performance. bu.
rs {. t.,se. graceful. .ivi.. narrative secures II.
,u"re .beral .e.Iy...l. .io.! 'tn besS'ly :o.. ~
ioAn Bun ees'e. j.. via. motive las a .n..,.
Wl .i.i. wiz. veil - Undertake reporting.
.SUr.>Uoc-. .M.E.,ENCE.
Nl.v aelorte1s max Y il. peculiar olies
- el,er5v and brrlndiass assIIranc. for lack Of
sa.u.,l .tie.' Y.e !Iar.H IA, always been
ST.. .lpplies yi:. .l.,.. aud a. with thai
jo.ri,. news y s.=W.. W!.eeSeS It's .orn. o. .y-
preston. .he .!n..oys.ei.: .. suck neH s.le