The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-05-18
THE FIELD OF JouRNALIsM.


III. v. Red6eld has this in recent issue
of the Cincinnati Commercial: 1t has
been remarked that very few who get into
journalism start out with such Intention
They drift in accidentally, and are promoted
as they develop capacity. Money, wealthy
parents aud influence are of no sort of SER
vice in getting young man place on
newspaper. There is no business that is so
entirely independent Of all these considera-
tions as this A wealthy father can easily
get his son location to read law or medi-
cine, or push him forward in almost any
walk of life he may select, but he is utterly
poverless to do anything for him in jour-
nalistic way. To lbssserss hsssnay SbayS
newspaper and set up his hopeful in that
manner but unless there is something in
the youth called journalistic knack, a natu-
raj knowledge of what to write and how to
write it, he will be failure in that line,
and all the money and influence of wealthy
and perhaps powerful relatives will count
for nothing.
Some fond parents educate their sons with
especial view to make journalists of them !;
but it is rare that we hear of these young
men after few years. Meantime some
scrub, born amoug the hills, having nothing
but common school education, aud tho
knowledge scraped up in a country printing
Office, will advance to front rank in the
profession. He has the journalistic knack,
and forces recognition because he has it.
He gets place, not because he has wealthy
parents to influence the proprietors of lead
ing newspapers, but because he knows what
to write and how to write it, and the editors
take it because it is what they want. His
articles go in because they supply demand,
while, perhaps, the elaborate essays from the
per of man educated on two continents,
with an especial view to journalism, are cast
into the waste basket.
Young men just out of college, and with
journalistic ambition, and who have had
their essays passed upon by admiring rela.
tives, and pronounced the production Of
genius, think if they can get a letter of in
PRODUCTION to the managers of some leading
newspaper, they will forthwith find recogni-
tion in his columns. don't know how
many applications by mail aud in person l
have had from young men asking me for a
letter of Recommendation" to the editor OF
the Commercial. Inever complied, because
1 know that these agencies are not worth
FIVE cents peck towards getting into the
paper. tell the applicants to send altng
whatever essays and so forth they have on
hand, and that q letter of introdution mile
long would not be of tho least service in
influencing the editor to print what didn't
fill the bill. Recommendations from those
known to the editor, or the "infucnce" Of
wealthy relatives of young men ambition.
} to shine in journalism, are Of no earthly
j benefit in this matter, unless, indeed the
) latter might furnish money to have th'
Bnt fame, at thirty dollars column IS cS
pensive.
The majority of successful journalist.
drift into it from other walks of life anc
perhaps the most of them up to the tim,
they are eighteen or twenty years old, had
no thought in that direttion.
FIRST WORKING OF CoRN.-lf the land
has been packed by rain since the corn was
, planted, run close and break deep-if the
land is close and open, the ploughing is not
important. In that event use plows that
will 60 over rapidly.and save labor-.a shovel
or sweep, or cultivator will answer. Avoid
throwing much dirt to the young corn, only
enough to cover up any young grass that
may be present, but be sure it is we'll GOV.
cred much hoeing will not pay in corn
crop, the plow alone ought very nearly to
make it-of course thinning and some chop
ping is generally unavoidable. Thin to a
stand as soon as danger Of frost and worm
is over. Nothing is more prejudicial to a
plant than having another plant with the
same wants growing beside 1.-THE struggle
for existence then becomes intensified II
the mddles arc not very hard or FOUL and
time presses, they need not be ploughed out
at this working. In any event push on
rapidly to give cotton its first working just
as soon as it will bear it. The farmer who
keeps well ahead, not only stands the best