The daily gazette., 1877-12-08
HOW THEY GoTINTo THE NEWS
PAPERS.

At the semi-annuai collection of news
paper men in New Orleans, gathered to
study the fascinating Louisiana case, four
amused themselves one night in discuss
ing the divers ways by which they came
into their present line of business. These
were Messrs. White, Of the New York
Tribune, Handy of the Philadelphia
Times, Carroll Of the New York Times.
| z. l.. White Is about thirty-five years
of age. He was born in Massachusetts,
and early worked in the foundry business
which his father carried OH. The mo
notony of this he occasionally varied by
working on farm in summer and at
tending a district school in winter. Farm
labor paying him but $l.50 a week, lie
got a place IN a card board factory, earn
ing 50 per week. Working along in this
way TO pay expenses, he finally got into
college and graduated. His first news
paper work was few stray articles for
temperance journal. be commenced on
the Tribune about ten years ago, at the
prncely salary of IS week. This was
merely nominal, and was fixed for the
purpose OF finding out whether there was
anything in the young man or not. In
short time he was advanced to $l5 per
week, then $40, then S25, then $40, and
so on, rising along in the usual way as he
showed capacity.
NJ. p. Handy is one Of the rising young
men in the business. He is not yet thir-
ty years old, and can turn out more mat
ter, and better matter, either for the mail
or telegraph, than any man of his age |
know. He was born in Missouri, his
father being missionary there from Vir-
ginia. Upon the breaking out of the war
his father returned to Virginia, taking
young Handy with him. In 1862 Rev.
MIR. Handy was arrested by Federal
troops and confined in Fort Delaware as
political prisoner. "Moses," to lie near
his father, moved there and worked on a
farm and III drug store at the handsome
salary of $3.50 month and board. But
being barely fifteen years old, young
Moses thought The board was the main
thing after all. Ills father was soon re-
leased, and they returned to Virginia.
After the war, the Virginians finding
little left in this world, turned their
attention to the next, and Moses made a
good thing canvassing for a religious
newspaper.
To be exact, his total commissions were
1856. which he thought at that time a
handsome start for a young man. He
spent $25 for new clothes and plug hat,
five in travelling, and landed in Richmond
with the remaining five and a few post
age stamps. He walked the streets for
three days trying to get work. His five
dollars melted rapidly away, despite close
economy. His money and courage gave
out about the same time, leaving him
nothing but an empty belly and few
postage stamps. But in the moment OF
despair he got work in the mailing room
OF weekly newspaper at $40 month. |
Shortly after he did some handsome work
for the Dispatch, in connection with Mr.. |
Greeley's visit TO Richmond, and in con-
sequence got regular work on that paper
at SIS per week, which soon advanced
to double that sum. He went to Cuba
for the New York Tribune dnring the
Nirginlus excitement, and made ten
strike for that paper, beating all its rivals.
Howard Carroll is not yet twenty-five
years old. His father was civil engi-
neer by profession, and brlgadier gene
raj in the Federal army. He was killed
In battle the day Howard was ten years
OLD. When in his teens young Carroll
attended school in Germany some time.
Returning to New York when twenty, he
applied at the New York Times office for
work. They laughed at him. He did
not look like person who could write
anything worth reading. de went away
and did what he ought to have done in
the first place, wrote an article on stu
dent life in Germany. His article was
better than his appearance, and he was
gwen work "by the piece" earning five
dollars the first week and seven the next.
Showing capacity, he was given work at
thirty dollars week, which was soon
doubled, and he is now one of the main
men on the working force of the Times.
-Redfeld.