The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1877-10-19
Eow They Got Into the Newspapers.

At the last semi-annual collection of
newspaper men in New Orleans, gathered
to study the fascinating Louisiana case,
which seems to be always with us, as Holy
Writ says of the poor, four amused them
, selves one night in discussing the divers
ways by which they came into their present
f line of business. These were Messrs. White,
of the New York Tribune Handy, of the
Philadelphia Times; Carroll, of the New
York Times.
These three gentlemen all told me that it
was more accident than otherwise that they
became newspaper men. None of them
were especially educated for the purpose,
nor had they influential family connections
to urge their claims, nor even aequaintan-
ces with the newspaper fraternity. They
came in by chance, and stayed in because
they were competent. Mr.. White is the
Tribune's chief correspondent at Washing
ton Mr.. Handy is Leading editor on the
Philadelphia Times while Howard Car.
roll does all sorts of work for the New York
Times, and does it well.
T. L. White is about thirty-6ve years of
age. lie was born in Massachusetts,, and
early worked in the foundry business which
his father carried on. The monotony of
this he occasionally varied by working ON a
farm in summer and attending district
school in winter. Farm labor paying hlm
but 81. so per week, he gotta place in card
board factory, earning So per week. Work
ing along in this way this way to pay ex-
penses, he finally got into college and grad
uated.. His first newspaper work was
few stray articles for temperance Journal.
He commenced on the Tribune, about ten
years ago, at the princely salary of S. a
week. This was merely nominal, and was
fixed for the purpose Of finding out wheth-
er there was anything IN the young man or
not. In short time he was advanced to
SIS per week, then $50, then $25, then $50,
and so on, rising alo ,g in the usual way as
he showed capacity. Nobody interceded
for him or propped him up with influence,
for, as have said, outside influence is of
no service in journalism, even if a young
ranks as one of the best correspondents ON
the American press-a eonsid cradle adj
vance from ten years ago, when he started
on S. week. Yet without natural capac-
ity he would have. failed long ago, and
dropped out of sight in the army of those
who try and find that their forte does not
lie in the newspaper line.
NJ P. Handy is one of the rising young
men in the business. He is not yet thirty
years old, and can turn out more matter,
and better matter, either for the mail or
telegraph, than any man of his age, know.
He was born i'll Missouri, his father being
missionary there from Virginia. Upon
the breaking out of the war his father re-
turned to Virginia, taking young Handy
with him. In 1862 Rev. Mr.. Handy was
arrested by Federal troops and confined in
1. Fort Delaware as a political prisoner
"Moses," to be near his father, moved
there and worked on farm and in a drug
store at the very hand
some salary of $3.50 month and board
But being barely fifteen years old, young
Moses thought that board was the main
thing after all. HIS father was soon re-
leased, and they returned to Virginia. All
this time he was only getting such educa-
tion as he picked up in scraps, which some
people suppose is the best, after all, for the
rough and tumble of life. After the war,
the Virginians finding little left in this
world naturally turned their attention to
the next, and Moses made a good thing
canvassing for religious newspaper. To
be exact, his total commissions were thirty
five dollars, which he thought at that time
handsome start for young man. He
spent twenty-five dollars for new clothes
aud plug hat, five in travelling, and land
a few postage stamps. He walked the
streets for three days, trying to get work.
His five dollars melted rapidly away, de-
spite close economy. His money and his
courage gave out about the same time,
leaving him nothing but an empty belly
and few postage stamps. But in the mo-
ment Of despair he got work in the mailing
room of weekly newspaper at ten dollars
a month. h.-Shortly after he did some hand
some work for the Dispatch, i'll connection
with Mr. Greeley's visit to Richmond. and
i'll consequence got regular work on that
| paper at fifteen dollars per week, which
was soon advanced to double that sum. He
went to Cuba for the New York Tribune
during the Virginius excitement, and made
a ten strike for that paper, beating all its
rivals.
Howard Carroll is not yet twenty-five
years old. His father was civil engineer
by profession, and a brigadier general 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. He
went away and did what he ought to have
| done in the first place, wrote an article on
student life in Germany His article was
better than his appearance, and he was
given work "by the piece earning five
dollar the first week and seven the next.
Showing capacity, he was given work at
thirty dollars week, which was soon
4 doubled, and he is now one of the main
men on the working force of the Times
Redfeld.
Pitt1y Sermon to Young Men.
/ You are the architects of your own for
! fnpas Ralv 1,non vanY auu stranpth of