Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-05-30
Reporters Hifalutln.

| Every once In while--a vague measure
OF time. signifylng let us say once iu every
four months-a captious magazine writer
or caviling editor holds the hard-worked
reporters up to undeserved ridcule for n-
| dutglng in fine writing. These carping
| critics never tell-nay, do not even init
mate- the drawbacks upder which the re-
portcrs' pencils move. They are under
strict orders to get up spicy locals In loud
| style. All the editors have unanimously
reached the conclusion that to use the same
word twice in the same paragraph, is an
| objectionable crime. Therefore, when the
/ haraSSed reporter comes TO write of a small
| boy being run over by milk wagon, he
can write milk wagon but once. In stating
that the driver was arrested, he must refer
/ 10 the wagon as vehicle; to Its contents
as the lacteal mud. SO in describing fires,
| he must not, at his peril, repeat fre; so he
! Is compelled to take refuge in the devour-
| ing tlemeat, lurid flames, glaring confla-
/ grafton. 80 commonplace subject "a
| runaway horse he must vary by calling the
| beast furious charger, an infurated steed,
an unmanageable animal. Not permitted
| to write murderer twice in the course OF
the article. he Is forced to resort to red
| handed ruHihn, sanguineous hend, heart
| less monster. wretch too vile TO live.
| Editors not only insist on a varied-not
to say a piebald phraseology they
| further demand glowing introductions to
what they style "bg things" In the local
line. such, for instance. rs shocking homi-
! cideS, emarkablc suicides, receptions OF
/ distinguished individuals, Important pro-
cesoionS In short, anything out Of the com
mon. The undeservedy abused reporter Is
compelled. in pursuance with the orders OF
[ his chief, who never writes aught save the
| purc>t English in soberest dlctiOn, TO spin
ont OF his Imagination 4 gorgeous prologue
/ OF glttterinG generalities, the glowing YER
/ boslty of which the editor-in-Chiel, in his
( heart Of hearts, COmmeuds, because it
makes the paper 90 among = class of read
ers that will have none Of your stern sober
diction. To tell them an accidentally in.
/ lurcd human being Is dead is to insult their
( intelligence; they wish TO be told that the
/ vital spark has fled II looks Inconsistent
/ for the Journals that demand this sort ot
strained fine writing for their locals, to con-
demn il in their editorials. One OF the
most sarcastic and out spoken foes OF re-
/ porter>' hIlalutin, IS VIM. c. Bryant, the
poet and venerable editor Of the New York
kre'ung Post. About ten years ago he pub
!tshed an editorial against repOrtorial fine
writing. by some strange mi,hap, his arti-
Gle wa. followed by a flambovant editorial
written in style OF loudness seldom Pc
ru ,ed IN the Post. II set ont with stating
that when peril threatens our glorious in
stitutious, our hands ever ring out the
dread tocsiu of alarm" and so on through
half column OF as turgid rhetoric as was
ever peuned by any abused reporter. Mr..
Bryant had 10 stand some raiIlery on this
g!arIng Inconsistency. lie never retorted,
but stlIl goes on coudemning highly color
Ell locals, while his editors indulge in hrid
English.
Yet the highfalutin reporter is not with
out his reward. He knows full well that
his gorgeous word-paintlng is wanted, for
were 1t not, he would not be paid for its
execution. While sly aesthetic editors refer
to the brethren OF the pencil, in public, as
hShfautin, and' somewhat dsdanfuly,
too. in the sacred precincts of the editorial
rooms they aliude to them good descrip-
tive writer's.