Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-01-17
Vol. XIV. Whole No. 1850. No. 3.



interest in these more modern times has
not been given to the world OF newspaper
readers by the ubiquitous rep0rter7 Great
battles, mOmentous political changes, aw-
ful accidents. horrible murders, startling
suicides, damaging developments of de-
faulting ofiicials, fierce and destructive
CONGREGATIONS, in short, the thousand aud
one events of interest that transpire in this
wild whirl OF everyday life. are given first
to the public by the graphic pen of the in-
defatigable and energetic reporter of the
daily press. The prevailing idea of the
newspaper reporter is . widely erroneous
one. He is pictured in the popular mind
as well-dressed young gentleman, OF pre-
possessing appearance, who Is employed
In his own enjoyments. He has nothing
in the world to DO but visit meetings and
write brief synopsis Of their salient
points: pick up few items rs they come
across him (not as he comes across them,)
and visit the police headquarters and learn
OF the criminal doings OF the day; at night
spend few pleasant hours in the theatre,
and then, after the pleasures of the day,
retire to his comfortable couch for the
night, and draw his munificent salary At
the end of the week. That Is the prevail
Ing idea especially the theatre part. For
whoever knew any outsider to speak OF
freshing assumption Of positive knowledge
to the fact that they had ''free passes to
all the showsT' IL may DO we'll TO set the
great public right on this matter; and
briefly 1t may be stated that the reporter of
the daily press is widely different person
to that popularly supposed, and that his
hours, instead OF being passed in pursuit
Of pleasure, are DEVOTED to the hardest
kind of work. And in this article 1t Is
proposed only to discuss the reporters of
the morning papers. The writer Is most
familiar with the lines of life Of that class
of his brethren. Shortly after noon the
local stat begin to assemble In what is
styled In pretentious establishment ''the
Reportorial Department" The known
events of the day-political and other
meetings, parades, reunions. etc.-are
duly recorded on the book and assigned to
selected men. This, however, Is but q
small portion of the work, and the verbat-
i'm orders OF q well-known city editor will
best give an itea OF the labor assigned in
addition. Time, 2 O'Clock T. NJ. City
editor Gmpatisntly:) Hurry up, now.
Rush out to the exhibition and ascertain,
etc, etc. On your way back, call and in
teryiew Captain Ryan, Of the Fencibles, on
etc. etc. This telegram has just been re-
ceived about an accident on the
Railroad; and go to the depot and see
what you can pick up about it. Don't get
laid out on that! There's some more
trouble in Bolts church. Find out all
about it, end make a brief local OF It; and
at o'clock call at Alderman Smiths and
see il he has Issued a Warrant for-'s
arrest. Don't let him 'bulldoze' you; but
set dow" the UoLtom FACTS. This meet
ing at night, make a half a column Of that;
aud, ss you come back, drop into the Con-
finpnta al and nj pa
political prospects. Whoop along, old
boyE' And so on TO all the others of the
staff. Never a word about the theatre.
All this will probably occupy the repc rter
until one or two O'Clock A. NJ. including
the time taken to write it ups" and then
ne rctires, to repeat within the next twenty.
four hours somewhat similar task, both
as to time and quantity OF work required.
From this it will be readily under stood
that reporters position Is no snecure.
There are in Philadelphia about seventy
five reporters-that is, who follow report
ing as a profession. OF these there are
some fifty connected with the morning pa
pers, eighteen or twenty on the afternoon
journals, and the remainder on the weekies
issued on Sunday morning.
And now word as TO the characteristics
of the craft The average American re-
porter-that is, the reporter worthy of the
name-is usually man of from twenty to
forty years of age. He Is neat In his per-
sonal appearance, of good address, we'll
educated, at least In the ways Of the world,
thoroughly posted in all matters Of current
interest on familiar terms with oil public
men. and a thorough enthusiast in bis work.
He has no Observation-Disclosures of polite
ness, he does not require formal intro
duction to a "man whom he wants to see"
to talk with him with the easy familiarity
of an old friend. Conuclmen, office-h
ers, and politicians he generally addresses
by their Christian names, and with all of
these he has geAerally an intimate ac-
quaintance. The reporter Of to-day is
neither the impecunious adventurer nor
the INSCRIPTIONS liar that some persons
believe him TO be. 1t Is, o. course, true
that there are occasionally black sheep 10
be found in the flock; bat reporters as y
class may be fairly set down. by one who
has had athorough knowledge of the craft,
as IA body of clever, energetic, industrious,
honorable, and well l-educated gentlemen.
And the reporters fof Philadelphia come
under this head 'by large majority"
The reporter rarely sticks to the note book
and pencil to the end, although many of
them are so much in love with the profess
sion that they die in the harness. Some
DRIFT into '1pOlitics and get \ snug tberth,
which rewards them for their years OF ar
duous toll; others gravitate to the stage;
and still others-the hard. honest. ambi-
tious toilers-reach the editorial chair.
The reporter with proclivities toward the
Y. NJ &. A. usually ends by owning
weekly religious paper, and the reporter
with racing tendencies to the proprietor
ship of a sporting journal. And here it
may be well to correct the prevalent i'm
preston that all that ia required to make
good reporter is a liberal education. This
is great mistake. A reporters position il
one requiring tact. judgment, courage. ard
a thorough knowledge OF the world; and
the raw college graduate can no more hold
satisfactorily reporters position than the
reporter could satisfactorily fill profes-
sor's chair. Reporters are born, not made.
They have become q class IS indispensa-
BILE to the demands of modern civilization
as the locomotive or the electric telegraph;
and it, while the tired world slunbers, uu-
conscious of the midnight tralnps. through
wind and rain, of the daily newspaper re.
porter-lf tor one night he we're to suspend
his labors, then the public would realize
the debt it owes to the "Knights of the
Note book. The Philadelphia Press.
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