The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-03-26
THE CITY EDITORS RE-
VENICE.
A Tale Of VerbOsity, YOluminOsi.
ty, Verbiage, QuOtatiVe-
ness and Blood.

ness and Blood.
. New York Graphic
81 will write you my experienc,
in a New York three-cent lodgins
house." said tramp.
The city editor was a tolerably
humane man. It was painful to SEE
this starved fellow-being, who hat
probably walked the streets all the
winters night. imploring him fol
something to do in order to live-to
live that he might suffer and endure
still more from cold and hunger. So
slipping a quarter in the tramp's
hand he said, "Well, here's paper,
pens and ink. Write up your sta
tion-house experience and Til pub
Iish it and pay you for it,
The literary tramp sat down and
wrote and wrote. After he had GOV.
cred ffteen large sheets the editor
mildly remarked, MY friend, we
can't give you more than half a
column. Space is valuable in our
paper. Let's see what you have
written"
And he read thus: cit has been
indeed correctly remarked by the
poet that man's inhumanity to man
makes countless thousands mourn.
How many to-day are enjoying all
the comforts and luxuries of life,
rolling on the chariot wheels of
wealth secure from poverty or want
in their palatial residences" and so
the L. I. had written on four or five
closely covered sheets.
Look here. my friend" said the
editor, "this went do. This isn't
telling our readers anything about
the three>cent lodging house. We
want your experience. We can't
print what you've written. You
must try it over again. Now. tell
US what you saw, how the beds and
cells looked, the character of the
dodgers and so on"
l thought | would give a short
preface to my experiences" said the
literary tramp.
"No, no. Cut off the preface.
Tell the bare facts" said the editor.
The L. Il. commenced. Sheet full
after sheet full glided from his prac-
tice hand. The editor pitied the
poor fellow, but he saw the inevita-
BILE. He smclt too many words to
the square fact,
Lets see what you've got now,"
said he after the verbose literary
tramp had written another half
hour.
81 haven't quite finished yet; I'll
be through in one minute" said the
L. t., and he wrote at high pressure
for another half hour longer.
Lets see what you've got now,"
said the perturbed editor. And he
again read from the L. T.'s copy
thus: Facts are stubborn things.
It is well said that truth is stranger
than fiction. Who forty years ago
dreamed of the electric telegraph,
The sewing machine, the photograph,
-he phonograph, the telephone, the
micro"
"Oh, see here, groaned the city
editor, what in the thunder has the
telephone and microphone got to do
With your experience in three.cent
We don't want a
scientific essay from you, or a senti-
mental poem. We want your ex-
,erience in a three-cent lodging
louse.'
II thought 1 would lead your
eaders gently, and, as it were, i'm
up to the subject" said
he L. 7. working his right big toe
.ervously out Of the crack in his
oot.
"We want nothing but facts 4
acts u Eowled the editor. "PlaiD,
are, bald. naked, undressed, raw
acts. Don't try any fine writing,
ainting. preaching or quoting.
Haven't you tortured some news. i
aper before r. 4
81 was assistant editor for a few
reeks on the BIissville Coweatcher,"
aid the L. 7. But their font gave
ut during one of my leaders, and :
le managing man showed me the
estern door and said, Go West,
oung man. go West!' went West.
have returned--under, not on the