The Newark ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1877-1???, 1880-08-07
The New York Reporter.


A reporters life is not happy one,
He Is the slave of duty at all hours oi
the day and night. To-day he is here,
tomorrow there. On Monday he may
be among thieves and murderers, on
Tuesday among politicians and states
men, and on Wednesday among ladies
and gentlemen. He may be even among
all three on the same day. remember
acold, raw morning in February when
had to get I'D long before daylight and
make q breakfast out of Oliver Hitch-
cocks coffee and cakes and run for a
train. That afternoon found myself on
board of q large European steamer,
which had stranded high and dry on the
New Jersey sands. / shared the cap
tain's dinner while the waves came
dashing against the vessels side with q
force that threatened to make us food for
sea worms at any moment. Icame back
wet and weary thatnight, but there was
no rest for me yet.l To Delmonico's l
must go, ns soor ] could change my
clothing, and part,ot, of great banquet.
Such is the life of anewspaper reporter:
He knows not at any time where he will
take his next meal. He often is sent
from a wedding to a funeral, or from a
ball in the Academy to murder at the
Five Points. Like an army on the march,
he must always have his baggage pre-
pared, for at five minutes notice he may
be sent several hundred miles where
shirt-collars and handkerchiefs are un-
known. He may be sent to scour the
bay for missing Jersey shanties, or Long
Island woods for mysteriously disap-
pearing personages.
Not only must the reporter be able to
tell an interesting story, but he must
also, If he wants to earn his salt, have
knowledge of the world and possess that
tact and discretion which comes of such
knowledge. Young men fresh from some
inland college, who come to New York
newspaper offices under the impression
that reporting is something that they
can do if they cannot do anything else,
are quickly undeceived. One half OF
the news which is printed in the local
columns every morning is obtained
from people who do not care to furnish
it, and who have to be run down" very
often with as much skill as the most
cunning of foxes. And for all thisSthe
reporter is paid but little more than the
average mechanic. 1t may surprise
some of you to learn that he gets even
that much, but he does if he is good for
anything. That good ones get no more
is mainly due to the fact that there are
somany bad ones competing with them.
Yet with all the drawbacks of long
and irregular hours, inadequate remun-
GRAFTON and assignments" that are often
uncongenial, there is a charm about
reporters life which all who have ever
been members of the profession must
acknowledge. There is q romance con-
nected with it which does not entirely
die out of even the older members who
now keep to it because they have been
spoiltfor anything else. The new genera
tion of metropolitan reporters, which
diner considerably from th4 old, is kept
to its work probably core by this flavor
OF the adventurous than any thing else.
The Bohemian spirit of poetry and beer
has almost died out and the ranks are
recruited from class which has less of
the literary and more of the ''be up and
doing" spirit about it. They want an
active life and they find it here. Ashley
grow older, however, they become more
straight in their desires and there are
consequently constant droppings out.
Either they work their way into
the editorial chairs OF they go into some
other profession or business and their
places are filled by newcomers. who,
nowadays, are generally GRADUATES OF
the leading colleges. So then, here is
To the truthful reporter
Who never prints but what he oughter;
An example sublime.
OF the men OF his time.
George o. Clement