New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-18

widow with two small children whose verses
il was hard to decline there was the poor glri
who wanted 10 achieve an education, but VINO
also wanted newspaper employment before
she had achieved 1t, as II education IN that
department of labor were quite unnecessary
there were funny men, the most dismal OF all. VINO
promised us irrepressible vivaclty anu genuine
American humOr, the only thing whlch our
admirable columns lacked ; there were dreary
old gentlemen, who having had losses proposed
to make them up by furnishing us win
articles on france and very odd 1t was that
these should alway be upon hnaDce there
were experts brIslng WIN speciallies, uraniavo3i
musical, legal, medical, METEOROLOGICAL ana
heaven help them they all wanted to be editors
or sub editors or managing editors or assistant
editors, or something OF the kind one
mournful similarity ] noticed They were al
egregiously hufed when their proposals
were not eagerly and Instantly accepted.
Upon my word, do not know any
memories more doleful and dumpish than
those which / have of this mournfdl tram OF
aspirants for the hOnors and, emolumehts
of journalism. j could send the boys ana even
the girls about their business, if they had any,
without much conjunction, but IL was not SO
easy to dismiss the Old, the needy, the gray
haired, and those who had failed without any
future
The highest prizes in the competitions OF
journalism are necessarily Jew; the neophyte
may as well understand that his chances oil pc
ing great editor are not inucn peIloi ii'G o',ne
of his becoming President OF the United states
or Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. III Is
quite surprising TO consider how rev con-
ductors of newspapers achieve VIDE repuIahon'
or any fame which promises to Dc permanent
Not many of those who have made noise
and been most successful in journalism III thls
county ale still remembered. Franklin MN,
self has other monuments ana closer hoio
upon perennial fame than he acquired III the
printing house. In Boston. L beneYe, tney
remember no old editors except Ben Russell a
hero of the Federal and Democratic wars
Joseph r. Buck gham who was honest ana
with a way of freeing his MIND unmlstaKapiy
Hale of The Daily Advertiser in New-Ior
few ancient readers still speak of webb and
Stone, of King and Hale; while Greeley ana
Bennett and Raymond are the unioLgot'0cnf
Washington editors, Gales and Seaton and the
elder Blair are remembered, but who knows
ANYTHING about Duff Green, very famous IN
his day. Newspapers now, are, numerous
enough, but the very fact that they are so
makes distinction al the more diflcult. MY
advice to my young friends intending journalism
is to resolutely Danish from then heads all
nonsense about becoming celebrated Let
them be content with distinction III the once I'D
which they are employed Let them BE
! renowned within its walls fol industry ana
| for accuracy, for good copy and for dexterity
| for alacrity and cultivation OF the amenities
of life Those who like wider celebrity had
| better seek it In some other held. Let thehi
|
! match or q starving match Let them make
| bean of money and leave it to library or
| hospital Let them appropriate handsome
| amount of other peoples cash and run away TO
Europel Let, them write books goo a,' enoug ign
| TO sell or bad enough to be good There are
| a hundred ways to nOtOrlety when some cal
| fame, and even to genuine fame itself but TO
most literary men who engage III Journalism IL
must, in addition to the money wmcn t Ny
earn. be its own exceeding great reward. Nor
| is there any reason Tor complaint. Inc
majority of mankind do no better, seldom
| indeed so well.
The young men entering the profession must
remember that there are better things tilan
broad rumor," or the clustering fol set or
| TO the world To have given innocent pleas
ure to have impaired valuable instruction
| to have helped others even In an humble
way to think correctly and to act rightly to
| have done even a little III the work OF a0ollshlng
| bad institutions and of creating or strengthen
| ing good ones, will bring consolation wnen the
shadows of life lengthen in westerng sun, ana
| the business OF existence, Its ton, us triumph
or its torment, is pretty well over.
Nor is the mcognito of editcria writing so
| we'll preserved as | wish that it was, after ALL
can promise young writers, II they 90 awning
remarkable That they will be found out,
and may be glorifed much more than is good
for their tender constitutions. like the work
which is done we'll for the sake OF dong 1t.
have moved about SO long In the cloak OF name
lessness, that ] have been rather shame-faced
| to have my name at the head of these papeIs
SO long. Habit is second nature and one who
has walked always in the shade does not
| relish an exhibition of himself III the meridian
| blaze But for the encouragement OF young
Journalists, | can assure them that clever
WOrklnanis always well known in the profession,
and can usually command employment. IheTe
! il kind of free masonry III the GAZING. lie
who is least known to the world may nave "a
great celebrity in the printlng-ofhces, where Il
good reputation is best worth having.
Let any newspaper writer bring care and
character and marked individuality to his
work, and those who persistently read the
whole editorial page will soon come to know
him by sight. if may say so, II not by ms
name They will inquire after HIM with Il
natural curiosity, and will not be put OIL with
cut personal particulars. DO | fall into I'M
pardonable egotlsm II | 0lfer an illustration
IRON my own memory Here before me is a
letter which | once received from woman
and widow quite unknown to me, written
with charming nalyete and yet WIN perfect
dignity only TO tell Inc how much the nus
| band whom she had lost liked to read what
wrote how he read If 10 her sometimes with
tears sometimes with loud laughter; how he
was glad that the black bondman for whom
he had all his life himself been working,
thinking and speaking, had a champion Ike
The TRIBUNE! The letter is little yellow
now with age but it has not lost particle
of the costly fragrance OF sympathy ana OF
that perfect good breeding which comes OF
swift and, may be, of Over-suficient graft
tudel Such a letter was worth much more
than years money earnings To man who
never thought money the most important
thing in this world of noble chances and OF
generous opportunities, Then, too, these
readers, whom it will be- possible for
the young journalist III time to secure,
will always be sending to the office
recognition of his work, ali unknown though
he .nay be to them. Give this" somebody
once wrote from New-llamp::hire, "to the
author of the article on =" 1t was SUI
pelb eagle feather, and l found it Oh my
desk. You may be sure, my young friend
that You will get your httle rewards you 20
alongl But, above all make, your work a
pleasure. and put your time, heart and con-
everybody will like your articles as well
| o. rou Like them Ynurselfl That Won