Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-07-10
The Newspaper Editor.

Mi. ChfS. :. falrnaD, IN bis address bc!0ro
the New York State Press AS ;ciatio, 10 Troy
recently. said
'Elitlrl are boin. not made. You cannot
grind them out 10 heaps as you do doctors, or
lawyers. CT cIcrgsmeu. lhsro is no college
where THY are taught. There is no Curriculum
for them to study. There arc 10 professors Of
newspapers. There arc % diplomas, aud there
arc no degrees tyr an editor. Perhaps Should
say that oao OF the ordinary scAools 10 which
other Professions are taught, aCsscr toc the
newspaper. The b.st schoel is tho printing
cfhc,. The best teacher IS the click o! the type
aud the alma; pAsre of the clmTosinE room.
The tact OF Gu editor c:noot b. tau.ht Ct an
academy. Thtro are no books or mtS'ers to
follow. Like the srtist, tho editor NUS have
genius, and genius S not borrowed OF taught.
Bot thGueh you clnn)t teaoh edltuta ia schools
or academies. you can teach boys. And alter
YOU have taught tho boy ia school. y0u moy
teach the cdltur Ia \ pin i"g tfc,. ha. b. aire
lu mt to rstrt him a. til, wrong cGi OF iho
shop. Start hm down amoEg the lCl,
CTS aua tho lyo hrlihcr, End ho VIII
work hl1 wy GU 10 the halc un. When
he gels thur1 he will knnw hos 10 .t,y thtry.
Bu. il you start him nj TIN S,anlEm. tho PFC
liabilities a.G That h. will 50 IN fad hims,lf in
the cellar. l:i5unn It thu evils Il Gu. times,
that not only with regard 10 this, tu!
equally wuh regard 10 al trades and pro-
tradons tho young men nrH unNi!liaG to begin
a. tho bottom The GRADES Of prlo,iog rtli,c
should be iot x !r,b!o as tho grades OF an army.
Thcrn Should b NJ removals. except Zoe c.us",
and 20 promollDrs Kept t3r meyi 9. TIE his
Tory nt the newspaper press proves thu posi-
ton hare take. Tho best, tho atkest and ines;
successful editors this land has produced cane
no from tho iuio aad tho composing Slick
| havo kn2wa saofcs Of ,rRmripg rufpryncn
printers who had every laliiic ,i1n Ter b,i Kant
SUCCESS in j1utua!,stn. cXuept tho ona of steady
habits, men Ct wido learning, o: sparkling
getius. and commanding intcltci And mover
yet SAW stric ly ,luclIci man who wss fit fer
IN editor Tle} arc tGo sisichy ard stiff. They
ore TO nc: and mcc'sN They arc too Ioarnc!
aud ir,lpunj. A profound newsl aacr wau d
dis 10 WEEK. Two things arc cr,aimiy and
'qlllIy fatal to a newspaper, Ignorance aud pro
lundlty. Bat | thlk OF tho two it G,u stand
i@nOratc, the better. tr ttCro arc great
many people who aro isDoiaat aui r,ry lew
who arc proioued Daniel Webster crc; un.
dCrtol K to Wli:c al editorial Tor o newspaper.
l. Was sfVcu colnnlEs l0rEen stlid with stats
uap.hp aud " s ION. Bat the editor advised
hin 10 deliver il 10 Congress G0d lot tho news
paper CT. Ii snmttincs happens that school
master cut Of u b, or ambitious of Iar.c, seeks
laurc's and Cash Ia tho editorial sarc!uul.
These are The wors; failures in the whole lot.
They invariably lun Gu; their t0nsu IS when
they write, usn inlod paper. dot all their Ia.
Cross all their 49, and parse Glc;y ST n.cbco be-
loro i. goes 10 rr2ss. They arc designed 70
succeed better on monthly or q1,rtcily pulls
cations. or thCs' which c)nc cut oaco year.
than 90 the daily rr0ss. 1t anything is CiIcu-
lated to worry tho patiecc, OF an editor, it is to
see schooimas:cr la0cr0g over paragraph.
The erasurrs aDd i1terllnaetionS, the orpDg
ard sarllcg, tho tearinEa up and bcpinoingi
aeGlo, the ,naultat!orS Of the dictionary, tn,
wise lock at tbs wal, tho doubt abou. gram
mar, aud tho greater doubi about IDEAS, arc
fearful to behold. s:nto 40 tX;ct Truth when
say that l b%vo scin some OF these
educated glutamen spend two prtc ols
paragraph Of ten lIn3s, AID fail. 4 surplus OF
sramn kills them. And yet tho editor must
not tell 10 grammar, ll!s sentences NUS be
clear cut, precise AID perfect. Bus h, mus! do
it ~lthou! rtiop. ana with the slmo case srd
freedom that he woul engage 10 c3uvcys,,iou.
This ftcll'v he sets WHEN no CO.'S through the
grades. lie cauuot bring it With him from any
other profession. There arc 0 .stIc exceptions,
bat thew arc rare, AID only provo the rule. The
shoemaker had better stick TO his las, the
schoomsstrr 10 his school and The ldtcr to his
sarctum. NJ MN can be an editor who does
not understand ell the details Of bis busness.
lilo mus: b, o'mpetent TO ii any gap 10 acy
placa Mt suy m6mout. Ils must know how to
do all that is needed 10 be done on newspaper.
lie must be sbc tn wltc a leader or para
erarh at moments notic', or without aoy 20
tIce ct oil. H.: must be man OF quick percep.
ton, of prompt decision and folc, CT charao or.
lie mn3t BE- leader. he must command tho
ship"
y TAME OTTER As Mr.. Davidson. of Fog
land, wal walking norg ono day by tho side OK
a stream. Iii dogs nosel on: al otter and Two
liul. Iuas. Mr. D.vilsnn took them home
aud pa: them with some real Dig puppies. TO
500 il the otteIs clpld not be tanned. Ono Of
tho little otttrs died. tu. tho Glh,r lock 10 its
new abode aud seemed to Ike it. WHcrcvtr
tho dogs went tho otttr went n!sa.
A. first Il cdoHs tried TO impose upon the
Strangers, III. no whipped than alt at ono tuna
ono dag, and alter that no was mlstcr ut The
kcuEU's IL ALSO UeOatE0 u pot Win all Inc
horS.hCll. His spec al treat was bowl CT milk
and bro.h. which. sad 10 tc no would steal If
he oCu'd. For soma Jason be was nsmod San
dy. Sandy proved 10 b, great hunter, and 10
a Tito whllo no ncs,i out lofty animals CT hia
own sptcies.
| could swim where tho dogs cOuldnt. aId
Was at homo 10 The bushes and uudnr the
banks. lie kept lie dogs Of K 1iury 10 Gu
slant dri al. At tho lcaat oifenso no would
thrash one Of them Poor Sands's ond was in.
glorous. His love Of broth proved hig greatest
nuemy. FIR ono nornng the cook Mt tho Starr
Ian saw Sandy swimming 10 a hugo bowl Of
broth that she was preparing for breakfast, aud
she bit him fatal tl1R over the head with
ladlc.
SPANISH MACKEREL. Professor II. A. EARL,
agent for obtaining statistics along the coast of
tho Atlantic for the Fish Commissioner, reach
cd Washington, yesterday. from an official visit
TO The lower waters OF tho Chesapeake Bay, aud
amour ce5 highly successful result of his *.