Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-01-11
tering to utilize French and German
uousnonars and nerhay1s can struggle

tering to utilize French and German
newspapers, and perhaps can struggle
through with an Itslian publication
The theatrical jargon he is perhaps more
familiar with than with art or religion,
and he can give an intelligent idea of
the construction and motive of a play.
Strange to say, sentiment and sympathy
NAV a large part in this worldly-wise
gentleman's character, and tears will be
seen sooner in his eyes at pathetic
piece of acting than in those of the per-
sons around him, and it is this sentiment
and sympathy which enables him to
put himself en- rapport with person
whom he wishes to interview, and so he
is enabled to draw the unhappy victim.
His sense of honor is higher than he is
generally given credit for. Fidelity to
his paper is sacred thing to him wild
horses may tear him asunder before he
will reveal Office secrets. So far as the
public is concerned his sense of honor is
peculiar, and he generally justifies a
breach of confidence on the ground that
the importance of the news to the pub
lie overrides any private consideration !;
4 but in general his promise not to tell
certain things is to be relied upon, espe-
cially when he is allowed to tell certain
| other things. In society he is perfectly
at ease, though he has fOndness for So
ciety that is not absolutely exclusive"
the conventionality of which he abhOrs.
Politics is most often his delight. II
pleases him to have members of con-
gress consult him, and to be hand and
Iglove with workers. about whose
methods he often knows more than they
do themselves, and he delights in puz-
zling and bewildering them when he
has chance. Money will not bribt
him as rule, but when hard up thu
Temptations to say. something that hi
does not fully believe if often too strong
In conversation, not for business pur
poses, he is apt to be dull, and
HE NEVER WRITES PERSONAL LETTERS
because, in both cases, it is waste O.
good copy. So far as his office work II
concerned. he must be able to go through
a hundred or more Exchanges" and GU
the articles which will be of interest tx
his paper, and to boil them down or eX
pand them by rewriting. Of prespec
tive in treating of a subject he must hav
j q good idea, especially of the importance
, of local news, and this knowledge o
, journalistic perspective is also one of tn
: most valuable of his requirements. ii
. must be familiar with proof-readiDg
know how many words go to line il
+ type from agate to BREWER; how man,
lines make a "stick," and how man,
, sticks make column, SO that he cal
. literally write to order by the inch. III
. must be able to summarize the news an
to write head lines, which is one of tn
!. hardest knacks to acquire satisfactorily
0 simple as it may seem. Outside OF tn
+ office he must be able to write in tn
baggage car of fast train, or on his hal
f or anywhere that pencil and paper ca
: be held and used, and his writing mus
be intelligent and picturesque in descrir
| ton, so far as possible All these thing
our average American journalist mus
: be able to do, and to do them unde
:. pressure; and the wonder is that hi
work is so finished as it is. He is abl
n to do them all, though he does not d
4 them all at the same time, and for thi
i the much abused gentleman gets til
y enormous salary of $50 to $40 week.