The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-20
Some Eccen,r,ci.,es OF Reporters.

A few days ago promised to tell you
something more about reporters. You have
learned already what easy times they have;
but often those who have the best chances
in this world do not seem TO appreciate the
fact, and sometimes a reporter gets this way
aud thinks his salary ought 10 be rai.ed. So
! he speaks 10 the editor about II. Editors
are very liberal men. Many OF them do not
think any more Of a dollar than some men
do OF their lives, but they know that II the
reporters were paid too much they would
save their money and buy the paper. and
then The editors would be like the Chinese
| they would have 10 60. So In self-protectiOn
they are Obliged 10 keen the salaries OF the
reporters at s. 900 or $4,000 a year.
They hate TO do this, bat self preservation is
the first law Of editors a. well as OF nature.
Many editors preserve Themselves so well
| that the reporters never bny them out. But
! editors are kind.bearted. Mr.. Dana, OF the
/ New York Sun, once heard that morse
which had been very fast, but which every
body thought PLAYED out, was going to be
sold at auction by his master. SO he sent
around and bought the poor horse for
/ 81 900. The next summer he put him IN
biz race, "just for fun" every body said.
1%eTe were great many noted horses In
this race, and men bet large 81 ms OF money
on them, Mr.. D1na'S horse only bringing
! II in $50 poOl.. But he won the race and
| all the money that was bet. This is called
- paraly Zing the pOOl.bDX." 30 YOU see that
! the fairies are kind 10 those who do good.
Some good stories are told about reporters.
/ Once n young man who bad graduated at
! Harvard College, and VAS splendid scholar
| in baseball and rowing, me ~ large west
crn city and hired out 10 be reporter
/ The next nay the editor sent him 10 an in
tuuCst. he came back 10 the Office at night
/ with enough manuscript 10 make book.
/ The editor gave this 10 an cNrcrlcLced re-
porter and SAID, ''Cut that stun down TO a
/ stiCkful" After awhile he went over to
( where the experienced reporter was sitting
and said, " How did that ne" duck manage
with the nQue>tY" - On said the cNpe-
ricnccd reporter. "hc got cverything--eX-
| ccpt the verdict" And then the other re-
p0rters that were sitting around laughed
| heartily, but the editor only let drop a
few words of tropical warmth, and dis
charged the new reporter. who was very
much surprised 10 see that the pa
per continued to come out regularly
after be had left it TO lis fate. New
reporters always tell every ybody that they
are "jOurnaIsts.' hut The old ones call
them deck hands. New reporters always
think lhev know everything, and IN some
offices j, is customary TO put dish OF salt
on 4 new reporters desk. This Is deli
cate way OF telling hlm that he i too fresh.
Reporters never like TO hurt any hOdy'S feel
ings. Once IN editor IN Cincinnati hired
reporter in Chicago TO do some work for his
paper. After awhile the reporter forgot
10 send anything about an important
mltter which made The editor very
angry. So he sent dispatch TO the report
er saving: - You are discharged. why did
YOU get left on that mnrderY Answer
When the reporter read this he laughed 10
himself and said: IL wonder II that old
plum thinks he cIn get the best OF mc!"
So he wrote the longest kind Of an answer,
explaining all about the matter. and closed
by saving be was Glad be had been dis
charged, because he Oi>lIkcd to be con-
nected with paper that allowed Itself to
get Scooped. 1t took 1,7j0 words TO say
this. and, Is il was sent by telegraph, the
Cincinnati editor bad IA pretty big bill TO
pay. But it taught him never to ASK for
explanations by telegraph aGln, and that
Chicago reporter, were pretty liable 10 keep
up with ;be procession.