The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-03-23
The Local Editor.


Yes, young man, your question comes just in
time, and we feel in the proper mood for an
swering it. "Isn't the position of local editor
pleasant and desirable one?'' 1t is. Volumes
might be written on the happiness attached to
the position of local editor, and the subject not
exhausted. For instance, no study so delights
the average school boy or girl, as that of COM
position. Once month or possibly once a
week, he or she has to write composition,
covering two pages of note paper, on some sub
ject within the confines of Uranus and the
sun, with license, if the limits are too confined,
to shed little light on the nebular hypothesis.
There is an analogy between the student and
the local editor. He, too, must write compost
tions. But here the analogy ceases. The 10
cal editor must write compositions about six
days in the week. In place of the two pages
of note paper, they must cover, say, about two
columns of the newspaper. That reduced to
note paper means about twenty or twenty-five
pages a day. And here another little difficulty
comes in. The editor, the editor, who gives
tone to the paper and causes it to be quoted,
can discuss the troubles in Ireland, the war in
Asia, the variety shews of Congress, or any
thing else in the way of general news. The
local editor must make his compositions treat
on the matters pertaining to or connected with
the city in which the paper is published. He
must look for news and write it up. But this
is easy. In big city like Newburyport there
is a constant chain of occurrences sufficient to
fill the largest paper. The public is sympa-
thetic and patient. 1t looks every morning for
q ful1 of iSn,t
crammed the local editor hears of it
hundred times in getting from his
home to his den. And then again,
the public has its appetite and expectation
whetted to a keen pitch. The local editor may
start for home in the cold grey of early morn
ing, conscious he has produced very respect
able paper, although his topics are somew hat
commonplace. Imagine the serenity of mind
he carries to his sanctum next day after meet
ing with some sponger on a subscribers paper,
who innocently asks "why in the world don't
you have some news i'll your paper?' News is
commodity always at hand. One has only to
send boy out to gather basketful, and then
chuck it into the paper. Yes the local editor
goes to a great many shows, and he always
halls the entrance of the advance agent with
pleasure. For two days previous to the enter
tainment he is talked to fever heat by the
agent, who invariably represents the best show
in the universe and wishes the paper to COM
he sees the show it is during the busiest part of
the day or night, when he must rush back and
do double duty in getting copy out, and then is
buzzed and bothered by the manager who
drops in to see what you are going to say, and
perhaps tell you what you ought to say. Yes,
the show part of it is interesting. But every
body rushes to the editor with items of news
Exactly. Items of the class which render the
charts hung up in depots so interesting. Nine
out of ten putfs or advertisements for the party
i'll question, who supposes the editor so green
about his business as not to distinguish an ad
from an item, and then, too, like as not the
solicitor is friend whom to refuse is to af.
front. And lastly, the hours of labor are so
limited. vi course we amt talking of the aris-
tocratic daily of the metropolis, with an editor
and reporter for every special theme, but of the
plain country daily. He may be called upon to
start at O'Clock in the morning for political
convention, an assemblage of ministers, a race
fair or what not. He may spend the day at
that, eat u dinner of cold ham and pie, get
back in the evening, learn that old Miss Wat
kins has fallen down stairs and broken her
neck, and perhaps Miss w. lives a mile away,
and the coaches are all put up; or perhaps it
is rumored that old Bilkins out in the country
a piece has been foully dealt with and it
rains or SHOWS, and the rival weekly issues to-
morrow, aad in short, the thing must be looked
up, and it pans out mere yarn. Yes, young
man, it's happy position, indeed. The quail
fcations are few and simple. You must know
what has happened, what is happening and
what will happen; who to go to for the exact
information wanted; who you would want to