The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-08-17
/, ABOUT REPORTERS.

A few days aSo I promised 10 tell
you something about reporters. You
have learned already what easy time.
they have, but often those who have
the best chances in this world do not
seem 10 appreciate the fact. snd scms-
times reporter gsts this way aud
t"iDks his salary ought to be raised.
SO he spcsks to the editor about il.
Editors are very liberal Gen. MANY
of them do not think any more Of q
dollar than some men do OF their lives.
but they know that if the reporters
were paid too much they would save
their money and buy the paper. and
then the editors would be like the Chi. D..
nese-they would have 10 gn. So In
seif presesvation they sre obliged 10
keep the salaries of the reporters at
- 900 or sc. 600 . year. They -bsse to
do this. bat self preser vation is the. first
law of editors as we'll as OF nature.
Many Of the editors preserve thesn
selves 20 well that the repoftsr. never
bny them outs C.xsssxCf errgEHr
But editoss arc kied hesrted.s Mr.
Daos. Of the New York Sun, once heard
that horse which had been very fast.
but which erybody thought was
played out. was going to be sold at auc-
tion by bis master So be sent around
and bought the poor horse for "a 900.
The next summer be put him 10 big
rsos, just for fu. everybody said.
There were great many noted horses
in this race. aad men bet large sums of
money on them, Mr.. Dsns's horse only
bringing 81 in $50 pools; bat be won
the race and all the money that was
bet.
This 10 called parslyzing the pool
box. So You see that the fairies are
kind 10 those who do good. Some
good stories are told about reporters.
Once young man who had gradu.
ated at Harvard ColIegs, and was q
splendid scholar in baseball and row.
ing, came to large western city and
hired out to be reporter. The next
day the editor sent him to an INQUEST.
He csme back 70 the Office at night
With snongh manuscript to make
book. sF Et
The editor gave thi. to an expert
enced reporter and said, Cut this down
to stickful.' After q while he went over
10 where the experienced, reporter was
sitting and said. How did that new
duck manage with the inquest y oh
said the experienced reporter, he got
everythipg--exoept the verdict And
then the other reporters that were sit.
ting aroand laughed heartily, but the
editor only let drop q few words of
tropical warmth and discharged the
new reporter. who was very much sur
prised to see that the paper continued
to come out regularly after he had left
It to its fate.
New reporters always tell everybody
that they are journalists. but the old
ones call themselves deck hands. New
reporters always think they know
everything. and in some Offices it is Gus
tomary 70 put O dish Of salt on a new
reporters desk. This 10 o delicate way
OF telling him that he 10 too fresh. Re-
porters never like to hurt any body's
feelings. Once an editor in Cincin>
nsti hired reporter in Chicago to do
some work for his paper. After a
while the reporter forgot to send any
thing about en- important matter,
which made the editor very angry. So
he sent dispatch TO the reporter, say
ing. You are discharged. Why did
you get left on that murder? +? Answer.
When the reporter read this be laughed
10 himself. and said, I wonder if that
old PLAN thiaks he can get the best Of
me !? So he wrote the longest kind of
an answer. explaining all about the
matter. and closed by saying he had
been discharged because he disliked to
be connected with paper that allowed
itself TO Get scooped II took Ike
words 10 say this. and a. it was seat by
Telegraph. the O,ncinnati, editor had q
pretty big bill {, pay. Bat il taught
him never to ask fur explanations
By telegraph sgaiu, and rthst Chicago
reporters we're pretty lisbisS to keep up
With the prqcession. QEA q