Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-04-15

iOTtuucp ho 10 oeB.hhAe W. g..
easy. He goes to the office every aiter-
noon and keeps fatherly eye upon the
editorial page but seldom writes him
self. Mr.. Dana's chief lieutenant Is
John Swinton, who is the active manag'
ing editor OF the editorial department
Syinton is of Scotch stock, having come
TO this country while young. He Is
practical printer by trade, having tramp
ed the country pretty well over while at
the cease" He figured extensively
among the "bushwackers" during the
Missouri-Kansas embrogljo, years ago.
He was on the New York Tunes num-
ber of wears and when John I. Ray
mond went to Europe TO spend year,
Swinton was
Left at the Helm
as managing editor. He never
makes mistake. He lnva-
riably interprets the mind OF his
chief correctly upon all questions that
arise as to the conduct and course OF
great journal. He told me that the Sun
was not edited by two or three men with
heads as large as the dome OF the national
capitol, as some Western "jawhawker
had once supposed, but that he edited
the paper out OF barrel. DE had an
invisible barrel Of money upon his table
and from that the Sun was made up.
al have an unlimited number OF men at
nv command" be said, 'some OF whom
write but once week and then only
paragraph" Mr.. Swinton generally
writes an editorial every day and has
besides a supervision OF the page. Mr..
C.. h. Lord is the managing editor OF the
news department, and MIR. j. b. Bogert
is at the head of the city stall. The
make up" OF the paper is the chief duty
OF the news editor, and this Is not by
any means a small job. To select out OF
a great mass OF matter what shall go into
so small paper Us the Sun requires rare
skill and great ability. The city editor,
who must
Keep an Eye
on all that is transpiring in this great
metropolis and vicinity, makes assign
ments OF work daily to the various
members OF his large local staff. He is
on duty from 10 A. NJ. to q p. N. Ills
assistant takes charge at night. Besides
the regular staff there are 'occaslonals,
whose services and copy" repurchased
when considered desirable by the
city editor. These writers are common
ly known among the boys as "Bohe-
miads."
There are also class called "guerel-
las" who write up "feature" articles
upon subjects that the average human
being would never have thought OF.
The regularly employed force OF the
Sun, comprising all departments, the
mechanical, editorial and counting
room, consists OF one hundred and
nlnety-four men. This seems marvel
Gus, considering the fact that the Sun is
but a seven column, four page paper, in
size much smaller than the Wheeling
REGISTER. But nevertheless it is fact.
There is rule that is regarded in the
office as Sun maxim. This rule is that
the Sun shall give "all the news and the
truth about the news In giving all
the news it remembers thai
The World il Too Busy
to hunt for information upon current
matters through dozens OF columns when
half as many columns will hold all that
is of value. 1t is TO the point when
handling the news, and incisive when il
comments upon the news. Every item
that is taken into the Office must be
weighed as to its interest. In this way
only a dozen lines are sometimes used
of two column report which appears
in full in some OF the other papers, while
a twelye-line Associated Press dispatch
is supplemented by specials, until the
twelve lines become several hundred.
There are six men in the office known
as "condensers," whose sole duty IL is
10 read the copy prepared By members
of the S,n staff and ''condense 1t, "cut
it," and often re-write an entire article.
Moreover, news is sought in legitimate
way outside the beaten tracks. The dis.
covery OF new Quack, new trick, aud
a myriad OF other new evils to societyis
regarded in the light OF news, and the
S,In feels il to be mission to probe here
and expose there. This originality in
treating news, which is as marked as
the typographical tace OF the paper
itself, has been achieved by the great
care taken by the San managers
In the Selection Of Their Staff.
One man is constantly employ.
ed writing biographical! sketches
OF prominent old men who
are likely to cast off this 'mortsl COLI
at any day. The Sun has thus prepared
and is in type, which | saw in the COM
posing room last night, seven columns
on the life of Thurlow Weed, four on
Peter Cooper, two on Alex. Stephens,
several on Sam Tilden, one on Lord
Beaconsfield, and many more upon
other distinguished men, who are ex-
pected by this enterprising newspaper
to drop off at any time and without any
warning. / am at this moment re.
minded of an anecdote told on one OF
the old school statesmen, Thad.
Stephens. In his older days, while a
member OF Congress, he was invariably
attacked with sudden illness during
every session. The Philadelphis Press,
during his earlier sickness. had Iong
obituary prepared and put in type 10
await the coming OF the event. Old
Thad. was notified OF it, and at the end
of eyery session.he would stop in Phila-
delphia on his way homeward, and
climb up the lofty stairs to the editorial
sanctum. This would nearly PROSTATE
hi1I, but alter recovering,
He Would Exclsim:
"well, boys, trot out the obituary and
let's hear bow she reads" He would each
time take the proof sheets and 20 over
them very carefully, always making
some few changes and asking il they did
not improve it.
The business Department OF the Sun,
like that of any other establishment
requiring large expenditures of money,
is presided over by the business mana
ger, Mr.. /. W. England. The outlay
often exceeds 81, 500 90 per day, some
tines falling below that figure, which,
however, fairly represents the average
expense OF running newspaper as the
Sun is conducted 10 newspaper man
the paper speaks this for itself. The
bills for paper, for the composing room,
fo- telegraph and for salaries are the
principal ones. The latter is the largest
item, in which also include amounts
paid to all writers Of the paper whether
salaried men or otherwise. The Sun is
owned hy a Joint stock COMPANY. The