The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-06-09
The New York Reporter.

A reporters life. is not happy one.
He is the slave of duty at all hours OF
the day and night. To-day he is here,
tomorrow there. On Monday he may
be, among thieves and murderers, on
Tuesday among politicians and states
men, and on Wednesday among ladies
and gentlemen He may be even among
all three on the same day. remember
cold, raw morning in February when J.
had to get up long before daylight and
make breakfast out of Oliver Hitch
cocks coffee and cakes and run for q
train. That afternoon found myself ON
board of large European steamer,
which had stranded high and dry ON the
New Jersey sands. I shared the cap
tain's dinner while the waves came dash
ing against the vessels side with a force
that threatened to make us food for sea
worms at any moment. I came back
wet and weary that night, but there was
no rest for me yet. To Delmonico's !
must go, as soon as could change my
clothing, and partake of great banquet.
Such Is the life of a newspaper reporter.
He knows not at any time where he viii
take his next meal He often is sent
from a wedding to funeral, or from Q
ball in the Academy to a murder at the
Five Points. Like an army ON the march,
he must always have his baggage pre-
pared, for at five minutes notice he may
be sent several hundred miles where
skirt-collars and handkerchiefs are un-
known. He may be sent to scour the
bay for missing Jersey shanties, or Long
Island woods for mysteriously disappear
ing personages.
Not only must the reporter be able to
tell an interesting story, but he must
also, If hewants toearn his salt, have q
knowledge of the world and possess that
tact and ddiscretion which comes of. such
knowledge. Young men fresh from some
inland college, who come to New York
newspaper offices, under the impression
that reporting is something that they
can do If they cannot do anything else,
are quickly undeceived One half of the
news which is printed In the local col
umns every morning is obtained from
people who do not care to furnish it, and
who have to be srun down" very often
with as much skill as the most cunning
of foxes. And for all this the reporter
is paid but little more than the average
mechanic 1t may surprise some of you
to learn that he gets even that much,
but he does if he is good for anything
That good ones get no more is mainly
due to the fact that there are so many
bad ones competing with them.
Yet with all the drawbacks of long
and irregular hours, inadequate remum-
Grafton and assignments" that are often
uncongenial, there is charm about q
reporters life which all who have ever
been members of the profession must ac-
knowledge. There is a romance con-
nected with it which does not entirely
die out of even the older members who
now keep to it because they have been
spoilt for anything else. The new genera
ton of metropolitan reporters, which
differ considerably from the old, is kept
to its work probably more by this flavor
of the adventurous than any thing else.
The Bohemian spirit of poetry and beer
has almost died out and the ranks are
recruited from class which has less of
the literary and more of the ''be up and
doing" spirit about it. They want an
active life and they find it here. As they
grow older, however, they become more
straight in their desires and there are
consequently constant droppings out.
Either they work their way into the edi-
torial chairs or they go into some other
profession or business and their places
are filed by newcomers, who, nowadays
are generally graduates of the leading
colleges. So then. here is
To the truthful reporter
Who never prints but what he oughter;
An example sublime
OF the men Of his time
George @. Clement.