The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-06-14
The New York Reporter.

A reporters life is not q happy one.
lie 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. 1 remember
cold, raw morning in February when |
had to get up long before daylight and
make breakfast out of Oliver Hitch
cocks coffee and cakes and run for n
train. That afternoon / found myself on
board of large European steamer,
which had stranded high and dry on the
New Jersey sands. l shared the cap
tain's dinner while the waves came dash
ing against the vessels side with forco
that threatened to make us food for sea
worms at any moment. / came back
wet and weary that night, but there was
nc rest for mo yet. To Delmonico's I
must CO. as soon as | could change my
clothing, and partake of great banquet.
Such is the life of newspaper reporter.
He knows not ut any time where he will
take his next meal He often is sent
from wedding to funeral, or from n
bail in the Academy to n murder ut 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
slirt-collars and handkcrchiefs are I'M
known. He may be sent to scour tho
bay for missing Jersey shanties, OF 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 he wants to earn his salt, have n
knowledge of the world and possess that
tact and discretion which comes of such
knowledge. Young men fresh from some
inland college, who come to New York
newspaper Offices under tho 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, ant
who have to be run down" very often
with us 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 anytbing
That good ones get no more is mainly
due to the fact that there are SO man,
bad ones competing with them.
Yet with all the drawbacks of loni
and irregular hours, inadequate remun
Grafton and "assignments" that IRE Otter
uncongenial, there is charm about
reporters life which all who have eve
been members of the profession must &C
knowledge. There isra romance cor
nected with it which does not entirel
die out OF even the older members VIII
now keep to it because they have bee
spoilt for anything else. The new gener;
ton of metropolitan reporters, whic
differ considerably from the old, is kel
to its work probably more by this iiav'
of the adventurous than any thing els
: The Bohemian spirit of poetry and be-
has almost died out and the ranks n
, recruited from class which has less
| the literary and more of the "be up al
doing" spirit about it. They want q
[ active life and they find it here. AS the
l grow older, however, they become mo-
l straight in their desires and there Al
l consequently constant droppings on
l Either they work their way into the ed
: iorial chairs or they go into some 9TH
, profession or business and their plac
0 are filled by newcomers, who, nowaday
4 Are generally graduates of the leadll
$ colleges. So then. here is
Il TO the truthful reporter
l. Who never prints but what he oughter;
y An example sublime
OF the men OF his time.
George c. Clement