San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-11-09
- wh;ch Is hest labeled color. "

ton. which is best labeled color.
While the justice of this complaint Is
freely admitted by the editorial pro-
fession, they claim that outsiders can
not possibly estimate the difficulties
which lie in the way of securing news
writing of uniform descriptive excel
lence. The man who can write cor
rectly, concisely, rapidly and graphic
ally, does not multiply himself TO any
great evtent. The first then OF these
qualities are indispensable in daily,
and indeed periodical work; the latter
certainly is very desirable. But when
one has to keep time with his pen to
the modulations of the press III the
basement, while it runs off the first
half of the paper, he does not pause
very often or long in the hope of draw
ing "the aroma of description from
the bottom of his ink stand, as 1t were.
There are many men who, while they
even do excellent work if left to their
own time and way, notably fail when
they attempt to provide music for a
press that runs seven nights in week;
The best newspaper style isnot formed
| in day or year. Surprising a young
man fresh from college, Joins the
press gang" of first-class Office.
The words OF his commencement stage
Grafton are still ringing in his ears
and they represent the highest ideals
of STYLE. He is eager to produce them
in an editorial; for he looks down ON
mere gathering as beneath the
high estate of one so learned as him
self, and does not always remember
! that there is no present vacancy IN
the chair of the managing editor. He
would not be human if he failed to
work considerable high felutin into
the items which he writes. The mex
orable blue pencil cuts all of this out,
and the youth soon settles down to
hard facts and the business of his own
department, coming in time to have a
horror of horid newspaper English. .
Then comes the danger that he will
90 to the other extreme and his work
become devoid of all color, on the
same principal that the traditional
Yankee, once noted for asking ques-
tons while abroad, now travels with
his lips so closely sealed that the ma
tives have hard work to find out what
he is like. But if the beginner has
anything in him he will gradually
learn his forte and come to weave into
his work color of his own that is all
the more acceptable for its originality.
The man who sees thing well can
usually describe it well. Habits of
close observation and well-trained
memory make up the foundations OF
success of all brain workers. And
the journalist who can store up any
bit of color he may chance upon, for
instant use when it is most needed,
is fortunate, indeed. He is like the
lawyer, who when he was congratu-
lated on the exceeding appropriateness
of a story he had told Jury replied:
"Oh, well, have been waiting fifteen
years for chance to tell that story. :"
And doubly fortunate is the news
chronicler who, seeing and remember
ing events well, also senses their cor
rect relations to each other.
That the tone of our periodical news
writing is improvingno one will deny.
The quality of men who devote them
selves to it is constantly rising, both
as regards character and education.
The reporter is growing power, and
he will yet come to stand on a par
with the best of editors. Indeed he
should be able to play the editor at
any moment, and not only be allowed
but expected to make editorial COM
ments on the events which are occu1r-
ing in his own feld.-INe Pap0
World.