The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-12-20

sOOut ICuI O CHUCK lu buC AAtShuOOhs bt sS that taking them altogether hey do not average hsH as many hours on duty'as the men on a morning paper. It is the exception when they have even- ing work to do, these papers as rule the news of the night before their issue, from tbe morning papers. One might suppose that the reporter on an evening paper had picnic" but in this supposition he would be wrong. The work of an evening paper IS hurried. nervous work. During the four or five hours in the middle of the day in which news can be gathered for an evening paper, the force is pushed to its utmost capacity. The men are feverishly hur- ried from one part of the city to another, compelled to write up facts that they haven't had time to examine, driven to make complete articles about transac- tions which are still incomplete, moved to Anticipate" happenings, the occur renee of whieh is still yelled in doubt :; they are hampered by instructions about matter that must be in time for the first or second editions, distressed by finding that their manuscript is too late for pub lication, and in every way made misera- ble and unhappy. Between the long hours of the morning paper and the fret ful haste of the evening paper, the re porter finds himself environed by a veritable Scylla and Charybdis.
 This is the life of the news gatherer. Not altogether cheerful and luxurious one, not altogether an enviable one, and yet a life which thousands are following, and countless thousands are seeking to follow; for undesirable as the life may be, for every one who is filling position as reporter there are at least three who are seeking such positions. It is pro- fession or semi-profession to which the bars are always down, and "whoever will may come" The pasture is not of the greenest, the babbling brook that winds its way among its mounds and hillocks is not the purest. Its banks are strewn with many wrecks and skeletons, but the gates stand always open, the bars are always down. None are kept out ex- cept by the crowd that throngs the en- trance, pushing and iostling, and press ing forward. The only requisite one needs is strength enough to force his way into the crowd and push along into the pasture Once inside he is apt 10 stay there, for, unlike Avernus, both the exit and entrance are most difficult. There are those, however, who have come out through great tribulation and washed their robes. Indeed, there are many whose names are dear in the memories of men and high in the records of states, who served among the reporters. The of names that at times could have been seen on reporters pay roll.
 Charles Dickens was a reporter, and in that wonderful mirage of family life, " David Copperield," he gives glances of his reportorial impressions. w. D. Howells, the greatest of American novel; ists, was a reporter, and is still for that matter. His novels are nothing more than the careful and painstaking repre- sentations off an accurate observer. While he has shown his newspaper experience through his work in its attention to detail and dependence upon narrative and de- in Modern Instance" he has | set forth his newspaper views. He deliberately starts his hero, Bartley | in the newspaper business, he | shows him what kind of writing is valu- able, what kind is worthless he brings him through the various stages of news paper experience, and makes a trained | of him, showing the reader at every step just how it is done. However little respect the reader may have for Bartley CampbelPs character, he cannot help but have very lively respect for his newspaper work.
 There have been embryo poets, many | of them among the reporters. Hood is | said to have been writer for the press, and to have conceived the plan of that
 "Oue more unfortunate
 Weary of breath,"
 2n.le writing up suicide of notorious woman of the town. Edgar Allen Poe vas reporter, altough very poor one. An amusing story regarding Poe's news paper experience was related to me some ime ago by Philadelphia gentleman. Poe had been for some time on the New fork T,tbHne, and was, after fashion, a 'rotege of Horace Greeley's. The old lobleman's sympathies were often ouched by Poe's financial straits, and everal times he generously helped him ut. One day Poe came to him request ng loan of one hundred dollars. He offered his note, and Mir. Greeley accepted |, giving him the money. That same lay Poe left for another city, and that was he last Greeley saw or heard of him or he money. Some years after when Poe's poetry had become famous, Phila- lelphia lady who was, as she said, "a 'assionate and devoted admirer of the 'oet's genius" wrote to MT. Greeley ask ng fine had Poe's signature, and fine had low much money it would take to buy it. ireeley wrote back: "I have his sigma ure, madam, and 1t will take just one lundred dollars to buy it." The lady ent on her check for one hundred ollars, and by return mail MT. Greeley ent her Poe's note, the signature being with blue pencil.
 Flashes of Humor.
 Kansas City limes.l