Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1884-11-27
The Interviewer.

1t requires great deal of training
and thought to become good inter
viewer. Say, for instance, that the
daughter of Il certain gentleman has
eloped, and the matter is being husheG
up. None but the families Of the re-
spected parties know OF the matter,
and they are desirous of keeping il
quiet. In II case of that kind the eX'
pcricnccd reporter knows he has diff
cult job on band. The parents of the
young lady or the parents of the gen
tleman in the case are the only ones
that can give any information, and
they are determined not to. Yet the
reporter sent out to find out all about
the matter must get the information
somehow. In case Of that kind
which occurred recently a reporter go;
wind of what had happened in words
somewhat like these: Zone of Mr.. =
daughters has cloped. Idont knowwhcr
or with whom, or anything further,
The reporter started for Mrs house,
and thought all the way how'he could
extract the information he wanted. II
was not a job he liked, but it was
something his duty to the paper called
ON him to perform. BY the time he
arrived at the house of the gentleman
in question he had his plans
laid. "Mr. - he said, u
have called to get you to cor
rect for me the report of your daugh'
tcr's clopcmcnt. don't wish to do you
any injustice. and il seems to me that
this statement which | have got must
be wrong in some particulars.
"Why, where did You get your state
mcntP There are only four people in
the city who know of the matter.
am not able to disclose the source of
my information, but hear it, read it, and
correct it," Thcrcupon the reporter
very gravcly opened his note book and
read of what purportcd to he u dcscrip-
tion of the clopcment, giving the names
of all parties and times and dates, the
place where the Young couple were
last seen, and the name Of the minister
who married them, together with u
description of the movements of the
parents since the clopcmcnt. 1t was Il
''bluf'' of the straightcst kind, but the
father could not Afford TO take the
chances of its being printed. He had
to tell the truth and he did. When
the reporter wrote the story he took
care TO treat it with all the kindness
and delicacy he could.
In spite OF the fun and excitement
there is in intervicwing-thc flying all
over the city for a man who is nobody
knows where, the specializing on the
chances OF making the man talk when
he has been caught-thcrc is n great
deal of unplcaSantncss in some inter.
views. It's very hard to 90 into fam.
lily where the father lies dead and inter.
view thcS on for an obituary; it 5 hard.
cr still, if there is no son, To face tho
widow and have to ask her cold, bus.
iness-likc questions. Yet it has TO be
done, not because the newspaper wants
the obituary unless it concerns IA.
nous man-but because the relatives
desire to see it printed. Reporters are
not the hardened, callouscd mOrtals
some people think they are. They are
susceptible to distress rs other men,
though they must face it, being
pushed on by their business. Some
times the circumstances are to much
for them and they beat hasty retreat.
People in considering reporters are
apt to forget one important fact-that
he is an impersonation of his papers
circulation. Wherever he goes upon a
business errand he represents all who
read his paper-say one hundred
thousand persons, for the readers of q
good paper arc more than twice the
number of the subscribers. The re-
porter is committee of one sent by
all these people, as it were, to inquire
into certain matters for them. This is
consideration which places sclf-re.
specting reporter on level with the
most exalted man he meets, If he is
not gentleman, he ought to be, in
spite of his numerous temptations, fol
there is no noblcr profession on earth
than his if he only complies with its
obligations. Cor. Brooklyn Eagle.