St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-16
NEGRO REPORTERS.
A Ne,o field of Labor for Our Colored
BretErenS.
IN. Y. Mail and Express.

IN. Y. Mail and Express
s.There are now three colored reporters
engaged on the staff of the Philadelphia
Tiaaes,'' said a correspondence of the Philadel-
phia Inquirer to a reporter Nal and
Express yesterday. ~ have met one o f
them, Alexander G. Davis, and must say
that he is a very bright and intelligent fell
low. He dresses well, wears kid gloves, and
carries cane. He was recently discharged
from the police, force but for what reasonI do
not know. The reporters about town did
not know what to think of the innovation at
first. Some of them were indignant and
would have nothing to say to the colored
men when they met them out on assign
ments. Others concluded that it was best
to treat them as equals in the matter of news
getting and render them all the assistance
possible. There was some talk on the mat
ter among those public men
who are often interviewed
Politicians stood aghast at first on being stop
ped by the colored reporters. They did not
know what to do or say when the young men
whipping out their notebooks and asked
them their opinions on public matters. When
the reporter asked the policeman at the street
corner if there was any news the latter stared
in establishment. l suppose it will become
an old story by-and-by and we shall think
nothing of meeting these colored men out
on assignments. There are some kinds of
work, however, that they will never be able to
do. They cannot be successful in society
reporting. Still, perhaps L may be mistaken
in my opinions"
T. Thomas Fortune, the editor of the New
York Globe, the leading newspaper Of the
United States edited and published by col
ored men, in speaking of the matter, said:
alexander Davis is the Philadelphia cor
respondent of the Globe, and very able wri-
ter he is, too. He was born in Greensboro,
N c., thirty three years ago, and studied in
Lincoln University, Chester County, Pa,
leaving that institution in his junior year.
He afterwards spent six months in the law
department of Howard University, Washing
ton.
GLOW many colored journalists are there
in the United States!''
II am not able to state the exact number
but should think there must be several hun
dred. There are more than, one hundred
newspapers published and edited by colored
men in this country. Among the best known
of those papers are the Detroit PldindealeT,
the Cleveland Gazette, the Christian Recorder
and the Globe. The Recorder is edited by Rev.
DIR. Tanner and is the organ of the African
Methodist church. Two newspapers in Phil
adelphia, the Sunday Mercury and the San
dan Mirror employ one or more colOred Wri-
tiers.
George w. Williams, the historian, col
ored man, is one of the editors of the Boston
MT Var1T STOit RI
on the Boston Star. NJ. G. Hewes is at pres
ent reporting for the Evening Telegram of
Providence. There are quite a number Of
colored men in Washington who are cores
pondents for newspapers in different parts of
the country.
The Connection Valley Times, a paper pub
1ished for white people is edited by colored
man by the name of Rivers. He was selected
for the position on account of his ability, his
color being considered no obstacle.'
GAS rule do you think that colored men
make successful newspaper writers!"
eyes, think they do. They take to
newspaper work as readily as ducks to water
For my own part, I wish they would turn
their attention to something else. The in
spiration of a majority of the colored men
who 90 into this work is the hope of one day
making political capital out of the paper to
help them into office"
care there any colored reporters in New
York!n
Give are employed upon my own paper,
the Globe, and one L understand writes for
World, although I nave no reason to doubt
the truth of the latter report. As far as my
own observation has extended, well-educated
colored men are capable of doing good news
paper work as any of their white brethren.
They are quick to learn and seem to pos
sess the ability to get to the bottom of sub
ject in a very short time.''
So far as could be ascertained by inquiries
made elsewhere, there are at present no col
ored reporters employed on either of the
morning or evening newspapers of this
city. The New York Press Club has not yet
been called upon to admit to its membership
a colored journalist.