Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-31

There are, however, over 100 of them
who can be legitimately counted. Think
OF it, you who are accustomed to see
corps of perhaps dozen or so of all sorts
of men in a city. A hundred or 200
busy news gatherers, hunting high aud
low for news, digging up the records of
statesmen. who are always considered
fair target, and combining the results of
their laOOr Do you wonder that some
very queer stuff comes out of Washing
ton and is called ''news ~ for there is a
great interchange Of matter, and when
you read this or thatitem you never know
whose actual production it is. This is
especially true about the afternoon dis
patches. 1.-THE news clearing house" is
the name given to the Western
Union Telegraph office, Just opposite
the treasury. 1t is the general
resort Of newspaper correspondents
about noon of each day. They
gather there and ''swapv news. 1t is a
curious fact thatfOr afternoon paper work
there is much greater exchange of news
than at night. This probably grew out Of
the habit that afternoon paper CORE
spOndents fall into of giving away their
matter after they have sent it to their own
papers. A piece OF news sent to one city
for afternoon publication Is often Just as
good the same night in some other city.
so there was a system of interchange Of
news established in this way. Then, as
there is not much news before
l or , O'Clock, those anxious
10 make a good showing of their
work were ready TO trade with the other
afternoon paper men, and the general
system of Interchange OF afternoon news
arose, and the ''news clearing h0us was
thus established An old Washington
correspondent said to your cOrresp Ondent
on this subject not long since that it was
utterly impossible TO keep piece of news
exclusive" in the morning here. This
is not strictly true, but II is fact that
there Is a great deal more trading in
news in the morning than there is in the
evening. Old correspondents say, too,
that there is not nearly SO much rivalry
among news puINeyors now rs there was
ten years ago.
The world Of newspaper cores poudents
Is complete one Ia itself. 1t has ils
duties and it's pleasures, its studies and
its relaXatiOns, its social Joys and grief,
very much the same as that Of any other
class. There is an idea thas your average
correspondent Is a Bohemian, with
neither home nor family nor ambition,
except % earn his weekly salary and
spend H.. or course there are some men
in the newspaper world who have tins
sort Of record rs there are IN any other
profession, but they are the exception
nov lhc RUE Mptb OF thtm nave lucaf
families, some Of them live in
their own houses, keep their
own horses aud buggies, and
have their own pews IN church. II is "a
thing quite out OF the usual order in the
minds Of most people 10 see newspaper
correspondent passing the plate at church
or iilliug the position OF usher at one of
the most highly fashionable churches.
But such things happen in Washington.
1t IL no uncommon thing 10 see the numrs
Of the wives ana daughters Of prom ir.uI
correspondents figuring largely b. r
annals Of society, or 90 see them 81. ..I-
son taking part in the doines u. .uat
mysterious kaleidoscope compDIuo. Tue
social world. There Is, too, more or icss
o. social Relationship between the families
OF the correspondents, though where there
are 50 many there is tendency % divide
up into parties whose tastes run ia simi-
lar lines. There are among the co4respon-
dents some whose tastes ana acquaint-
an"es run ln the line Of the theatrical pro-
iession, Others who cultivate the literary,
others who turn their attention TO
the social world Of Washington, and