The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-08-22


had time to examine, driven to make com
plete articles about transactions which are
still incomplete, moved to anticipate" hap
penings, the occurrence of which is still
yelled in doubt; they are hampered by in
structions about matter that must be in
time for the first or second editions, dis
tressed by finding that their manuscript is
too late for publication, and in every way
made miserable and unhappy. Between
the long hours of the morning paper and
the fretful haste of the evening paper, the
reporter finds himself environed by a veri
table 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 filing a position as reporter
there are at least three who are seeking
such positions 1t is profession 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 entrance,
pushing and jostling, and pressing 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 to stay, for, unlike Ayernus, 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 literary world
has a number of familiar names that at
times could have been seen on reporters
pay roll.
Charles Dickens was reporter, and in
that wonderful mirage of family life, "Da-
vid Copperfeld, he gives glances of his
reportorial impressions. w. d. Howells,
the greatest of America novelists, was a
reporter, and is still, for that matter. His
novels are nothing more than the careful
and painstaking representations of an accu-
rate observer. While he has shown his
newspaper experience through his work in
its attention to detail and dependence upon
narrative and description, in "Modern In
stance" he has distinctly set forth his
newspaper views. He deliberately starts
his hero, BARLEY Campbell, in the news
paper business; he shows him what kind of
writing is valuable, what kind is worthless;
he brings him through the various stages
of newspaper experience, and makes a
trained Journalist of him, showing the
reader at every step just how it is DONE
However little respect the reader may have
for BARLEY Campbell's 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
lone more unfortunate
Weary of breath"
while writing up the suicide of notorious
woman. Edgar Allen Poe was reporter,
although very poor one. An amusing
story regarding Poe's newspaper experience
was related to me some time ago by a
Philadelphia gentleman. Poe had been
for some time on the New York Tribune,
and was, after fashion, protege of Hor-
ace Greeley's. This old nobleman's SYM
pathies were often touched by Poe's fnan-
cial straits, and several times he generously
helped him out. One day Poe came to
him requesting loan of one hundred dol
lars. He offered his note, and Mr.. Greeley
accepted it, giving him the money. That
same day Poe left for another city, and
that was the last Mr.. Greeley saw OF heard
of him or the money. Some years after,
when Poe's poetry had become famous, a
Philadelphia lady who was, as she said, a
passionate and devoted admirer of the
poets genius, wrote to Mr. Greeley ask
ing if he had Poes signature, and if he
had how much money it would take to buy
it. Greeley wrote back: II have his sig
nature, madam, and it will take just one
hundred dollars to buy it. The lady sent
on her check for one hundred dollars, and
by return mail Mr.. Greeley sent her Poe's
note, the signature being underlined with
a blue pencil.