Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-10-04
4 REPORTER INTERVIEWED.
How News is Gathered in a Large
City.
The Trials and TribuIations Of Reporters
Life--A Few of the Rackets He
Receives and Some of the
Pleasures He Does
Not Receive.

Although men in every branch OF busi-
ness and every trade and profession have at
one time or another been interviewed and
their opinions published, yet probably never
in the history of newspsperdom has one OF
the reporters who do the interviewing,
been himself interviewed. A prominent
citizen, while talking to a reporter the other
Gay, interviewed him most effectuslly with
out intending 10 do it, and as the scribe was
taking day of and had no especial cares
to worry him, he expressed himself quite
freely. He did not write this himself, but
the business man, who appreciates an
INTERESTING BIT OF READING
when he gets onto it, preserved few of the
points and handed them in. The whole
narration of the reporters experiences
would fill good-sized book, 80 only few
are given, and the conversation ran about
as follows: ,
"Well, what do you know today asked
the merchant.
Nothing startling" answered the re-
porter. II am not on duty to-day.
"Well, that's the way with you reporters,
even when you are on duty you never know
ANYTHING unusual, yet in the papers next
morning we often find the most unusual
things"
"Well, don't give it away, but that is
where our business comes in. You see II
We told you what was going to be in the pa
per you would not care TO see it in the morn
ing-saveeT
"Well, how do you manage to fill your
columns with news, when apparently there
isn't ANYTHING GOING on"
"Ob, tina: s another secret Of the business
While there may be nothing apparently
stirring, yet there is always something,
although it may not be visible to the ordi-
nary and inexperienced eye or ear. The
6rst thing is to get the pointer, then work it
out. Do you follow meY
"Well, you fellows seem to always be on
;le alert. When do you sleep?
"WeIl, We sleep enough, sometimes, but
hen awake we are always keeping our
Gather eyes open for squalls, and while we
ire asleep we dream OF schemes whereby to
catch ONTO q good item. Is our profession
an enjoyable one? Well, sometimes one
ONES to The conclusion that it Is o pretty
lair busi2ess, but some morning when he
sskts up aud goes down to the office he
iuds big fellow
WAITING FOR HIM WITH CLUB,
T what is worse, whole bookfull OF invec.
i've v hich be hurls at fellows head with
be utmost disregard and csrelessness as to
osture or phraseology. But the indignant
chap always comes out at the little end OF
he horn Then again when you are walking
along in hurry and a man on the opposite
aide of the street whistles, you are bound
to rush across like cyclone for fear you
will miss an item, and ten to one he will
tell you about friend of his being present
ed by his wife with bouncing boy weigh
ing ten pounds. he then walks away firmly
convinced that he has given you the best
item that you have caught for week, and
has
DONE YOU AN IMMENSE FAVOR.
Then when he does not see the item glsring
out in the next morning 8 paper, you have
lost friend and are compelled to give him
theGtre ticket some time 10 regain his
friendship"
do you ba'e many calls for theatre
tickets"
Many? Well. yes. Some people seem
to think that reporters pocket ia lined
With theatre tickets, when the fact is he
doesn't have the opportunity to see half o
dozen whole shows in q season. de goes
in, sits down, and is beginning to enjoy
himself when the fact suddenly dawns upon
his mind that he has forgotten to hunt up
some item or other, and he rushes out pell
nell, probably to mans residence only
10 find that he has ust retired and
DOESN'T DESIRE TO BE DISTURBED
DO you often have to arouse men at a
late hour Of the nightY
Yes, sir; and disagreeable duty it is,
too While there are many men who treat
a reporter kindly when he explains the
situation, there are also many others who
snub him in the most cold blooded and
heartless mann er, and often let fly whole
vol!ey of wrath in which epithets are freely
cons picuous. However, reporter seldom
fails to get an opportunity to repay their
unBindntss and generally does it with
vim. | have now several men down
on my list who vii get it the frst
ire a chance presents itself. They are
always unkindly remembered, while the
gentlemen who treat the reporter white aud
ike gentleman ought to always retain a
WARM FEELING IN THAT REPORTERS HEART
AID when occasion presents itself, where be
can do him favor il will be heartily en-
srlced. 1t only a sour stomached, torpid
iytred man who will make q reporter fee
bid on such ar occasion. In fact, in my
opinion, he is not gentleman
Il hear great many men aver that they
will slug reporter on first fight, get
never Gee snv Of YOU fellows With bruised
heads or black eyes
"Ob, the world, and the newspaper
especially, could never get along without
those kind Of men. Their stock in trade
ccnsists of bluster, blow and bragadocio
| None of them have ever been known tc
orch a hair of a reporters head aud no ont
Who knows them is afraid of such men
There are lots Of them in this city, and
THEY ARE HARMLESS CREATURES.
No, sir; taking everything into consider
alton, a reporters lie is not happy one
&c is compelled to tramp over the same oil
routes every day Of the year and ask th'
same people what they know and receive
tie Ne me old answer, nothing" Through
sunshine and rain be goes, through snow
mud, heat and cold, the reporter wends biz
weary way hunting the news items that thu
subscribers of the paper may hay
scmetbipg TO read in the morning. Whil
be is awake and diminishing for their benz
fit the citizens are sleeping peacefully o
plsying poker in the third story Of som
back loom, or munching at o barq1e
able the
CHOICEST EDTBLEs or TIE SEASON.
"Well you reporters always take in sue
things as bsnqUets and events Of that kind
DO you notf
~s"Oh yes; n a horn. Of course We receiv
many invitations to bsnquets, wedding SUP
Id - Il Ill.