The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-29
WEITERS AND THEIR FUTURE.
The Founding of Chair of journalism at
COrnell-The Value of a Name.


COrnell-The Value of Name.
New York Mail and Express.
The founding of q chair of journalism at Cor
nell University and the probability that other
colleges will follow the example, has given rise
to the old question of journalistic training.
Every year the scope of the newspaper IS widen
ing, and today there are more writers engaged
by the newspapers and periodicals of the coun
try than ever before. There are ], 800 daily news
papers published in the United States alone.
The men and women who make them, not the
compoStors, or proof readers, the managers, car
riers or clerks, but the writer's reach the aston
ishing figure of 30 600; an average of only twenty
to each daily paper published. The number of
newspapers and periodicals published annually
in the United States, as computed by most re-
liable authority--the great advertising firms
foot up Ii, 800, and employ as writers alone
vast army Of men and women, numbering 302,-
5OO an average of fifteen writers to each publ
cation. Only few of these people are per-
mitted to sign their articles and it is for this
reason that they complain that great injustice is
done them.
Joe Howard, who for twenty years has held
prominent place in journalism, was intercepted
on Park Row by a Mail and Express writer. He
is one of the few men who have been permitted
to write over their own signatures, aid he
knows the value of it,
What effect will the founding of chair of
journalism at Cornell have upon the professionF'
he was asked.
II don't think it will have any, he replied.
You cannot make descriptive writer's to order.
man may be good editor and not writer,
however, but unless he has it in him naturally,
all the teaching in the world won't help him.
Good descriptive writers, men who are capable
of doing justice to an Inauguration, are born, not
made to order AL the colleges in the United
States could not make good descriptive writer
of hod-carrer."
"Of course you are in favor of writer having
the privilege of signing his name, if he SO de-
sires to his articleg'
''Yes, certainly it is good thing for him,
but bad for the paper. For twenty years have
been In journalism and written over my sigma
ture. 1t has done this for me. A Philadelphia
and Boston paper pay mo $50 each letter for
every one write; not because [ can write a bet
ter letter than you or any other man, but simply
because of the name, that is all. 1t gives him
/. a reputation he could not otherwise obtain,
something that becomes of value and can be
utilized to his advantage. Yes am in favor of
a writer signing his name 1t is good for him."
John Swinton was found in his editorial rooms
ou Park Row, seated before a desk well covered
with MSS. On his large, full head perched
black silk skull cap, from beneath the edge of
which fringe of snowwhite hair peeped forth.
A pair of goldrimmed eyeglasses sat astride his
nose, underneath shaggy brows while short
gray mustache, bristling with the nervousness
OF the tefse and electrical sentences uttered,
adorned his quiyering upper lip
The reporter or writer on great daily news
paper" he said, lis mere machine no" matter
what his abilities may be- All writer's are in
America. He is utterly devoid of conscience,
believes nothing. He is a skeptic and cynic; his
occupation makes him such. His brains are
purchased by capital, and his identity is lost, to-
gether with his individuality. The newspaper
proprietor is credited with his work; the public
do not know him; he is mere machine, and will
always be such until he is permitted to sign his
name to what he writes This is his stock in
trade by this means the public grow to know
him, and by this means he is judged according
to the measure of his abilities. Articles over
his signature are eagerly looked for and read
with avidity Reporting is high art, but it is
degenerating to mere mechanical work.
There is seemingly no hope for him I'M
less he can employ capital. Now, capital
employs genius Shortly you will see
writer will be furnished with cards cut up into
numbered squares. An accident happens The
reporter is given one and starts out. He goes to
the scene of the mishap and returns, handing
the city editor his card In the first square is
the name of the victim; second, supposed place
of residence; third color of eyes, style of boots;
fourth, papers person, and This is his
future, the end of his career, Potter's Field
or -p
SIS it not possible for him to rise in his pro-
fession!'
YES it is possible but not probable Look
at the ten or twelve men comprising the editor
ial staff of the Sun; not one osthem came from the
repoftorial staff. | know them all. There, is
room; the future of the proof reader is more in
vting even than that of the reporter. They
often rise to emnence, but the reporter rarely.
And yet reporting is high art and the first daily
paper that acts on this theory will eat up all
the others at one mouthful. What is sadly
wanted in journalism is individuality. The pub
lie want some tangible proof of who the writer's
are. The moment writer signs his name to an
article its value is doubled and trebled The
artistic department of our papers is degraded.
apA hot aca oh nf aharpo
about it is found in report, it is at once struck
out The only hope for the reporter is in the
freedom of the writer's. Let him sign his name
to what he writes, and capital cannot then steal
from him his name nor rob him OF his fame"
"But how will this be accomplished"
"Let genius employ capital. Look at Henri
Rochefort He conceived the Lanterne. Did
capital employ him? No. He telegraphed to a
the privilege of getting out paper for me.'
They answered and he accepted. He had not
one dollar. He was genius. Paris was not
large enough to hold q Napoleon and Roche
fort And Napoleon left first.
..Some years ago, when was connected with
the Times, young man in Washington was en-
gagged to furnish US with dispatches. He held
an official position. His connection with the pa
per became known, and he lost his position. He
sought work. but could find no employment of
any kind. He was reduced to abject want. One
cold, bleak, winter day, was accosted on Broad
way by poorly clad, saivering man, who called
me by name. He told me the story of his suffer
ing and needs why don't you start paperl
asked For moment he was dumb. The seem
ing cruelty of my remark made him dumb. and
my words cut deep. Then he replied, with a
tinge of sadness: have no money That is
one requisite replied. don't know anything
about it, he said again That's another
requisite I answered Start newspaper by
all means said, as 1 left him. He did. He
was member of little society in Philadelphia
He started little paper called the Saturday
Night. You know what ii has grown to be-
The want of capital and lack of knowledge are
two good requisites for starting newspaper, if
you have anything TO tell people.
Park Row is crowded with men who have
failed in newspaper business simply because
Their had money and knew ali about running a
newspaper. 1t is perfect burying- ground,
thickly dotted with tombstones. The Herald
was started on the head of fish barrel: the
Tribune was first edited from the top of dry
goods box; what is the history of the Sun? Let
writer's free themselves from the base moral