St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-14
EDITING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.

Mr.. ii. p. Hall, while speaking of the
organization of a press club, and the num-
Der OF newspaper men present last Sunday,
related TO GLOBE reporter some interest
ing annecdOtes of the early days of the pro-
fessiOn here. He said that when he came
TO 81. Paul and began newspaper work, the
entire editorial and TepOTtOral forces of the
three daily papers then existing, numbered
six, one reporter and one editor for each.
That was in 1862, and the duties consisted
of about everything from sweeping out the
Office to writing leading editorials.
-
II remember once" said Mr. Hall,
''when there was neither mail nor telegraph
service this side of La Crosse for week or
ten days. The breaking of an ice gorge in
the Black river had stopped the trains, and
the wire-there was only one-was down.
1t made it pretty hard to get news or any
thing else to fill up the papers. The only
way we could get anything was to lay for
passengers who had been ferried across the
river at La Crosse, as they
came in, and get from them
Whatever old papers from Chicago
and other points they happened to have.
1t was great scramble between Mr. Dris-
coll and myself to see who should get the
latest numbers. He used to go to the hO-
tells, and being an old settler, while was
new conner, he used to have the best luck
and often got all there were before l could
make myself acquainted to ask for them.
But found ne was laying for the hotels,
and one day 'scOOped' him.
~
II went down to the lower part of town
and boarded the stage coach with the idea
OF getting hold of every newspaper the
passengers had. There was but one in the
crowd, as it happened-a copy of the Chi
cagO JOurnal-and it was full of important
news, for it was in war times. l got hold
of that and rushed it to my Office. / have
forgotten just what the news was but it
was something important, and we set up
both sides of the paper, using the copy
twice in the composing room. 1t was all
the matter we had, and we had to make the
most of ii"
~
Gas 1 said, there was but one line of
wire running to La Crosse" continued Mr..
Hall. That was owned by Mr.. WinslOw,
and it was apparently of little interest to
him whether it was in working order or
not. If it came down he made little effort
to put it up until it came convenient. He
had monopoly on the business and he
knew it. If any specials came to US he
used to take his own time about sending
them up, and sometimes we had to go and
get them. He even went so far as to give
it out that he would send us no reports I'M
less we furnished him paper. There was
no other way and we used to get it tor him.
One night. L remember no report came at
the usual time. After waiting for awhile
l went to the Office to learn the reason and
was told that there was no paper. We
would have to get some blank paper or
there would be no report, he said. 1 was
mad, but there was nothing to be done
and l went for the paper. When brought
it 70 him, threw it down very much in
disgust. He coOlly remarked that it would
be too much trouble for him to cut it. If l
wanted any report L must cut the paper. l
told him to go to the devil, and l stamped
out of the office as mad as wet hen. l
made up my mind that L would not cut the
paper, il there wasn't a line of telegraph
the next morning. But Mr.. Driseoll, who
hadn't as much of his insOlence as l had,
went to the Office and cut the paper into
blocks for him, and the report came then"
~
1T was pretty hard work to get up a
newspaper then, and nothing has more
fOrcibly brought to my mind the contrast
between then and now than the gathering
OF newspaper men last Sunday afternoon"