The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-07-29
NEWSPAPERS QUALIFICATIONS.
What the Essential: Requirements of a
Newspaper Man Must Be.

What the Essential: Requirements of a
Newspaper Man Must Be.
A great many curious thin gs have
been written about men who start out
In the newspaper business. 1t is
rich field for merry and and truthful
stories, but Curtis Guild, in lecture
before the Boston newspaper men the
other day got off the following pretty
correct and serious description of
what newspaper man must be made
of:
"What, then, some men may in
quire, are the requisites of the news
paper business? An answer to this
suggests itself in reply, in somewhat
powerful terms, will admit, that 1
made to a pale, hollow -chested young
man of % or %, who once waited
upon me with an inquiry of a similar
nature. He had Il few thousand dol
lars and had just graduated from col
lege, and wanted to loiE with some
body To start q paper. Start Il paper!
Ris is thought by almost every one
outside the bu.iness, one of the easiest
and pleasantest things in the world to
do-and so it is, if VOC have plenty of
money to start with but it is not the
starting, but the keeping of it going
at profit, that calls for brains. [ re-
call now the reply, probably prompt
ed by days severe and eXhausting
work, when, after listening as patient
ly as possible to the young mans
crude notions respecting business in
which he had no experience, he beg
ged | would tell him, in as few words
as possible, the qualifications netessa-
ry to prosecute the business successful
ly. He was somewhat startled by
the assertion that they were as follows:
A brain as flexible and elastic as
steel.
A memory as tenacious as iron.
A temper even as that of saint.
A digestion equal to that of an os-
trich.
And the endurance of adamant
THE MODERN JOURNALIST.
The successful journalist of to-day
says the Albany Journal is the man
who can supply any department of
his paper, were he called upon to do
it. This may CRATE upon the ears of
the young men who has cherished such
noble ideas of his chosen profession
but when he comes down from the
realm of fancy to name successful men
whose steps he would follow. he finds
it fact. There is no call for young
men, collegebred or otherwise, in the
editorial room, and a diploma from
German university cannot create
demand. Journalism is school, and
it has primary department, as do all
other professions or occuptions whose
goal is lofty one. The young man
who would make a name in the pro-
fession, and yet expects to begin and
finish writing editorials, has a distort-
ed view of the work before him. 1t is
no longer necessary, however desira-
BILE, to have worked up from the
case," but the idea of the head of a
paper who could not write local. -
correctia "preof,' edit rural correspon-
dence and regulate affairs in any emer-
gency in the composing room may be
. comprehensive to the graduate, but
it is ridiculous to the practical journa-
list. The only place TO master these
7
Il JOURNALIsM AND MECHANISM.
Paper ana Press aptly remarks that
In past ages, men sought distinction
In war. The human mind made what
development 1t did make in the clash
OF arms; in the building up of empires
and Kingdoms by the sword. Later
on, the human mind sought happiness,
development and glory, in the writing
OF books, in the practice Of State craft
and later on they sought the worlds
applause in the halls OF legislation.
The Forum and Tribune are no lon
ger productive Of truly great minds.
The occupation of arms, is being cast
aside. State craft is no longer SO i'm
portant. To-day the brightest minds
of the age and the boldest hearts, find
in journalism the grandest opportu
mites for the Development of ability
and the qualification of ambition. An
other class of great minds fad wealth
and fame delving into The arena of
nature, and in bringing out the long
hidden treasures, which they lay be-
fore the world for its uses Nechan-
ism and journalism are the twin agen-
cies, which are drawing out the great
est energies, the highest amoltieas and
which are crea.ing tie hi5lles s;ond-
ards toward which human activity
will ceaselessiy struggle So re de-
7eloping higher type. OF men, d new
order ef nobility, chose insignia can
not be conferred i, Kings or Emper-
ors. The briliiant array % able men
in both these grand avenues is .acre,is-
ing yeal by year Arms, law. dip!o-
macy, do not attract the aplest men
OF to-day,
Prohibition il Hs1siss.
| From the HtYnsiaqtca St4r