The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1886-06-26
A GREAT INSTITUTION.
The New York Press and It's Tire
less Reporters.

1888 fS6pOrJeI5.
The universally accepted idea OF
reporter is that he is an inn
pudent, dissolute person. who wanders
over the city until he finds some piece
of news-no matter of what character,
provided it will find readers. This he
takes to his Office and writes out in
very bad English. Like many other
generally accepted conceptions of men
whose business brings them into public
notice, this is not correct one. Not
only are majority of newspaper re-
porters upon our most influential me-
tropolitan papers men of education
and of culture, but their work is sys-
tematlzed and gathered through organ
lied channels of investigation.
The work of the reporter is given
him by the chief of the local news de-
partment of the journal with which he
is connected, who is known as the city
editor. The duties of this editor re-
quire untiring energy and the utmost
diligence and application. He must
see that his paper gives all the impor-
tant and interesting news OF the city
and vicinity while it is yet fresh, and If
possible before it has been published IN
any other paper. Eternal vigilance is
the price of his position. Every inn
portant and unimportant event in poll
tics, finance, society and crime he
must follow, and see that the reporters
under him investigate and present
promptly for the next edition OF his
paper.
The city editor of great New York
daily has the whole city under observa-
ton, as well as Brooklyn, Jersey City
and the adjoining country for fifty
miles around. He assigns one reporter
to each police court. Men are also de-
tailed to each of the other courts, civil
and criminal, from the district courts
to the Supreme Bench.
An important bureau OF news gather
ing is the headquarters of the police
department. Two men from each
newspaper are kept watching the re-
turns of this department day and night.
Each of these journals has rooms in .
building directly opposite the police
headquarters in Mulberry street, where
the strictest observation is kept upon
all criminal matters. If a murder or a
crime of any kind is committed in any
part of the city, it is at once reported
by the police officer in whose patrol 1t
occurred to the police station OF his
precinct. Thence it is at once tele-
graphed to police headquarters.
A record OF every event of this kind
is made on "blotter" in the reporter
room at headquarters. The moment
this information is obtained, the re-
porter starts out to hunt up the facts.
He may have whole day in which to
make his Investigations, or he may
have only an hour; perhaps but hall
an hour. Whenever fire breaks Out
in any part of the city, or an accident
occurs, an alarm is at once sent to po-
lice headquarters. The same trans
mission strikes similar alarm in the
reporters building opposite. Ten sec
onds after it has sOunded-be it midday
or midnight-twenty men, represent
ing all the papers in the city, burs
out of the door and disappear in thu
direction of the fire. They get Their,
very often before the engines.
Ii the victim of an accident is carries
to the hospital, the reporter visits tn
place where the sufferer was injured
and ascertains how he was hurt, an
then goes to the hospital and learns hi
condition.
In order that nothing of this sol
shall escape notice, reporters are sen
out after midnight to all the polio
stations and hospitals from Harlem {
the Battery; for, as most of the paper
go to press between half-past two an
half-past three o'clock in the morning
there would be perceptible loss {
time while waiting for information I
get to police headquarters. Even fiv
minutes makes an important differenc
in q newspaper Office at two o'clock
the morning. Another bureau ,
criminal news is the coroner's offic
Any sudden death under suspicious (
extraordinary circumstances is at ont
reported to the coroner and registers
for the reporters who cover that ofic
They investigate every case for Their
selves, or report it to their city edito
for their Judgment. So much for Il
news obtained through the department
Of justice.
Each newspaper has also report
who calls daily at the offices of all Il
city officials, from the mayor and CO
troller down, and learns of any il
portant news that occurs in their d
partments. Another visits the sheri
the district attoruey and the conn
officials, and one zealously watches t
City Hall, where large room is fur
ished with desks and tables for !
porters. :
A reporter ''covers" the post-ofi
and the Federal court in that buildil
and obtains any important news thel
Another spends the day among the I
changes and brokers in Wall street,
keep the public posted on financial
.H.trs and one mans sole dt