Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-05-06
THE EDITOR.
Neat Satire on the Prevailing MiscOn.
ceptions About Editorial Work.

A Neat Satire on the Prevailing Iiscon'
captions About Editorial Work.
Does an editor write every thing in
the paper?
Oh, yes. He writes the love story on
the outside in the morning, then five
or six editorials, and double as many
paragraphs, then the theater notices
and advertising puffs. In the afternoon
he helps the compositors, or goes down
stairs and works the press, or assists
the boys to fold the papers.
Should a newspaper-man always be
printer?
Oh, yes: always. You must learn to
set type before you can write at all.
Shakespeare, Byron, Lord Bacon. Ten
nyson and all the rest were printers.
You can not expect to be a good COM
poser unless you are 4 printer.
What does the managing editor do?
He keeps the pens and inkStands
clean, and manages to mark a great
deal of writing with blue pencil.
What he marks goes into the-paper
basket, and is often anXiously looked
for, for several weeks after by the CORE
spOndent. He is the man who loves to
talk with you when you have an hour
or two to spare and can talk to him,
and takes it very hard if you don't stay
at least half an hour after you have
finished your business with him-to
say it all over again.
What is the business Of the proof
reader?
Oh, he is simply hired to prove the
truth of whatever the editor wrote.
And what does the exchange-reader
do?
Oh, he simply exchanges news with
other papers.
And what does the night editor do?
Oh, he simply watches the compos-
itors at night to see that they do not
shirk their work or steal any type.
Is it really necessary to 90 abroad to
be a good foreign correspondent?
Oh, no. You can be just rs bad a
foreign correspondent at home as any
where else.
What kind of writer's do editors pre-
fer?
On. people who have great command
of language, or rather those who are
greatly commanded by language, and
who can say the same thing over three
or four times in the same sentence; also
young ladies three months out of the
high school with poetry on spring"
if spring is the season. Also men with
but one idea in their heads, who have
been studying it all their lives, and who
have got it all down on three or four
reams of paper.
Can anybody write for a newspaper
Oh, yes; they can if they want to.
There is nothing to stop anybody from
writing for q newspaper.
And get paid for it?
Oh, yes. There is nothing to stop
anybody from being paid for writing
for a newspaper,
What is the best subject to write
about for newspaper?
Oh. any thing which happens to in
terest you. If it interests you it is a
sure sign it will interest every body else.
How does an editor like to have an
article commence?
Commonly in this way: Having a
few moments to spare, l have dashed
OFF these few lines in the hope that
what l have ground out may interest
your readers. l have not said on this
subject all could or all can; but if it
should prove interesting, as l hope it
will, | trust | shall be able to say more
on this and other TOPICS etc., etc.
The longer you can keep on this strain
the more will the editor be delighted
with your article.
In what style does he like to have it
written9
He likes to have it written in a very
fine, obscure hand. with lots of inter-
lineations and letters sprawled against
each other, and, if possible. on both
sides of the paper; and then you can
call for proof of your article, and
when you get it conclude to strike out
every third sentence and put another
in its place. and when you get o ere
vise." YOU might rewrite the entire ar
ticle over again. This will make the
entire office happy and chcerful.-Bos-
ton Globe.