Evening journal., 1888-09-28
ing to my s5 a word rathor than miss the

cucrTy OF iliia correspondent, VINO stole
railway hand car at midnight, and with his
young brother to help him, rode eleven
miles through q binding snow storm and
obtained the particulars. was tho only
paper which had the story. In those days
a sensational murder was made much
moro Of than It is now, and the SCOOP"
or "beat" as tho modern word is. was
easily worth hundred dollar bill. 1t was
worth much more than that to the young
man who made it, for it brought him to
the city and made a successful journalist
of him. #*#
Country correspondents arc, rs a rule,
ambitious and alert. | should say that
large majority Of the best paid newspaper
men in Chicago New York and the other
large cities were once country correspond
ents. Many Of them were farmers boys
who went into town to learn tho prin-
ter's trade, and thence to reporting for the
local paper. Metropolitan editors are
quick to recognize good and faithful serv-
ices III country correspondent, and pro-
motions often follow The great trouble
with the country correspondents is ia re-
straininr them. They are so ambitious
to get everything that they habitualy
send many items which are not wanted.
The loss Is total It's proprietor is ruined.
there being but $500 insurance on a 81, 200
stock OF course Smithville gets excited.
Business is suspended and the people do
nothing but talk about the fire. Tho cor
respondent, affected by his surroundings,
imagines the whole world is yearning to
hear the particulars Of the fire in Smith
vile. lie rushcs to the telegraph Office
and fires in, as the word is, lurid dis
patch Of 500 words OF course it is not
printed.
To restrain these correspondents editors
send out circulars of instruction, nwhich
they set forth the classes Of news which
they do not want The Tribune does not
report fires in which the loss is less than
So 800, and here Is other news which it
does not want:
Fatal or other accidents to conductors. brake
mea. switchmen, or persons rot identified, or
persons In obscure positions In life, except when
two or more fatalities result from the same acci-
dent, or there is a great loss Of property involved
ia the accident.
Trivial accidents, such as the breaking Of legs,
losing Of fingers by moving machines, or other
like events.
Insignificant robberes, burglarles, TIL tap
pings. etc
Obituaries Of ordinary individuals. But deaths
Of meu Of state or national repute should be no
ticed.
Rapes, ebortions, or seduetions, except when
parties Of marked prominence arc involved and
then be careful to give only facts thas ore in proof
through judicial procedure. Cases Of incest arc
never wanted
Reports Of tho celebration or observance q
holidays. except when persons Of state or ma
tional Importance are to speak, and in such cases
give advance notice by mail, and receive instrue
tions
Daily accounts Of testimony IN murder trials
unless on instructions
Specials regarding sporting matters except
after FIRST asking and obtaining instructions
Wrestling matches, bicycle races and walking
contests arc never wanted.
Accounts OF county fairs. Dut succinct report.
OF openings of state fairs may be sent.
Theatrical " other amusement notices. except
IN the case Of metropolitan cities and artists 81
national repute, first productions Of important
plays or operas, or other noteworthy events; ant
IA ell such cases instruction should he asked for
Reports Of the meetings OF secret societies, ez
cept on Gpec!al instructions.
A large majority Of the country CORE
spondents are required to send queries be
fore placing their news on the wire. Onl
of these bulletins from q small town il
Michigan reads "Man found in old we'll
Murder mystery. Supposed to be promi
thank you, Is the reply sent BY the cd
itor But in q few minutes along come
4 this bulletin. Rawlings, wy. r. Ru
mored train robbery on the u p. Poss
in pursuit Of thieves. How much?" Thi
dispatch is not received till late at night
| In Eve minutes the night editor has hal
dozen telegrams on the wire to TIL
Tribune's correspondents in all the promi
nent towns along the Union Pacific road
asking for details Of the robbery. II fou
or five reports como in, oil substantial
alike, no matter. The paper is deter
mined TO have the particulars, and ex
pense Is not TO be spared Telegraph toll
are not very high nowadays. and paper
uso the wires as freely as they like tn
average cost per word of newspaper dis
patches, excluding cables, is not {
exceed one-third Of cent. For inquire
sent In by correspondents, and order
from editors for specials the telegrap
companies do not charge. But If an cd
itor telegraphs a correspondent not {
send a special lie must pay for it.
###
OF course many Of tho correspondent
in the smaller towns do not earn mucE
An item or two a month is all they ca
find in their dull little town The / ,2C
local correspondents of The Tribune al
paid about 81 600 a week In addition t
these thero are correspondents at sue
important points as Boston, New Yorl
Cincinnati, Montreal San Francisc,
Omaha, etc, who cover several statei
These men have access to the dispatcht
received by some morning papers in the
towns, The Tribune granting like courtes
to the representatives of those journals
Chicago. Thus The Tribunas corr
sponsent in New York has access to Il
proofs ia The Herald office, and The He
aids Chicago man has tho run Of III
Tribune Each paper thus strengthen
tho other and itself.
Between New York and Chicago III
Tribune has special wire. 1t is Il
same wirc which a firm of stock broke
use during the day, The Tribune's use
it boing confined to night. At o'clot
three telegraph operators sit down at Il
New York end Of the wire and beg
sending eastern news, while three mo
sit down at this end and begin talxin
Over this wire come the special cab
dispatches, the Wall street gossip, Il
general New York news, and on Satu
day night the news from the seaside /
sorts. etc. Sometimes twenty column
Of news comes over this wire in one eve
! ing. A week or two ago The Tribul
gave an example OF the resources Of Il
modern newspaper. 1t had purchased
advance copy of Amelie Rives' ne
tragedy, "Herod and Marianne, and e
pected to receive it by mail according
contract. One afternoon a dispatch "
! received from New York: Am afrs
4 other parties have copy 'Herod and Ma