The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1888-06-16
Peripatetic News Vender.

1t is the fashion in society to abuse
the newspapers. At receptions, lupch-
cons, teas, dinners. afternoon calls,
when other topics fail, the mendacity,
vulgar curiosity, and general repre-
hensibleness of the press come to fill
up the gap, and the same people who
scheme for newspaper mention and
send for a reporter whenever they
contemplate doing anything in a So
cial way never fail to lament the in
vasion of private life by the prying
press. At the same time they find it
necessary 30 keep up with the topics
OF the time and many OF them have
not the time or energy to wade
through the vast mass Or reading
that must be offered every morning
to q varied constituency. AcleverBos-
ton woman who recognized that fact
has turned it to good account. She
rises at 6 o'clock, fits hastily through
all the leading journals, and about 10
puts Of her hat and begins her
rounds. 1t is all done in the quietest
and most dignifed way possible.
She is r person of breeding and fitted
to be on pleasant terms with her pa
irons, and is generally received by them
as an informal caller, finding the callee
in a morning gown IN her boudoir.
They begin after this fashion,: How
is the weather this morning?"
"Charming. but the probabilities say
we will have q falling barometer, and
so | shouldn't at all wonder if there
vas rain tonight" "You don't say
so. What a nuisancel / thought of
going to see IS new play this even
ing, but / have such d cold | am afraid
to go out if it's wet. By the way, what
do the papers say about the play?"
csms with any telling phrase that
may have been used. Adds, apropos,
an anecdote about one of the actors
that appeared in one oil tine morning
papers, and drifts on to musical
events, advertisements of picture ex-
hibltlons, personal gossip about soci-
ETY. people, little condensations of the
political situation and the high lights
in the European dispatches. In half
an hour she has given all the salient
points of the news she vas four hours
in acquiring an departs ior another
customer, leaving her pupil orammed
with condensed knowledge of the
worlds affairs. This woman declares
that tho nuorona fanpo1a Ippororoa
even among clever women of the
worlds doing is past belief. She has
not only to be news vender, but a
walking encyclopedia as well. Forex-
ample, one day last week she dropped
in at luncheon time, and her pupil. as
they slipped their tea, said, "Well,
what is the news today" Nothing
much" she answered. "Only thas
Conkling is ILL.," Alter a few minutes
the young oma said frankly,
"Would you mind telling me who
Conkling is? have heard his name
so often and yet do you know |
haven't the smallest idea what he
does or why people shonld be interest
ed in him." Another woman, when
she was giving her an abstract of the
opScIl llF"O 1llu UOlu vi DISltldICk >
threatened resignation because of the
Battenherg match, declared she had
never heard of Alexander OF Batten-
berg before, and had to have the
whole Bulgarian situation explained
to her. Besides these heads OF fami-
lies and young women in society that
the Boston ona keeps posted as
to the worlds doings, she has classes
in several fashionable schools for
girls, the Principals of which consider
a knowledge OF the events of the day
desirable information for their pupils.
They hesitate to put the newspapers
themselves into the hands of these
girls, and find the digest of news fur
nished by this enterprising person the
best substitute possible. She comes
every Friday afternoon and gives
them an abstract Of her reading
throughout the last seven days,
ommitting of course all the scandals
and crimes and telling of all events of
Importance which it is proper for
them to be familiar with In this
case also, and more naturally, she is
asked endless questions. and the girls
in her class are thoroughly instructed
in the meaning of the word tariff Or
the effect of the Presidents message
and what congress is doing about it.
They know who are the probable
candidates for the next election and
the process by which nomination is
reached. In short, she is a professor
of contemporary history and is paid
literally for her instruction.