The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-07
MAKING NEWSPAPERS.
WALTER welLMAN ENTsRTAINGLY
TELLS HOW THE WORK is DONE.
I. l. n Wonderfully Complicated Task, and
Reunires the Brains and Bodies Of an
Enormous Number of Pcopic-some Il
the Details Explained.
Special correspondence J


il made the greater arc his astonishmen
and admiration 4 stupendous fact i
the large number of men who assist cacl
day in the getting up of big morning
manor ike The Chicago Tribune Times
Inter Ocean or Herald. Add TO the
twelve hundred local correspondents hired
by paper like The Tribune in all the
cifies and towns Of the west and north
west, 20 It's Washington and New York
stats sending news over special wires, to
the many thousand correspondents of co
operating papers in large cities, who con-
tribute their mite 10 the Chicago paper
Whenever occasion requires-ad 10 all
these the almost ianumerable correspond
cnts of the Associated Press in this country
and its sister news collecting agencies in
Europe and throughout the world, and
you begin To get an adequate idea OF tho
vastncss OF the machinery employed.
Now let us talSea look az the oiIice into
which all these men pour their contrbu-
tions. the central point around which
everything reyolvcs and towhich all roads
! lead. Il l. "a building which contains. say
/ five stories and a basement. On the
ground floor is the counting room, where
d
/ Here THIRTY men are employed in one ca
pacity or another. Underneath IS the press
room, 40 which we shall again have occa-
sion 10 take a look. Riding up in the ele-
yat0r we roach the editorial floor. N Is
noon al over the world men are at work
gathering news for this paper. but not
much is doing yet in tho office itself The
managing cditOr's assistant has just fin
ishcd reading all the morning papers. and
Is now looking over the mornings mail
an enormous batch There are communi
cations anl inquire, about almost every
thing under the sun. many, many manu-
scripts. complaints. communications from
spondents. offers Of special work,
suggestions 90 the editor, poetry. stories,
c,c MANY of these he saves for the eye
OF his superior. but the majority are as
signed 20 various assistants forattenti0n,
And in the number Of these assistants
and their special fitness FOR the work
which they have in charge we get a very
good idea OF the resources OF a great news
paper. "a
In the managing editors desk arc a
number OF pigeon holes. marked city"
counting room. music. art. CON
mercial, etc Into the city box 20 com
municatiOrs about local matters and IN
few minutes tho city editor is looking
them over Theatrical communications
20 20 the dramatic editor. musical mat
tiers - the musical critic. art contrbu
lions 20 I lac art writer II there arc any
communications concerning commercial
matters they so to tho editor Of the COM
mercial page. The literary editor gets
the new books. magazines and kindred
matter. and oven the real estate editor
comes in for his share. There are many
communications on sporting subjects and
these go 10 the sporting room. There
are matters which must 20 down 10 the
counting room, such as bills TO pay
and checks TO be sent 10 out OF town
or special writers. Some
of the more important manuscripts are
read and passed upon by the managing
editor himself or his immediate assistants.
There are many questions not connected T.
in any way with the business of the F.
paper TO be answered. for every news
paper nas its quota of readers who want .
about all sorts Of queer
things These are turned over 10 various
lcn, with regard 20 their ability or con- /
vcnicnce5 ipr answering them. II people
vino send odd queries 20 newspaper Offices
knew the trouble they were making some
poor Ian / think they would be less free .
with their questions, often questions IN .
which no one in the wide world is in T
.crcstcl bit themselves. IL is sort Of
lulc H. al. newspaper offices that these
queries arc 10 b. answered and news
paper docs not like % own mp that there
Is anything that anybody wants % know
which it cannot find ont. | have known
o reporter b. pend day or two looking
about town i0rcn answer % one little ques-
ion, often man goes TO the city library
md spends half "a day looking mp some
point for a couple Of readers who
have made wager. and have seen the
editor send out two or three
elcgrar3, M lis own expense, In order 10
get, and get promptly. an answer to sone
question which could be answered only by
/ man familiar with the history O. poll.
les OF another city Oh state.
Iou have no idea Of the quantity OF
manuscript. men usually cell
I stuff, though meaning no disresp1ct
which rmes into big newspaper Office.
There are stories and poems and essays,
md all sorts Of things which somebody
must read. special articles written for
)ay If they prove acceptable, innumera-
)lc letters of trave! and almost number
css letters from seaside and other sum
ner resorts. So many people imagine
hat as soon as they get across the ocean
n at some far away place IN this country
he editor Of their home paper is exceed
ngly anxious to hear from them, 10 know
low they took trip on such and such lake
r river, how they danced at the casino or
aught fish in the pool, and all they ;
ave seen and thought on their travels. |
o the extent Of a column or more
jsually they are very much disappointed
Fhen they discover that their con-
ributions have been thrown into the I
'aste basket but why they should be is {
ne Of the mysteries of human nature. A
rcat many people will save themselves ,
nnoyance and loss OF time if they Will 4,
~ 90 understand that newspapers-Iil.e {
u other things which arc the product Il 7
rains and skill and experience-must s
lrgely be the work Of men who know
hat 10 write and how TO write If. and i
lat the chances are 40 least ten 10 one I
&c amateur cannot write anything which &
a editor would care 10 print Tho fact =
lat You are in Europe or the wilds Of G
rizOua does not make an IMPRESSION ON .