Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-24
LIVES OF GREAT MEN.
HOW NEW spA3ERS OBTAIN FACTS
IN REGARD TO THEM.


tion-The Importance of Newspaper.
Biographical" Department.
One Of the most important features in the
system of running all great modern news
papers, is, curiously enough, a department
which does not have to do with news, in the
real sense Of the word, at all, but deals In
facts, and takes charge Of deeds which per-
tain to the more or less remote past. This
department is known by number of terms,
such as the Biographical department" the
'obit SYSTEM" the portrait gallery" and,
in the private vocabulary of newspaperdom,
as "the graveyard" Il is the duty of this so
called biographical department to furnish
personal details regarding men who are in
any sense public men" in whatever part of
the world or in whatever phase Of society
they may be, and ever to have these details
in shape ready for immediate use
A public man dies suddenly, perhaps, or Is
put into a position Of Importance in the poll
teal, scientific or literary life of his commu-
nifty. In connection with the mere an
aouncer1ent of his death. or of the honor
conferred upon him, or, as is sometimes
unfortunately the case, Of the infraction of
some law in the special code which be has
! committed, the readers Of a great newspaper
are interested to know in addition the details
| Of his life, the record of his public actions,
and often, also, particular incidents regard
! ing his private life, his character, his pc
culiarities and the opinions Of him which
/ ether men have held. 1t is manifestly i'm
/ possible that any newspaper writer or
| department of a newspaper should be able to
! get together with the speed which is a re-
! quisite to successful Journalism any very
/ large number of these details. So the
/ biographical department Is great receptacle
| of constantly increasing information re-
! garding men and women in public life all
! over the world, which information is relega-
ted to its proper place, superintendent and
edited under the direction of the librarian
/ The room in which the collection is kept
seems to be q very simple affair, and in truth
it is, but it is the simplicity Of great system
amid confusing complexity Of details.
| Briefly described, the room consists merely
Of large number of shelves gathered within
cupboards, each shelf representing q letter in
the alphabet-the amount of material COM
ing under single letter sometimes requires
several Shelves however-and each shelf
dreds of large envelopes. All the envelopes
of single shelf contain accommodating infor-
nation regarding persons whose names be-
gin with the letter of the alphabet for that
shelf; but these envelopes in their separate
boxes, are subdivided in alphabetical order
again, according to the second letter in the
name or the person mentioned, thus continu-
ing in classification also by their first names.
Tha t,Ip ;,,fo
ing Bismarck is found upon one of the B
shelves, but it is also found inside of the box
containing the Bis Boulanger's envelope is
also found upon one of the B shelves, but
further along in the Bo box. In this way
any name sought may be picked out without
the slightest delay or confusion.
The amount of information contained in
the different envelopes varies, as might be
supposed, with the varied prominence of the
individuals mentioned, as also in the differ
ence of local interest a man who in his
own department of public life may be of less
relative Importance than some other VIII
have greater notices than that other because
he belongs to the particular community in
which the paper is read, and therefore claims
the attention of that community in a more
extended way than would the other. The
IL,
England or the United States will have a
greater interest for readers, and will have
greater mention than another who has
achieved more in his department, but is a
foreigner, and is known for his scientific at
tai.rments alone, without the local interest in
his immediate life At the same time, the
department is essentially impartial and col
lects all that it can Of interest regarding
o,,J
people everywhere.
This information is obtained from any and
every source possible. The great exchange
list furnishes much of it. From the hun
dreds of newspapers which come into the
Office each day, reporting the passing events
all over the world, are cuiied the incidents,
events and opinions of men in public hf3.
Then the newspaper itself furnishes a harvest
Of material for reference concerning men
and things Of both hemispheres. Each day
these slips are carried to the document room
and placed in their proper receptacles, each
within the envelope prepared for the man
about whom it relates. Further than this,
the biographies, autobiographies, rerninis-
cences and histories which are constantly ap-
pearing from the publishing houses are care
fully reviewed by the librarian in search of
wide Information, and their facts, even the
ninutest detail that would be essential, re-
garding public men, reiegated to the differ
ent envelopes. Thus, book like Blaines
Twenty Years in Congress gave points and
incidents in the lives of many men, and was
a source Of much information. Often. where
books entirely photographed are pub
lshed, it would be useless TO try to Gull small
points of information for a single envelope.
In such cases slip is placed in the envelope
referring TO the book, which is kept in lie
library.
The feature Of the department which Is
specially useful, however, is the system Of
deriving information regarding prominen6
public men from the men themselves,
which certainly ought to be considered re-
liable source for authentic facts. The libra
riaD is constantly communicating with pub
lie men in all parts of the world, about whom
there may be lack of information, request
ing that they give Information as extended
or as limited as 1t pleases them regarding
their lives. From these different sources, the
biographical department grows greater and
more valuable every day. Aud not only do
the contents OF the envelopes increase, but
their number as well, for who knows what
viii be the names Of the public men Of to
morrow As men of previous comparative
ohscurity appear before the public eye and
attract portion of the public interest, their
names are added to the list, and an envelope
is allotted TO them. 1t is probable that hall
dozen years ago the name Of Gen BoUlanger
would not have been found upon the B shelf.
Now. it may well be understood, bulging
envelope stands between the Bots and the
Bou's
1t is by such methods that newspaper IS