Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-01-17
WOMAN IN JOURNALISM.
Her Success Reporter, INTERVENE
and Editorial Writer.

Her Success as Reporter. interviewer
and Editorial Writer.
Women in New York journalism is
becoming not less potent literary in
fluence, but great power. There is
scarcely a leading daily that is not in
debted to her pen for some of the most
thoughtful editorials. not as occasional
contributors either, but as part of the
regular staff. Not few of the ablest
book reviews and essays on moral and
social reform, to say nothing of dra-
matte and art criticism and the whole
field of bellies letters, are from that
source, but as rule they are not adopts
at, probably because they have rarely
any taste for, metaphysical or mathe-
NAUTICAL themes; and cons equently the
amount of work of that kind entrusted
to them is comparatively little.
speak now more particularly of the
daily press. Women had always found
more or less congenial and profitable
employment on the literary weehlies
and the monthly magazines, but the field
was narrow. being restricted for the
most part to love stories, poetry, society
gossip, and the latest fashions; but
their destined Identification with the
more exacting functions of metropoli
tan journalism dates no further back
than, say thirty-five or forty years ago.
The late Mrs. Ann S. Stephens. so long
associated with Peterson's Magazine.
and whose memory is still cherished
in Philadelphia as it is here. may be
said to have led the way as literary
critic and editorial contributor to the
New York Express. a position which
she held for some years, notwithstand-
ing an accumulation of other literary
labors in the realm of fiction, includ
ing not ii few novels, such as Fashion
and Fame" which at the time won a
pronounced popularity. Mrs. Steph-
ems was succeeded on the same journal
by another authoress. only less known
to fame, Mrs. Elizabeth T. Ellet, best
known, perhaps, to the reading public
as author of The Women of the Rev
olution,'' and later on Mrs. r. y. Crom-
well, author OF ''Meum ct Tuum,"
made her mark as a poetical contrib
utor to the same columns. The civil
war at this time had something to do
in giving the women their opportunity
in taking the places of many clever
writer's, who were off at the front as
correspondents. Meanwhile the Times,
Tribune, World and other dailies were
availing themselves in like manner
of the best female talent they could
get for special writing, and from that
time until the present it has always
had a good market when backed by
painstaking industry. In the less con-
spicuous paths of daily journalism, it
need hardly be said, women are not
only quite numerous, but are among
the most efficient and conscientious
workers. As reporters and interview
ers they have ready tact which serves
them well, but of course, in the rough
work of a political campaign, they are
out of place, nor do they seek to oc-
cupy it. But at many of the churches
on Sunday, when preachers of note oc-
cupy the pulpit, they may be seen at
the reporters table, along with those
of the masculine gender, without ex-
citing the surprise that would be felt
by minister or congregation in former
years. when such an innovation was
undreamed Of The fact is worth re-
cording, not only as showing the in
creasing opportunities which are now
presented for women to utilize their in
telligenee and industry, but also as
evidencing an abatement of the narrow
prejudice that formerly existed against
the application of woman's abilities to
any field of usefulness beyond the
strictly domestic circles.-N. Y. Cor.
Philadelphia Iedpar