Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-28
The Pen Not Appreciated in the Great
English Metropolis.
SMALL WAGES FOR BRAIN WORK,
Clerks and Reporters are Underpaid and
Badly Snubbed.
DIFFICULTIES OF GATHERING NEWS
rconREsroNDENcE OF THE DISPATCH.

but he never by any chance spins. A Gov
ernment clerk is rather worse. He is ,
gentleman from the fact of his position. HI
wears coat of excellent cut which il
rather necessary to him than otherwise, ant
he is expected to pass his life In an atmos
phere Of political severity for yearly in
come beginning at S400 year and rising BY
slow gradations to $1,000. Suicide is hi
popularity and, may as well add, bank
ruptcy is his specially.
Then there is the newspaper man. The
sight of him is revelation to the American
journalist. Such a gentility of shabbines'
was never equalled. A short time ago ]
was at the funeral of an lllustrious English
| man at Westminster abbey. 1 produced
the necessary credentials to many police.
men. several vergers, and so on by slow de-
grees to the minor canon, the deputy dean,
the upper organist and, lastly, to some par.
ticular gentleman who had been appointed
master of the ceremonies by the official
mourners. From all Of these "personages'
l received modicum of snubbing until
was officially shown to a seat on
the stone steps in front of the high
THANKFUL FOR SMALL FAvoRs.
recognized Mr.. George Augustus Sala,
Mr.. -, forget his name-the representa-
tive of the London Illustrated Neaos. and a
number OF other gentlemen whose faces were
impressed upon my memory as having been
present upon other occasions, all representa-
tive reporters of the London newspapers.
Mr.. Sals seemed to be contented with the
accommodation accorded to him, and as
can in justice to that gentleman say that he
ranks with the greatest of living journalists,
it is unnecessary for me to add that decided
that personally had received all the con-
sideration due to me. !, accordingly, lifted
my coat tails and took my seat on the stone
steps with a due expression of thankfulness
at the accommodation afforded me.
Isoon became completely interested in
my brother reporters. They all had an air
of cup all night about them. Their dirty
finger nails encircled pencils and note
books were placed few yards from their
noses in an aggressive attitude, which only
the London reporter can assume. 1 remem-
Der one of the first lessons 1 received as an
American reporter was: "Do not appear to
be taking notes; try and rely on your men,
ory; if you cannot, do not attempt to be q
newspaper man." ALondon reporter never
relies on his memory, consequently he never
obtains any particular news which requires
strain of remembrance. He is never by
any chance treated with other consideration
than that which is accorded to a census emu
merator in America, or book canvasser,
nor does he seek it. If insults are heaped
upon him he accepts them meekly; were he
to resent them he would be promptly dis
charged by his editor on his return to his
Office.
RATHER EASILY SATISFIED.
On other occasions have seen the En-
glish reporters perfectly willing to share the
leavings with the walters at banquet, and
have also seen them patiently waiting in
the mud and rain outside the house of a
public official so as to eventually obtain
crumbs OF news from the butler regarding
the dinner at which the great man is play
ing host. The newspaper men who rank as
sub-editors and editors are a much better
class of men than the reporters. They are
not expected to climb from the ladder of the
city editors staff like American journal
lists, but usually obtain position on a
public journal, thanks to the position they
held in the graduating class of university,
or to some interest or cousinship with an
editor-in-chief or newspaper proprietor.
OF course, 1 am not alluding to the stars
OF journalism, like Mr.. Paul, of the Lon
don Daily Ne,cS, personal friend OF Mr..
Gladstone's, or Mr.. Slack, of the Daily
Telegraph, whose leaders occupy large
percentage of the editorial space, and a
dozen more gentlemen of that description,
among whom, of course, Mr.. Andrew Lang
and Sir Edwin Arnold must be classed
ifaro orryr
afterwafd.
The men that 1 specially allude to are the
working members of the different depart
ments of a newspaper, such as would rank
in America with news and exchange editors,
paragraph writers and copy condensers. A
multitude of such gentlemen are employed
in London at salaries ranging from 60 to e6
a week and their hours are generally from
midday to "a. M. They work in rooms
which look for all the world like
CELLS IN A PRISON,
and the Difference paid by a junior to a
senior is simply crawling in its seryility.
How they live is a mystery, All of them
seem to have wives and most of them large
families, and yet it is to be doubted if sub
editor ever sees his family circle except on a
Sunday. One advantage, however, he
possesses over his American confreres. He
cannot be instantaneously discharged at the
caprice of his employer. The law entities
him to at least a months notice and his ser
vice has been extended to three months no.
tice, or salary for that length of time if the
immediate resignation of his situation is re-
quired.
The city clerk is one Of the amazing mys-
teries of modern Babylon. While he is
young all his energies appear to be confined
&c hot oA. i l.
over his knuckles; but as he progresses in
years so does the nap decline from his hat
and the ink spots increase on his linen. His |
salary is anything his hunger will induce |
him to accept, and the amount of insult. de- |
rision, contempt and abuse which he is ex- |
pected to put up with at the hands of his |
employer is the desert which promotes his |
digestion. Whatever his entrance salary |
may be he is supposed to have a rise eyery |
year, and directly he obtains e5 more annu- |
ally he begins war of scorn on the clerk |
junior to him. To the one above him he |
grovels, and so if there happen to be 20 |
clerks in an Office, they all sneer downward |
and toady upward until tine senior clerk is |
and he persistently licks the boots |
Of the principal.
A POWERFUL TYRANT.
But of all the tyrants that ever drew the |
breath of life give me the head clerk of a |
arge mercantile establishment His salary |
mas probably reached the altitude, after Is |
Or 20 years' servitude, OF S25 week. This
fortune" he has acquired by persistent
punctuality of arrival, Indifference to the
number of hours he works during the dav,
absolute submission to the .behests of his
chief and the gradual suppression of every
ota of manhood in him. All the Joy left in
MS life is to bring those who
Ire under him into similar
condition. He does it. For every bow
hat he gives to his master, three bows are
required from his interiors. Let him come