Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-11
EB Pc RFECTING PRESS.

day. One has the District government buildings
as his field OF operations. another the Police
Court and police headquarters, another the court
house, another the White House: others have
different departments of the government I'M
der their reportorial charge. There are some
who are detailed for work at the Capitol and
others who are not regularly detailed to any
point of observation but held in readiness
TO report convention or prize fight, to
investigate a murder case or any happening
not included within the fields covered by the
regular routine of the office. Then there is a
special reporter for society news, and besides
the regular force of reporters special topics are
treated by special writer's whose services are
employed by The STAR. When the reporters
assemble i'll the morning they receive their
assignments and instructions for the day. Be-
sides collecting the regular news, questions of
various kinds have to be Investigated by the
reporters. When they leave the office for their
fields of work they do not return again unless
there is a special reason for it until the close of
the day when the paper is out
SENDING IN copy"
They keep up, however, constant COMMUNE
cation with the office by means of messenger
boys, who bring in the news copy" as rapidly
as it is prepared by the reporters. Sometimes
this copy" is written on the reporters hand.
for he can take no desk with him, sometimes i.
is scrawled on his knee In a jolting cab. 1t is
written some way, the reporters main idea
being to get the news quickly as he can and
then ge. it written and transmitted to the
office with all possible haste. The reporter
represents largely in himself the spirit of
modern journalism. To be q successful re-
porter one has to be alert discreet
and enterprising. have what is called "a
nose for news and withal be able to
compose rapidly in fairly good English,
often under the most trying circumstances.
The reporters, who have been widely separated
during the day, assemble again at the Office
when the paper goes to press, receive assign
ments for the night and then dispense to meet
again the following morning. The hustle in
the news and city department of the Office dur
ing the day is quite confusing to the visitor.
Messengers are constantly arriving with patches
of copy" from different parts of the city
from telegraph offices. A special telephone
connecting The STAR Office with the Senate and
House press galleries and with the District
Offices is murmuring out news, and telegraph
keys are rapidly ticking forth portions of the
history of the day. Reports of a score of diff
ferent things are coming in at once, piece by
piece, and all are kept in order, rapidly revised
and sent 10 the composing room. the first part
OF report of speech in Congress, for in
stance, frequently being put into type before
the speaker has finished. In the same room
with the reporters are desks occupied by spe-
cial editorial writer's.
THE ILLUSTRATING BRANCH.
Another department on the same floor and
under the supervision of the managing editor
is the illustrating department, which occupies
a large room separated from the reportorial
room by a stairway hall This department is
fitted with Photographic apparatus and dark
room and all the appliances for zinc etching.
The illustrations are first drawn by an artist in
black and white, then they are reduced or
enlarged by means Of camera to the size
required. From the negative print is made
upon the surface of the zinc or metal and by
the use OF various chemicals the surface of the
metal is etched SO as to bring out in relief the
black lines Of the original drawing. When the
etching u completed the piece Of metal IL