St. Landry democrat., 1890-02-08
NEWSPAPER WORK
As a Field for E ducated Young Womer

AS Field Tor ducated Young women
1t is not the purpose of this paper te
discuss woman's sphere other than to say
that it LIS as big as she cares to make it.
The idea Is rather to call attention to one
of the most attractive avenues open to
young women of education and good sense
who desire to be self supporting. | hope
only to explain some Of the requirements
of the craft, point out some of its difficult
ties and tell some of it's advantages. 1t is
becoming more fashionable for women to
earn their own living, and when one de-
sires TO be self-supportiBg her choice Of q
vocation will be naturally Influenced by the
attractiven ness of the work and the salary
it promises to pay. 1t will pay every Ct mt
you earn. The first year or two will not
give high wages, but when once fairly IA
miliar with the duties and with an apti
tude for the work it will pay from ten to
twenty five dollars week for very ordi
nary services The woman who can write
special articles which will attract attention
will have no trouble at all to earn from
two to six thousand year. There are
ladies who contribute to daily papers now
whose income is four thousand and up
wards. But when speaking here of news
paper work as attractive 20 young ladies
of education, ha- . in mind only the reg
ular employment of the Office. Journal
ism may lead to magazine and book writ
ing which pays the successful authors
handsomely. Itmay lead to the proprie-
torship of daily or weekly, or monthly,
yielding an attractive profit, A salary of
six hundred dollars is below the rule in
newspaper work, and the exception is
without limit There are big newspapers
5nh 80
thousand dollars year. Allowing wo-
man the same possibilities as man, these
figures are within the feminine grasp. In
the business management and the mecban-
ical department young women have no in
terest. 1t is the literary work which, if
anything, will attract them toward Jour
nalism.
Allowing that man is in charge as ed
itor, there is still very much that affords
pleasant and agreeable employment for
women. Reading exchanges for items of
local inter est, is an important feature of
every days work, and in time, such facil-
ity is acquired that it can be done very
rapidly and nothing passed unnoticed
Another use of exchanges Is to furnish
miscellany, stories, brief items of fun, or
comments, which are not news, but make
entertaining reading. Since ladies are the
great readers Of miscellany, it is more ap-
propriate that the matter should be chosen
by woman and purely feminine judy
ment exercised In the selection. Women
can do it better than men. Reviewing
books is delightful work for those OF lit
erary taste. in an estab ished Office
good salary is paid for doing nothing else
The requirements of good telee raph edi-
tor are good knowledge on topics of gen
eral interests in all parts of the world
He must know what TO give prominence,
what 20 condense and what to throw out
from the sheets of copy as they come from
the operators desk On a morning paper,
the hours of actual work, are from seven
In the evening till two in the morning.
On an afternoon paper the hours are from
eight in the morning till three in the after
noon. The knowledge is easily acquired.
and in short time it becomes second
nature to note and remember all these
facts. Truth is alwa-s STRANGER than &c
tion and to wach nightly the moves on
the worlds great chess board is extremely
fascinating. When Gladstone was deliv-
ering his great speech ON Home Rule in
the English Parliament, the reported
words we're at once sent by cable. Before
he had resche the end of his speech, its
commencement was in type in scores of
American composing rooms. The tele-
graph editors of this country actually read
Gladstone's exact words before the English !
people just outside the house of parlia-
ment knew what he was saying. Where
can young lady of liberal education and
sound mind find more fascinating or agree.
able employment than rs the telegraphic |
editor of daily papers
The most valuable and important de-
partment Of newspaper work is reporting.
The reporter should be q person of varied
attainments, wide acquaintance, great In.
dustry, quick perceptions and inexhaussi-
BILE resources. He must be able to scent
an item fRm afar. and when located
should hay she perseverance and skill to
capture 1t, Reporting lectures. conven-
tions, Is merely routine work, having
nothing original about it. and not r. quir-
ing high order of talent. To be sure |
bright reporter can relieve even TIE dreary
detsiIs Of synodical session by clever