Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-16
SUNDAY. NOVEMBER 1G, 1890.
Pres People. IS and Present

per-men Of this state in this city on
Tuesday next They come 10 confer to-
gether upon matters of Importance to
the profession, to renew old and make
new acquaintance, and to take look at
their capital city and note what progress
il has made since they met here many
wears ago. Their Richmond brethren
are preparing to welcome them, and IN
this hospitable privilege will have the
aid Of the community.
Newspaper publishing has become one
of the greatest industries Of this coun-
try, and in il we excel all other lands.
1t employs millions Of money and thou-
sands of men. It calls to its service the
best journalistic and business talent aud
not only collects current news, but
serves to its patrons costly special arti-
cles and extracts from the choicest pages
of the magazines and the best works OF
the greatest novelists. Everything that
is instructive and readable-prose and
poetry. religion and politics, finance
and commerce, art and society-finds a
place in the modern newspaper, and the
custom Of having cuts to illustrate arti-
Giles, introduced but a few years back,
has grown TO such wonderful extent
that many of the great dailies are Illus
trated papers IN the best sense of that
term.
Very few OF our workers call them
selves Journalists" The parlance OF
the profession is newspaper men.
When you say that Mr.. BLANK is ga first
rate newspaper man, you mean that he
is equipped for the all-around work OF a
newspaper, whereas n mere journalist Is
q man who only occasionally brings his
ponderous capacity into action. A jour
nalist is man who writes "articles,
while the accomplished newspaper man
speaks Of his productions as "stuif
but will 90 into the Darkest Continent or
to the North-Pole neighborhood, or into
the thick of battle TO get his facts, and
often will write them up with NICroR
HUGo's vividness and DIcKENs's pathos.
OF old printing was done by a press
which was as correctly named as the
common everyday lotter-press We see IN
all our counting-rooms. The sheet OF
paper was laid upon the types. The
press was pulled" down and was then
allowed to rebound, the impression was
thus made, and then the printed sheet
was withdrawn.
This primitive machine gave its name
10 the entire body of workers engaged
in preparing "copy" for periodicals,
but it is no moro like the perfectlng
machines of to-day than are tho tradi-
tional "Bohemians OF the past like
the bright, smart. and presentable fell
lows who are enlisted in the cause as
editors, reporters correspondents, and
artists.
The recruits for the ranks Of news
paper workers como from two classes
youths who begin at the lowest round OF
tho ladder and work up, educating them
selves as they go and high school and
conege-men who develop journalistic tai
ents The former always have the I'D
vantages Of practical apprenticeship
whilo the latter often excel in literary
ettainments.
There is no professional or business
man so near to the public and yet 81
little understood Us the newspaper man
Part OF this misconception and miscon
struction is no doubt an inheritance from
the superstitious times when the print
er's little apprentice-boy, his face an'
fingers blackened with the ink Of tn
press. began to be called, if not con
sidered, "tho devil" Another part i
perhaps due TO the persistence of humor
GUS writers, who, in bewailing their al
legged poverty, have spread widecast th
belief that editors live on crusts an,
bones. sleep on piles Of papers, dres
in cast-off clothes OF gentlemen, and
when they can get nothing stronger
drink at the nearest pump. At a recen
meeting OF press people in Massachusett
O resolution was passed begging thes
witty photographers TO desist as thei
able efforts in this direction have create
most erroneous and absurd idea as I
the finances OF the press
While il is seldom that the produC
tons OF pen or pencil make man rich
il is rarer still that the editor is in this
condition OF pitiable poverty in which b
Is popularity pictured.
In the popular belief that the editor {
reporter must be, and generally is, a ma
OF "cheek," our profession is also GU
ragged. This pernicious class is N
wholly extinct, but IL is small an
growing smaller. The most usefl
reporters and correspondents We kno
\ are men Of modesty who combiu
with this great virtue sound sens,
good manners. and knowledge Of huma
nature, and who enjoy the complete cor
fdence OF the people. Such persons ca
often get access TO sources OF informs
ton that are wholly inaccessible I
"cheek." Next 10 heart and brains III
most valuable acquisition to the news
psper-man Isl wide acquaintanceship wit
prominent men.
Ours is life Of exactioE and fascina
ton. The love of the sailor for the blu
sea Is the only thing that we know com
parable to tho affection OF the press
writer's for their vocation. Once :,
breathe the atmosphere charged Will
printers ink is TO succumb 10 iascina
ZION which may perhaps DO broken b,
, great strength Of mind but threads o
which will bold 10 the end Of life. Hi