The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-25
The auiehis Daily ghuaau orine September 25
WOIEN WHO SCRIBBLE.
ONE OF THEM DESCRIBES THEIR
WORK AND THEIR TROUBLES.
Not All Editors Think They Make Good
Reporters, but Some Hail Them as
the Best Newspaper Men" in the
Land.
Especial correspondence.l

| New York daily, Il would fire every worn-
an who dared to stick her nose in the office.
| Women writers are nuisance They never
have their copy ready on time; they are
either squabbling among themselves or
making eyes at the managing editor I
| don't like the rustic of petticoats around a
newspaper Office"
More gallant and chivalrous is a well
known western editor, who writes: II
think women Rre making the best news
| paper men Of the country. I am decided
| ly in favor of their entering journalism.
Here are two widely divergent opinions
Whether the editor who vouchsafed the
first was suffering from a fit of dyspepsia
is not known. To be charitable l fancy he
had met some unpleasant types OF the
woman scribbler, and he was committing
the error of Judging the mass by the few.
After all | think an editor who, up TO his
ears in work, is interrupted to receive a
broadside of questions or a vollay of conf
dences from an ambitious she scribbler is
a being to be commiSerated The main
trouble is that the feminine invader of the
sanctum scarcely ever knows when to
stop. She comes in with a whew and a
rush; she takes a chair close by the I'M
fortunate editors side; she holds him with
her glitterlng eye while she poUrs out a
volley of ideas and suggestions, most of
which are either calculated to make his
hair stand on end with their audacity or
cause furtive smile at their impractical
bility.
II all newspaper women were as averse
to making these calls as one little woman
the writer of this letter knows, editors
would have small cause of complaint.
She detests going to a newspaper office
Often has she gotten as far as the door
and framing an excuse, turned away. She
sends her copy whenever possible. II in
the morning she receives a message asking
her to call at the editorial rooms, her heart
sinks and the summons hangs like heay y
cloud over her through II e day.
She does not expect TO be annihilated
when she presents herself to hear sugges-
tons or receive assignments. No, but she
breads the walk down a long room filed
with reporters who. she is firmly con-
WINGED, look upon erwith contumeIy and
call her an interloper. She breads the
careless, half contemptuous greeting Of
the chief, as who should say: Here is an
other of these scribbling women. l would
not have them about noe Il | could send
But there are few such sensitive women.
think, as rule, women enjoy knocking
about offices. There is something fasci-
mating and mysterious about a business
Office. The atmosphere is new and unique.
They like the hustle and excitement. and
many of them like the attention they at
tract and the looks of admiration they get.
always go with your copy-never send
it," a well known woman writer once ad-
vised me, there IS so much in personal
impression"
Always put on your best clothes when
you 60" said another II find that "A smart
frock makes a great difference. If you are
stylishly and handsomely dressed editors
will hesitate about offering you mean pay
for your work"
Let us picture few types Of the woman
who scribbles. There is unfortunately
type which one hopes will not rapidly in
crease. II is the woman who loafs about
the office at all hours of day and night.
''If you could lounge around till midnight
and drink gin cocktails with the reporters
you would get on admirably on The Daily
Blazer" said man to a woman writer
who was trying to get a staff position on a
certain paper. As it is, don't believe
you'll do for that paper"
There is the woman who does that most
unsatisfactory of all work-society news
and who talks glibly of the members Of
the -Four Hundred, calling them by their
CHRISTIAN names, and telling all their Sc
crets for the amusement of her friends and
associates.
There is the woman who. by virtue Of
successful work done in the Middle Ages or
thereabouts elects to run the universe
generally. She is constantly telling YOU
that the way you are working is all wrong.
Your method is too daring, not sedate
enough, scarcely respectable Now if you
were TO write as she once did--and SO on.
We all know her.
There is the meek faced, soft voiced little
creature, who looks as if she could not say
Boot TO a goose but is capable of doing the
most astounding things possible and who
is continually revealing some new phase
Of journalistic daTe-deviltry calculated to
make your brain reel.
There is the lady who, like the average
boarding house keeper. has seen better
days, but, forced 10 shift for herself, has
taken to journalism because it's Renteel
occupation. She looks upon work Of any
sort with disdain, and wants 10 distinctly
understood that she is not an ordinary re-
porter. It's rather difficult sometimes 20
tell exactly what she is. She is given 70
assuring you that her wealthy relatives
are inexpressibly shocked at her descend
ing TO the depths of journalism, and sn-
nounces that if poor, dear papa could see
what his daughter were doing be would
lose no time in shaking of his shroud and
hroa or.ar7 his cofEp
There is the feminine smart Aleck who
delights in a vivid and stirring description
of the manner in which she got the better
Of an antAgonistic editor. She draws a sc
lect circle about her. and recites her tale q
woe In a highly dramatic way, repeating
slowly and with emphasis every word Of
the letter she wrote which brought him 70
a proper sense Of his inferiority
Then there is the female who whenever |
she meets you asks you II you have read |
her latest effusioRs. u il perfectly allow |
able 20 do the Sspphirs act under these |
for II you sdait your iguo-
rance she directly informs you, and AZ /
length, Of all you have missed
All these our actors are Types familiar % |
any one engaged in newspaper work But /
after all there y the ideal feminine Jour |
minded, Dig hearted, clever.
wide awake. busiEe-s Ike. bat yet q WON
an. Though she associates mainly with |
men she couserves her fsmiuInify. She 1
does net ape their dress or uannsrs.
Though she may walk through Gives and |
slunas none Of their f!tk cling 70 her
skirtS SIZE - always ready 20 reach down