The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-03-07
WOMEN ON NEWSPAPER

gDally Joy White, the Special Writer and
Correspondent, ON Routine Work.
Not oil women will make successful
newspaper workers, any more than all men
Will. IL is not an easy task, albeit it 10
fascinating. 1t, more nearly than any other
! know, will answer the description given
OF woman's work in the old doggerel which
ran,
MANS work is from aun to sun,
Womnn's work is never done.r
This is really true Of newspaper work. It
is literally never done. Your paper goes
on through everything; it is printed every
day, and sometimes several times a day, as
in the case of the paper with which I am
connected, the Boston Herald, which
has eight editions every day. Can yon
understand what that means? Something
fresh and new in every one. The last
incident caught even in its happen
ing, chronicled in white heat, and
put before the waiting public
before it is two hours old. Nothing must
escape; every class in the community must
be looked after from the merchant prince
to the rag-picker. Do You realize what
this requires? Quickness, nlertIess, and
more than that, if you will let me coin a
word, dlveness. A readiness to do what
ever may come to you, to turn out an in
teresting story on any subject, to make the
most OF triflng incident, in short, to give
yalue to every piece Of work put into
your hand to do.
3 Here, for instance, is a sample of what
may come to a worker, what has come, in
fact; and it is no exaggeration. Busy on a
Nspeclal, as a long article to be ready for
use ut any time is called, you are interrupted
by the call from. the managing EDITORS
desk. You answer the summons and find
your superior officer with an open letter IN
his hand.
Il have Just heard, The says, that there
is every likelihood that Mrs. will be
put on nomination for the school board.
It's to be done suddenly, and isn't gen.
orally known. We want to be prepared
for the emergency, SO will you 60 out
and get a sketch of her to use this
afternoon? Get o full column, more if
you cau, and see what her views are on
such and such points," naming them over.
some, distinguished individual, sis to ar
rlye this afternoon. Can't you see him
and get a little interview? Have it for the
morning. Perhaps you'd better 60 to the
station to meet the train; and while you're
waiting you might run into Harmony hall
and see what is going on there"
Well, of you go. 10 facilitate matters
you take a carriage and go to the house of
the proposed candidate for school COM
mittee. She has just gone to see some
one who is interested in her nomination,
and off you start after her. Perhaps you
catch her ct this point, and perhaps, which
is more likely, you have to follow her else
where. You find her. get your points
speedily, back you go to your desk, for
mulating YOU sketch in your mind
meanwhile. It's pretty near lunch
! time; but there's no time to think OF
anything but that sketch; there IS q
little over an hour in which to catch the
edition you want, and at least q column to
be written. You lock your door and be-
gin. Somebody knocks, and you keep on
writing; nothing short of the crack OF
doom or the managing editors bell will
stop your pen. You and Time are having
q fine race, and, being a true newspaper
worker, you win. Hurrah! the last line is
wri ten. five minutes to spare. You carry
the copy to ''Ihe desk" there's no time fol
blue pencil, and up it goes to the compos-
ing room.
And now for a good luncheon. But what
is this? The city editor appears; some
body is i'll, an assignment overlooked;
won't you take it, please? There's really
nobody else; everyone is gu or busy
catching the edition." 1t will take you. a
mile in the opposite direction from which
you are to go to capture your inter-
view" that is coming in on the train;
good-by, luncheon. A cup of coffee, or
a plate of soup is hastily swallowed, if
you go without it. You get the
points needed, write them out on your lap
in the horse cars, then go on to the inter
view, with Harmony Hall" by way of di-
version. Luckily for you there isn't much
going on there-a paragraph will dispose
of it-so on you go. You are in time TO,
the train, you look about, there's nobod.
from n other -newspaper there. You
spirits rise, you've scored g pom
In comes the train. Your Inter
view" is amenable, asks you t
way. It's astonishing how much informa
ton you can get in a very little time. Cor
rect information too, Just what your pub
lie wants. And here is q point which I de
sire to give to the would.b be newspape
girl. You are Of little value to your pape
unless the information you get is perfect,
correct and reliable, and unless you know
and understand the points which the pub
JIG and the paper not only want to know
but have the right to know. d,
Well, YOU go back with your materia
and write out your interview. Perhap!
you think since hat is done you will be a
liberty. 1t may be that you will; and i
may be also that you will be asked to ge
somewhere il the evening and write ar
account of a lecture, a party, a convention
a fancy fair or a revival. That is the news,
paper day, and pretty much every day
SaLie joy White IN March Wide Aarake.
Tho T od;oe DoIiuhtad