Telegram-herald., 1891-06-21

M ~ JOURNALISM 70 INV
n country CORE
spondent When
~~ANyA night with b er
sable mantle has
~sS;s- eurlained of the
world from light and sunshine, and the
brlght-eyed stars have grown dim with
silent watching. the man in the sane
tum sits driving away with cramped
hands and weary brain preparing the
news for the entertainment Of the pub
lie next day. The Office messenger
comes IN with the late mail. and with II
come several communications from the
country correspondents. Each one
seems TO have a different conception of
what new spaper really is, and their
individual ideas ~ TO what constitutes
news are equally u versified. The man
who reads their contributions has
constant source OF amusement, but he
must be as wise rs serpent and as
harmless as dove III selecting
what shall be reduced la proper ioim
for publicatlon. One man viii with
na.ntnl nole-ty OF purpose, chronicle
the most trivial events at great length.
Another has the g.f. OF romance or
prophecy; he does rot know which,
and the editor is in still greater
doubt regarding the truih OF M wild
imaginative tales. The young man who
has taste for sport SCENTS "a carefully
penned account of some rsfsi barroom
brawl or row 81 a dance % William
Whlilietroe's new barn. The man who
has Il grudge against some fellow III his
neighborhood ls apt TO work some detrl-
mental statement regarding him into
his correspondence. All have their own
peculiar virtues and their individual
shortcomings.
An Item From Sylvan Grove.
Gerardus Jigwater, of Sylvan Grove,
writes: "While Elder Jones vas a going
home from meeting Sandy night his
bay mare, Jenny, 20. e.furyalted at a
bot lily that Was stlug;ns OF ass stanach.
She kicked ter foot ,hrourr ,hs belly
band of the harn~.s Aba fol- down,
braking the wagon SING. The wagon
was nearly upset Anc Dad The axldent
occurred two mile further oil. the whole
family might have been precIpitated
over presiplce several feet high. Elder
Jones is prominent man hereabouis
and was once thought OF for justice OF
III piece."
Ii will BE- seen that Gerardus has
| given news item with evident honesty
OF purpose and with precision as To de-
tail. Hc is also aware of the fact that
| what would be a trivial affair under or
| binary circumstances, becomes an I'M
portant item. where people of promin-
| cncc are concerned. Geiartus Is also a
student o. tie present style of ltera-
ture. lie understands as wei rs Frank
| Stockton and some OF tie other fellows,
| that the things he leaves unsaid, arc
! often more interesting than the things
| he says; and that when the writer's IN
genulty can devise no satisfactory
denoument, the best thing 10 do is 10
| leave the finale TO tue readers magma
ton, as in "Thc Lady or the Tiger"
and numerous other stories. Elder
| Jones Is left far from home with an
"eniuryaitcd" mare, a large family
and a broken wagon tongue on
his hands, and the reader will b
in fever of Impotence t.
know If the ''preslp:ce' was safely
passed and whether the elder and the
boys pulled Mrs. Jones and the girls out
of the dilemma by main strength, and
arrived at their home flushed with
victory and soaked with perspiration.
A Voice from the wilderness.
| Polhcmus Plowhandse, of Sand Greek
| is given TO sport rs will be seen by the
! next article, which closes with an edi-
torial opinion. The real names arc
withheld, partly to preserve the conf
| dence guaranteed To- correspondents
and partly for fear of personal violence.
/ Here is what Poihemus considers an
item of general interest
| 'rhcy was couple of smart alecks
| struck tins town last week supposed 10
come from Grand Rapids. They anus
ed themselves 10y mashing all OF our
| perry girls aud cutting a heavy swell
| (, morally. They ran into i!lli Brown
| ~ - Slurunl's saloon and tired TO give
! him some sass. Bill knockt one of
them twelve feet by actasl measure
ment. and he split the other ones coat
up the back aud tore the RIM OF from
| his plug hat. Tho par ran away down
| the railroad track persuade hy a gang
OF tho boys. They amt no flies on Bill"
| The above are samples of the worst
/ specimens and the last one 10 almost a
| verbatim copy of one received from q
remote northern town not long ago. II
| u but fair to state that the al,ave are
! not fair samples, az many country cor
respondents are intelligent toiling
! pedagogucs who write their news In an
| admirable manner and who are valu-
able adjuncts To daily paper.
The Little Town Of Talbot
II ia ia the wayback districts where
correspondents a.e scarce that Difficult.
ties arse. Now and then = good piece
! of news emsnsies from tho little
town OF Taiifolt aud the daily press
must have i At any cost. 1t comes 10
the Office feaffuiiy written and on
! derfully constructed. 20 be sure hut 4
/ comes. The man WHO edits Il and
converts IL into readable nis;ier sweais
drops Of gore and is doomed 70 an early
I grave. hat when ne has shnaisd of
/ there are a dozen men sh0uidefsng after
/ his place and enc Of thcSH gets it. "a
/ follow m the same Way. The pious.
/ earnest ruralst. who desires 10
| instruct and reform the world
With one journalistic bolns. sends
/ 10 an account Of murder 81
felcnious assault az iuterlsrded with
explanatory expressions OF Indignation.
| appropriate scflptursl quotations and
| ed taflsl opinions that u l0soss ike \
/ N G A. s>ndsfrh. Two or three at
these ~ qufck successor viil drive al
/ ord nary editor % drink The picrs
/ correspondent . probably unaware 81
! TIE 49, that hls COED fntsrtsons havs :
back sctpssi. TIE soopsr ne learns A.
1 s.-s.a siss $3.50 s.s4rs see 4 a. ssss-.sst