The record-union., 1891-09-05

that he would not have the teinerity to
recur TO the subject again, publicly or
privately; but it seems we had not en-
tirely tathomed the depths of his un-
adulterated meanness. He is going
around again. boring with that exploded
and tlme-worn lie, as many as he can get
to listen TO him. But, as everyone knows
to be an unmitigated, constituencies,
irredeemable liar, it makes very little diff
ference what he says"
There is something refreshing! What
editor, held down and handicapped by
metropolitan journalistic etiquette, does
not, after reading that, feel like graSping
editor McGonigIe by the hand and say
ing, in husky, passionate tones: We'll
done, old man! Where do you and the
Parson dine Tonight"
incidentally l may add word in
praise of Editor McGonigle. He is a man
among thousand man from the soles
OF his boots to the topknot of his head.
lie is blunt, and doesn't hesitate when he
has an opinion, and his expressions,
sometimes roughly coated, often cover
perfect gems OF thought. Straight as a
hddle string, tuned for the 'Deyil's
Dream," is Editor McGonigle.
Apropos OF newspapers and journalism,
L am sometimes approached by young
men who have served their time at
school and college, and are anxious TO
become reporters, editors, correspondents
and one thing and another connected
with journalism. ] have with me now a
letter written by a young man who, when
last saw him, was only SchoolbOy.
He thinks he has literary taste, or a taste
for literature, talent, genius, or some
thing, which will enable him to advance
rapidly from the lower steps to that hight
from which man may look down upon
the world ard eXclaim: I'VE have met
the enemy, and they are ours.''
That is all right, that is. It's very nice
when we look at it from q distance. But
1 would not advise any young man to
hunt long for a position as u reporter
unless he is dead sure that there is q re-
porter inside Of him, gnawing at his
Vltals. If he cannot sleep Of nights with
out dreaming Of interviews; If he cannot
exist withouC scribbling notes all over
himself; ii he has visions Of free passes to
theaters, prize fights and Sunday-school
entertainments; if he thinks the hardest
of all hard drudgery is delightful; if he
can fight and lie, and sit patiently on a
hard chair until the hindermost
buttons OF his pants get tangled up with
the WhlskerS on the back OF his neck; if
he can go into the Morgue and view a
thirty y-day-in-transit corpse unmOved; if
he can see human depraVity and human
suffering and understand it all; il he can
camly watch the blue pencil simmer
through his work like a silent flash Of
summer lightning; if he can pull himself
out of bed at 3 a. NJ. and follow q fire en-
gine mile through pelting rain; if he
can do this much, and no more, there
may be something in him. After five, or
ten, or fifteen years of this sort of ap-
premiership he will probably find out
whether or no he is to shine as a fixed
star i'll Journalism, or twinkle merriIy for
awhile and explode.
Climbing up from the lowest round to
the hight mentioned by my enthusiastic
young friend is not so luminOusly beau
tltu1. 1t Is not one step over another
Every now and then there is slip, and
more or less climbing must be repeated.
But it is a good schooI-a school in which
one learns things never found in books;
where the lessons are hammered in and
not forgotten. 1t is a school governed by
human nature, and in which the sorrows,
the burdens, the smiles and tears of
humanity form the greater part Of its
alpha and omega.
To the reporter the saddest of all sad
stories become common things enough.
de must see the misery, as well as the
happiness of life, and generally it is more
misery than happiness. Weak humanity
is always gathering, carrying and eating
It's Dead Sea apples, dreaming its dreams,
dllu Du1iOllIS llS CASTLES III lno air, facing
the destruction of its hopes. going down
or painfully toiling up again. The re-
porter who sees these things must learn,
and II he is manly man the knowledge
he acquires Is of great and lasting benefit,
not only to himself, but to others, for he
sees behind the scenes, and understands
For this reason l believe there can be
no better school for a sturdy, Intelligent
young fellow who has his heart in the
right place. But L would not advise any
young man to become a reporter unless
he is quite sure that he will be successful.
There is nothing easy about reporting. It
is not "a soft racket" 1t is the hardest of
hard work. No matter how gifted, how
versatile and fOrcible a reporter may be
he will run to the end of his string at
last, and find a long rest the sweetest
thing life holds.
As TO working up from the reportorial
ranks to a position in the editorial sane
tum, l shall say nothing. Life is too
short. A. Y. HOFFMAN,
Fillmore, Ventura Co., Sept. l, 1891.