The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-02-05
THE USE OF A PENCIL.
A Southern Journalist Advises News
paper Men to Use 1t for Business
''Write-ups" as a Sure Way to Fortune.

A pencil is one of the cheapest
things that a man can buy.
And yet there is fortune in it for
the right man.
To use it proiitably requires push
not a mere physical movement, but
the brainy, electric push that shoves
great enterprises forward, startling
and dazzling the world.
Hundreds of sensible and well-edu-
Gated young fellows seize their pencils
every year and rush into journalism
and literature, determined to win fame
and fortune. They do good work
and make bare living. aud are lucky
if they hold their own at that.
They lack the pushing quality, or
push the wrong way.
If Il writer wants to find a fortune
in his pencil he must recognize the
fact that this is business age--busi-
ness dominates every circle aud it has
4 literature of its own that has money
in it,
We are living in an age of gigantic
enterprises-of phenomenal industrial
development. Material progress is the
thing, ana it occupies the first place in
the minds of meH.
This is the field for n man who is
master of his pencil. There is work,
aud pleasure. and profit in it. The
men who are building towns and rail
ways. developing mines. turning the
wilderness into gardens. erecting
forges and factories, and inveniing
labor saving machines are in search OF
historians to write up their work and
place it before the world in the proper
light, and they will pay well.
Many writers have found this out,
and they are growing rich
An advertising writer who was here
at one of our cxpositions makes $lO,-
900 a year. He confines himself to no
one paper, but enjoys rowing life.
He left Atlanta to 90 to Australa-a
country where the newspapers are
even larger than ours.
A young man established himself in
a western city as an advertising writer
on commission for big daily in the
east. In two or three years he had an
annual income of $50 000
A southern Noman grew disheart-
ened trying to make living out of
the ordinary routine of journalism. In
despair she tried writing up towns and
enterprises for New York paper.
She now makes $4,000 year and trav-
els very often in Il special car
A weil-knOwn humorist who has
written and lectured for years making
very little money is now devoting
himself to what newspaper men call
''write-ups," and for the first time in
his life has all the money he wants
The college graduate who wants to
be an editorial writer may sneer but
these business writer's make SO where
he makes one.
1t is mistake that these progressive
and pushing writer's lack the ability
and culture of the gentlemen who
work III editorial sanctums. They are
brainy and gifted writers and the
world is indebted TO them for suones-
tons. facts and figures that are OF ia
calculable value.
1t Is another mistake to suppose that
they can succeed in their special line
II they have OILY average ability. |
They have to invest their ''write-upsn
with the charm of an attractive style. |
These special writer's soon grow en-
thus!astic. They know that their pen |
ellis are important factors in the deyel- /
opment Of the country. They appre-
ciate the magnitude of our material in
tcrcsts. They know that their articles
may shift population, build up busi- |
ness centers, influence industry and /
and turn long neglected /
resources into millions of money. !
They know, too, ii they are careless !
and unreliable they will find them
selves out OF employment while if (
they are honest and truthful they will I
command high wages, and be quoted /
as experts in their various fields of (
work.
The average young man may think
1t bigger thing TO write political edi-
torials, stories and poems than to
write up fields. furnaces. factories and
rade matters. All right, let him think
80. At the end of ten years lie will be
1t work Oh moderate salary, with
lothing else IN view. while the Young
'ter WHO started out to push his pencil
n Il business way will be able to own
| good paper and hire others TO do his
work. Plenty Of brtiny, business push
viii make Il pencil pan out like little
gold mine!- ji'aiLace Z. Reed IN AAanta
Constitution,