The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-12-25
THE YOUNGEST MAN ON THE STAFF
RELIEVES HIS MIND.


If those people have any sense of humor,
and should try reporting for week,
they would see that it is the unwritten
news that sweetens the reporters lot. 1t
is the side lights, the pathetically conf
cal side of things which he sees, that
makes a reporters life so fascinating.
Boston and reporting are the two most
fascinating things know of; and ! came
to both with strong prejudice against
them.
''rll tell you what the truth about the
whole marter is, only you cam print it. !"
And he told me, and couldn't print it.
People complain that the newspapers
print everything; but they would be as
tonished to see how much reporters get
hold of that they don't print. Newspa-
pers give the outlines of cvents-the
husks, | might almost say. If they
filled in all the color and put in the
kernel, newspapers would be far more
interesting than they now are, but re-
porters would be short-lived race.
Then, too, perspective would be lost, for
often the most amusing and whimsical
cases occur in the most insignificant
assignments; - and some of the news
that the public is most eagerly awaiting
is the baldest and most uninteresting to
write up. Local paragraphs would be
extended to columns, and "scare head
stories would be contracted to a
stick"
4 Then again we have to be discreet.
The Alderman has to talk the purest
English that the reporter knows. In de
scribing procession of the most villain
GUS looking lot of men ever saw,
quoted some of their remarks verbatim,
indicating the pronunciation by the
spelling. The next morning l was
chagrined to see the whole nicely smooth
ed down into good Sunday School Eng
lish with the most correct spelling.
Therefore l now make two reports.
My notes contain all have time to take
down, and from them write up as much
as l think the editor will stand, and
store the rest away for that pleasant day
when the Great American Novel shall be
written, or for some other time when the
reporter shall be allowed to say 81, - in
stead of ''The Journal man. and when
the of the blue pencil shall be banished
from the land.
An English reporter who spent some
years at work on American newspapers
says that the reporter in the United
States is social Pariah. In the second
class hotel where he boarded in New
York, as soon as it was discovered that
he was reporter he noticed distinct
change in mems manner toward him"
This is a very sad case, and believe it
as implicitly, when read it, as l did the
common report that a college education
was distinct disadvantage to man
who intended taking up newspaper
work.
The aforementioned Englishman
also said that reporters were obliged to
do some very degrading work for their
newspapers. You may imagine my joy,
then, when the city editor said to me
after had been on the paper couple of
days:
1--WE don't expect reporter ever to do
anything unbecoming gentleman to get
news, but we do expect him to work"
That was not more pleasant, however,
than the IL eatment received on the first
job of reporting 1 ever did, viz, on
tennis tournament at a summer resort
Considering myself as social Pariah,''
though with all expenses paid. was
naturally little shy; but before had
been there two days three ladies intro
duced themselves to me, because they
were so much interested in newspaper
work"
And the majority of people look on
reporter as something like father con-
lessor. You would be astonished to hear
the number of people in the course of
week who will tell you about their most
private affairs, in strict confidence, of
course; who will show you their scrap
books or stamp collections; the poems
that their grandfather wrote when he
was SO years old; their albums of dried
leaves from famous places, and the pho
tograph of the young man they were en-
gagged to 30 years ago, who died very
suddenly of typhoid fever.
In this column will be given some of
that unwritten news have spoken of.
1t will not be news, because names,
dates, the street and number of the
house will discreetly be omitted. But if
it does not bear the stamps of truth on its
face, it will not be my fault.
=
"You want to interview Senator Nor
ton,do yon?" said the editor of the
but perhaps had say only that he edi-
ted one of the 'livest'' of country news
papers, and could point to more than one
Boston daily that had quoted his edi-
torials, and irdorsed them.
Well, he's an affable chap, though he
won't tell you any more than he wants
to. had sort of cinch on him, though.
because found out about that hazing
case where his son was driven insane.
That was one of the best things l ever
struck; it had big run all over the
country. Perhaps you remember it,
about four or five years ago. 1t hap