Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-11


dropped in, receives from the Managing
Editor, the City Editor or the Telegraph
Editor, sundry topics for illustrations,
and is at work in HIS room, and then
enters the editorial writer-the chief
assistant Of the Managing Editor. This
gentleman and his chief are closeted
for time, consulting as to what is to
be said upon this or that topic Of edi-
tcrial discussion, and this settled upon,
and talk with the Foreman over
the business Of getting out the paper is
COMMENCED IN EARNEST.
BY two o'clock the first installmento OF
the afternoon telegraph report has ar
rived, and is undergoing the scrutiny OF
the Telegraph Editor, the City Editor has
dismissed his last reporter, and departs
himself for a tussel with the news of
the day, the exchange man Is locking
over the papers from out OF town, and
the whole machinery Of news-gathering
is in operation.
Up in the big composing room, on the
fourth floor, there is likewise busy
scene. A dozen and half compositors
are hard az work distributing their cases
full of type, in readiness for the call
Of slime" at seven o'clock in the even
ing, when the great attack will be made
upon the "copy" which will have by
that time accumulated largely. This
work of distribution is generally COM
pleted by four o'clock, when, with their
cases full OF type, the compOsitors 60
home for supper and rest before COM
nencing the real business Of the day.
At o'clock the Telegraph Editor has
selected from the thousands OF words of
the afternoon report" coming from all
quarters Of the globe, such items Of
news as he wants, has read them over,
smoothed out the frequent diSconnec-
tions in sentences and the mangled and
misspelled words, inSeparable from
rough journey over so many miles Of
line, put appropriate heads upon each
separate Item, and sent them up long
chute 10 the composing room; the edi-
torial man has put upon paper such
political and other utterances as have
been outlined by the Managing Editor,
or deemed pertinent by himself, and
these have also gone TO the printers,
while the reporters have each brought
In their first installment Of early news,
the items have passed the scrutiny Of
the City Editor, and have gone to the
same destination.
From o'clock until a quarter past
there Is a lull In the editorial, tele-
graph and editorial rooms,
THE SCENE OF ACTIVITY
having been temporarily transferred to
the composing room, where, under a
long array Of gaslights, the corps Of
compositors have commenced the task
of reproducing the manuscript copy"
in type-a work which, commencing at
: o'clock, goes forward with feveriSh
haste, yet perfect order, until the last
item comes upstairs at half-paSt 3 in the
morning, and the Night Editor makes
tho welcome announcement that while
he has lot of other good stuff, as there
are already four columns too much In
type he supposes he may as well an
nounce $50" and quit. Thirty" in
newspaper parlance signifies the end;
go" written on q piece of copy convey
ing the information that there is moth
ing more to follow.
About half-past seven or eight o'clock
things begin TO show some signs OF ac-
tivity in the editorial and telegraph
rooms, although the local room is still
ouiet and dark. the reporters being
scattered all over the city at that hour,
looking after evening assignments ana
gathering up the chance ana routine
news of the day. In the editorial room
the evening mail has been dumped out
on the tables, 10 the extent OF a bushel
or so. there is a constant procession OF
telegraph boys coming with special dis
matches or the regular night press re-
mort. the editorial man is busy with du-
plicate proofs of early telegraph aEd
local news, selecting current topics Tor
comment, news letters from the sur
rounding towns are coming IN, are haSti-
" edited and sent 70 the Composing
room. aud telegraph orders are sent OIL
for details of West Virginia, Eastern
Ohio or Western Pennsylvania news, re-
garding which Geographic queries have
been received from regular correspond
entS.
At about half-past eight the City
Editor comes in, the telephone bell be-
gins TO ring, reporter or twO'0rops IN
during the succeeding half hour or so,
with reports of meetings, early pohce
and Justice Office news, and the humid
red and one items which make up the
news of the day, and from that time
until midnight there Is
PERPETUAL. RUSH AND AN INCESSANr
GRIND
in that department. From nine o'clock
until twelve no one in the city depart
ment has a chance 10 think twice. Ar
engagements made early in the evening
are completely upset by some uneX-
pected occurrence, which neceSSi-
tates the cutting down OF column arti-
cles. prepared with much trouble, into
two-inch items, or being left out OF
the paper altogether; reporters as
signed TO some special task are suddenly
called away 20 undertake something OF
. widely different nature, the almost
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