The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-16

| ing the language may not be OF much avail
| after ALL Perhaps that 10 an exaggeration
| and take II back: but It 10 an object to know
Shakespeare: It lie indispensable to q Jour
| nalist
Then there Ia another English author who
ought not to be neglected by any young mar
| who means TO succeed In this profession.
| mean John Milton. and | invite your atten.
| tion to that immortal essay OF his. too little
known 10 our day. the Speech for the
Liberty OF Unlicensed Printing. 1t is treas.
| ury OF the Highest wisdom. OF the noblest
sentime nts and OF the greatest instruction
study that and you will get at once the phi
losophy OF English liberty and the highest
doctrine that has ever been promulgated.
to my knowledge. with regard to the freedom
OF the press.
When advise you to mako yourselves fnmil-
lar with those glories Of English literature. l
do not say that these writer's ought to be taken
as models. DO not take any model. Every man
has his own natural style. and the thing TO do
Ia to develop It into simplicity and clear
ness. Do not. for instance. labor after such q
style as Matthew Arnold's-one OF the most
beautiful styles that has ever been seen in any
literature. 1t Ia no use to try to get another
mans STYLE or to initiate the wit or the man
nerisms Of another writer The late Dir. Car
lyle. for example. did. in my judgment. q con-
siderable mischief in his day because he led
everybody to write after the style OF his
French Revolution. and It became pretty te-
dious. They got over It after time. however.
But It was not q good thing Let every man
write in his own style. taking care only not to
be led into any afrectation. but to be perfectly
clear. perfectly simple. or. In other words.
to follow the honored and noble traditions Of
Union College lApplausel
That is all that it seems to me necessary to
say with regard to the studies and the educa-
tion OF the journalist. Now. lot us turn to the
practice OF this profession. One Of the parts OF
the Newspaper profession which employs the
greatest number OF men. and I may also say
the greatest amount Of talent. is the
business of reporting. In large news
paper office. az In the Tribune in New
York. for example. where there may be
one hundred men who are attached to the
paper as writer's. as correspondents. as re-
porters. and to the strictly editorial depart
ment. out OF this ono hundred sixty or seventy
will be reporters. that is. men who are sent out
bank breaks. whom a great fire takes place.
when there 10 an earthquake. to inquire into
the facts and collect information. and to put
that information into form so that it can be
printed the next day. That is one Of the most
important branches OF tho profession.
and 1t Is paid very literally. l am glad to say.
For instance. / know many reporters who
earn $40 or SIS a day and some who earn
more They have constant employment. and
their labor is entirely agreeable to tn en- selves.
That Is one Of the FIRST things. when a young
man comes for employment and you take him
on and give him chance. that he is set to do
There. you see. all this culture that We have
been considering is at once brought into &C.
"a m at Lar ofalx, ~
he must state them exactly as they are; and
II he can state them with a little degree OF
life. a little approach to eloquence. or a little
humor In his style. why. his report will be per-
|ect 1t must be accurate: it must be Fl ee
rom anectation: 1t must be well set FORTH SO
that there shall not be any doubt as to any
part or detail Of 1t: and then II it is en-
ivened with Imagination or with feeling, or |
With humor. why. YOU have got literary prod !
let that no ono need be ashamed OF. Thus |
We see this department OF the newspaper is !
really high art. and it may be carried to an |
degree Of perfection At the |
same time. the cultivated man Is not in every /
'ase the best reporter One Of the best ever !
inew was man who could not spell four |
words correctly to save his life and his verb |
lid not always agree with the subject in per-
ION and number: but he always got the fact |
10 exactly. and he saw the picturesque. the
interesting. and important aspect OF 1t so
'ividiy. that 1t was worth another mans
While. who possessed tho knowledge Of gram
mar and spelling. to go over the report and
rrite 1t out. Now. that was man who had
'enius: he had a talent the most indu bitable,
nd he got handsomely paid in spite Of his lack
4 grammar. because after his work had been
ono over by scholar it was really beautiful.
tut any man who is sincere and earnest and
PM Iyav fnl-i inn ahN Ia.
0 be good reporter. He can learn tn ascer-
ain the truth he can acquire the habit of see
ne. When he looks at fire. what is the most
important thing about that fire? Here. let us
ay. are five houses burning: which is the
reatesi2 whose store is that which is burn
ngp and who has met with the greatest loss?
las any individual persisted in the contlagra-
on' Are there any very interesting circum-
tances about the fire? How did It occur?
Vas it like Chicago. whore a cow kicked over
spirit lamp and burned up the city? All
1ese things the reporter has to Judge about
e is the eye OF the paper and he is there to
ee which is the vital fact In the story. and to
reduce 1t. tell 1t. write it out.
Next to the reporter. a very important func-
onary In the newspaper is the man who reads
10 other newspapers and makes extracts
ON them. Mr. Greeley used TO thi nix that
was enough to make good paper
he had an able man to read the exchanges.
rovided he himself was there to add up tho
'tnrns OF the elections. ILaughterl The |
an who reads tho exchanges is a very inn
ortant man: and. let ME say. too. he il a
rstty highly paid man. He has to read. we
i'll say. three thousand papers regularly. All
10 newspapers in the country como into the
hce. and he does not do anything else. He
is at his desk all day. and pile of newspa- 4,
srs, or say a cord OF newspapers. is laid be-
re him evory morning: lie starts to work and
rms them over and over to SEQ what ia in
em. He has to know what it is that !
lonld be taken from them and put into his !
lper What is the interesting story2 1t re-
Tires judgment to know this; it requires
lowledge and experience as we'll as talent
also requires sense OF humor. because
ere arc great many things that are really {
iportant that may not seem so at the first
ance. and the newspaper reader has got TO I
dge about that. He must always be on hand
I'd spend a great many hours at his desk and