Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-01-06
TALK ABOUT NEW YORK ~.
fORTERSs
T. s. f. Matthew'S In the cha,,r
Interesting % CFltSi,i,.,, ''7a

u - ~ ihc New York rerort.,
{ write chiefly. for n that cir, 'aa'
reporter not only receives the birs
/ wages but also has a better Stan.I-
i'm a social and business way tbaa
any other cIry in the United g.,
The reporters 0t a New Ynr. IN
newspaper number from II Ia a
cording TO the size and pretensi,
of the paper. They may be Cfvidar
each office into two CLASSES. lbs
eral and the special reporter. The -
craI reporter is the man who nus d.
writes of a bank failure and tba -
Of a longShorenHT-- strike; who !.
day is Mlsy with disaster and 4.
next with an eiopement. The sno,..,
reporter is the man who has narr,-
er field for his pen. Efe is generate.
expert. whether his line of WORT y,
cuStomh house affairs. naval mario
local or general politics. real a,,t.
horse racing athletics. exploraton
popu,ariZing ol the sciences or u-E,.
not The average reporter i no Inn,
or a young man" in years. He is eys.
Young, perhaps. in spirits, but the c,m
petition for aaIurate Trustworthy ana
well-Written news is such thai na-
Of experience and good Judgment an,
most in demand One newspapar b
New York more than amy other ia 70
SpOnsiblc for the idea that reportars
are usually young men. IT has referred
constantly TO its young men, with
pride and has done more thereby 10
cXalt and dignity the reporters call
ing than amy other newspaper. Tho
editorial chief of the office. the ono
msn around whom the whole macbiD.
,1y of the office revOlycs, ana the opa
man whom American newspaper men
practically without exception rpgapl
as the leader of the profcssion-I ri.
for to Mr. Dana of the SUMS uo
youngest Of them all, as has been said
by another in print and works as Ia
bOriOusly at his dt,G from six to eight
hours every day, six days in a week
as any man in his employ, although
ne has passed the three-Score and ten
milestone of his life by several years
Without doubt the first Requirement
Of the successful reporter nowadays s
thar he shall not only dress ike
gentleman, act like a gentleman. but
shall be "a gentleman. lie is usually
man from - to - years of age In
appearance ne is 50 much like TIE
successful broker, the wtll-inl0rmei
and prosperous merchant or lawyer OF
man of culture, that from his dress
he might easily pass as any Of them
lie is almost never seen with a note
book, and rarely uses one except to
record names and dates He is quie.
ana dignitied i'm his behavior, cOnsid
crate in his thoughts and ways Ha
has long interview with a man, and
instinctiycly knows what to suppress
what to modify, what grammatical
errors of col'oWdal speech TO omit
N short. how to arrange mans words
rs tho average man likes TO appear
when speaking in print, The most sW-
ceSSful reporter in New York is with
out doubt the college bred man. Their
drG scores of nOn.college men in tha
business. and many Of them are among
the leaders, but, other things being
equal, the college mGn invariably 20
TO the front Some one has said that
the chief drawback of a reporters cali
ing is thar il exposes him to an kinds
Of weather and to Ill kinds of PEG
pie That IS true, but even this has
it's advantage Exposure to weather
when ono is properly prepared j.
healthful, and often invigorating. The
same is true Of exposure to people
No other occupation has the variety
somd of it undesirable-of that Of the
reporter. Almost every day brings
new task for him. He rubs against
luxury and misery.
Are the rewards of a reporter suff
cidnt for his work? IN New York be
usually makes from SO to $50 and
sometimes 800 a week 1t is always
the result Of hard toll Often in spite
Of physical exhaustion as the result
Of his Investigations he must sit down
to write when most of all he longs for
rest. He must use the closest mental
copcentra ton the most acute judg
ment in Sitting his material, accepting
what is trustworthy and rejecting whal
is undesirable with almost no oppor
tnity for revision, aud at the very
time when his physical vitality is low
est In other cities than New YorS
thd reporter rarely earns more thlD
$50 a week. But the reporter reaA!
earns something more than his wages.
One of the chief compensations Of hs
career is his friendships with p'iOh'
men and others who are close to Jns
springs of public movement
But there is still a greater reward
in the reporters life. 1t is the coz
seriousness of having played a part d
The affairs Of life for the distinct pun
lie good. When one thinks Of the re
forms reporters have brought aDous
the nescues they have made, the goo
cheer they have brought 10 otheis.
surely one may overlook some OF .Is
injudicious and otherwise censuaVn
deeds they have done, Oftener in siiD,
obedience to orders given by men WY
would not do that which they dlIe"