Connecticut western news., 1894-07-19
A BIT OF NEWS.

! A Dll Uf NE NO.
 "Write for The Timesl Do you i'm agine you went to college for that? You can't write"
 "Have you ever given me the chance?''
 No But I know you couldn't. I dare say you've been counting on doing this, eh?'' The younger man bowed. And have been laying in stock of flowing rhetoric and fine spun theories" the elder continued "Humph The Times wouldn't pay in months time if we fed the public on stuff of that sort. What it wants is food of another kind.
 Whats to prevent my providing it as we'll as the other writers on the staff? Is my college education to be draw back to me? If it is"-
 The sentence was left unfinished, and the elder man silently returned to his work of glancing over some copy spread on the desk before him. When he had finished the last page, he turned to the first and wrote I'm g." across the top.
 "What does that mean?" George Stanton inquired
 ''Those letters stand for must go. "
 "Then whatever bears them goes?"
 His uncle surveyed, him with grim smile lighting his face. ..z..
 "It's apt to-" he said dryly.
 Then anything I might write would be printed, regardless of its merit, if you so marked it?'' FE3
 Certainly. But you must remember that an uncle indulgent to faults and the proprietor of this paper-a successful business enterprise = are two distinct personalities'-'
 (Which you bear. I understand. But surely literary merit cuts some figure?"
 "Um-if the name of the writer who possesses it is we'll known, it does. ;"
 Not otherwise?"
 The elder man shook his head em- phatically. ''I've no use for lem"
 "Why, that makes out the newspaper of today money making machine of the lowest order" George Stanton ex- claimed indignantly. ''The brains of the concern are subservient to the busi- ness office.
 Exactly.
 There was pause, during which the younger man tipped back his chair against the wall and gazed abstractedly at the ceiling. At length he brought the legs of the chair to the floor with em- phasis
 ''I still maintain that it isn't fair that shouldn't be given a trial, he remarked
 'I suppose you've got batch of manuscripts all ready to fire at me. !" The nephew's face flushed. ''I thought so. Well, don't want lem. Now, see here. What this paper wants isn't rhet- oric, it isn't eloquence, it isn't philoso- phy, it isn't literary merit, as you call it It's just life-plain, everyday life. wouldn't publish the most beautiful flight of fancy that was ever written. I've no use for that sort. But life things near, local, personal-give me those If you keep your eyes and ears open, you'll find more tragedy in one block of San Francisco than in the whole of Shakespeare luSn yOu give Ilo tue CudaCt! Frederick Stanton hesitated. "It's open to you the same as it is to all" he replied indifferently. ''You would be paid for space work at our regular rates, providing we accepted it. Mind you, l don't say I'll take what you write. l" But if it suits you'll m. g.. it?'' ''H it suits," the other repeated a little sarcastioally, with movement which closed the interview. A week later the young man again | presented himself in his uncle's private | office.
 'I've, followed your advice, Uncle | Fred, and taken life for my subject. He threw himself into chair and gave twist to his head in the direction of the inner door. It was slightly ajar, and he rose and shut it before he resumed. | "You see, what you said about the tragedies of life, and of course inferred that you meant the comedies as we'll, | being right under our noses, as 1t | were, set me to thinking Meantime l have found out the true meaning of your mystic letters. Whatever bears them must go in the columns of the next is- | consideration. They are so potent as to require no explanation, no suggestion from the molders of public opinion who preside in the editorial den. Whatever an editor may receive from proprietor initialed m. g. will be printed, even if it be the death warrant of the entire staff !"
 "Is this lecture on the depravity oi the press in general, or my own paper in particular?" -
 Neither. It is to let you know that have been further enlightened since we last discussed this subject. I now un. derstand what exists as mighty factor in the management of newspaper, and I want you to put it on the top of that. T He tossed some sheets of closely writer paper on the desk in front of the other
 "Humph"
 If I listen may gather the very material he wants, I said I listened Eureka! I hatter myself that I've go something spicy and realistic enough te suit even you"
 .'I told you that if you wrote any thing fit to set up type for it would b' judged impartially and paid for at th' regular rates.
 Ut isn't the pay so much, l" Georg Stanton replied contemptuously.
 "Want to see yourself in print, sup pose. Well, let's see what you've pro duced.'' He took up the sheets befor him and began to read them. When h