Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-10
TO BE A REPORTER,
WHAT THE ABUSED NEwsPAPER
MAN HAS To CONTEND WITH.
A Unique Advertisement for a be-
Einner-IdIer. Think the Work is
Easy-worries About Being SCOOP
ed-Gcttins Different Items Mixed.

YOUTH. OR YOUNG MAN WHO DE-
SihES to receive practical training for
reportorial work is requested 20 apply
at - Office between and 10 a. NJ.
Must have good English education. Small
salary at the start.
This unique advertisement appeared In
a Richmond daily a few days ago. and
guess between the hours named that
Office had precious little opportunity
TO do any business; for the world Is full
OF people looking for snaps, and the
opinion OF the average person is that
newspaper men are the favored ones OF
earth. The fact that the salary is 10
be small" should not cut any figure,
when it is TO be remembered that you
receive practical training for repor-
torial work" Just what that is 1 am I'M
able to say. but I have seen the time
during my experience that l wished from
the innermost depths Of my pathetic soul
that had trained for prize-hghter be-
fore / undertook reporting. Far be 1t
from me, however, to discourage any one
In an honest effort to acquire fame and
glory and an occasional dollar, TO say that
the voyage Of journalism is over turbu-
lent waters, with rocky coasts upon
which you are at any minute liable to
have your hopes dashed to earth never
10 rise again; nor would like to be the
unintsntionaI instrument Of holding up a
raise picture regarding the life Of the
newsgatherer. but / would say this: Go
very slow in believing all you hear about
how lovely II Is to be reporter.
Some folks think that the life Of a
newspaper reporter ia one continuous
golden thread. in which there are no
Knots or unpleesantness. that while others
are humping over the rough places the
scribe IL meandsring along smoothly and
peacefully. and Is Just having the easiest
time Of anybody living. This may be
true OF some reporters. bat IL is not the
case with those on this paper-that is,
judging the others la myself (of course
this doesn't apply t. the Idle Reporter.
AS general thing. the people who
think-no, they couldn't think-tfe people
who have been left under the impression
that we have such q pie time are those
who have very slight acquaintance with
old man Work. and stin less with US. The
world, however. is full of those people.
They toll not themselves. neither do they
give any one else credit for saving wood,
and II you ask why they are loafing the
reply Is made that they want TO work
but can't find a Job. or the position IL
not In accord with their talented attain
ments and ability. yet these very fellows
are windy as to the easy time reporters
have. IL Is certainly a shame that such
talents should be wasted. Come OF those
who are so anxious to work might get
on paper and then In the luxuriant fields
OF journalism garner an abundant harvest
Of honor and find out by personal ex-
perience what snap a reporter has.
Then. too, they would have bang-up
opportunity to crafty that desire for
work which they talk so much about
Eight hours OF daylight and as many
more Of night yield a magnificent oppor-
tunity for experimental endeavors and
with an occasional fire or false alarm at
daybreak these fellows will have found
out how lovely II is TO be a reporter.
Because reporters are always smiling
and bright and cheerful IS no reason they
are happy. That's a part OF the business,
and we often have TO assume a virtue and
be blithe and gay when really we would
greatly prefer to scowl or swear. You
can't sleep at night for FEAR the other
paper has gotten something that you
missed. and you read the two papers next
morning with fear and trembling. You
may have beat your neighbor on the best
item OF the day. but If you happen TO
miss the fact that some rooter went
over to Petersburg with the Richmonds
you get n note with the item pasted
over IL. but never a word Is said about
the half-column scoop that you worked so
hard to get.