The herald., 1895-03-14
They Talk of the Ideal in Daily Journalism
and About Newsgathering

coroner's inquest as at a full dress ball
and while she may be welcomed by the
debutante who displays her first ball dress
in ecstasy. the coroner cannot see why
she exists and the lack of appreciation in
a coroner is very hard to bear.
The local reporter deals almost entirely
with men, the newspaper world sets forth
largely the ideas of men, and it is only
very recently that an editor or publisher
could be made to look at anything from a
womans standpoint.
This was the beginning of the 'wo-
mans department" in the city newspa-
pers, those columns of household, fashion,
recipes, and other twaddle with which
many an editor thinks he must cater to
the feminine taste.
women held their positions on newspa-
pers by the skin of their teeth.
They also obtained positions as space
writer's but as all-around reporters there
| is small show for them yet.
But there are men in the newspaper
humanity, and that her point of view may
be quite as interesting to the general
/ public as mans; and then, if as Il re-
| porter she shows herself at all clever, she
! may, on trial, convince the editor that she
| knows something and very reluctantly he
admits her to the local room, that sacred
| precinct, where the air is always blue
with tobacco smoke, and where the men
sit with their feet on the table and their
hats on their heads.
Here is an atmosphere wholly new to
her; she must be judged solely by her
merits, and here she may write all the
news of the day with a new vision.
She soons learns to be profound over a
sermon, witty over banquet, superficial
over a society function. learned over a
lecture, and versatile in club work.
She is able to write an obituary at a
moments notice, and interviews with a
stage beauty without warming; she must
be equal to an expose OF spiritualism a
dissertation on theosophy and an armory
ball in one and the same evening.
To be really a successful reporter she
must be psychologist. a legislator, a met
aphysician. She must understand all
schools of art and be immensely wise on
im,pressionism. She must be up on sym
bolism and be music and dramatic
critic. She must be full of humor, wit,
persit1age, sarcasm and sympathy.
She must be a book reviewer and
equally at home in biography, fiction,
history, science and education. She must
be able to get up a half column on the
weather, or column Oh the new system
of individual work in the public schools
at CALL
But above all, over all and through all,
she must be the society editor, and with
all the daily stuff she grinds out, she must
fai thfully chronicle-the fact that Mrs.
Al bert Alphonso Brown gave whist
nue. last evening; that there were
fourteen tables; that Miss Eliza beth
Carolyn Bartholomew won the
first prize, wide mouthed rose
of green Bohemian glass, and that Mrs
General Forsythe Van Bont won the
second prize, a beautiful lockwood pit
cher, that the score cards were made of
rough paper, edged with all the coors of
the rainbow, that they were in the shape
of hearts, and to them were attached
small punches OF artificial flowers and ber-
ries on their own stems, and that the
guests were General and Mrs. Y. Y. Il.
Manahan and Judge and Mrs. Stephen
Harding Davidson, and 50 on and so on,
ad infinitum to the extent of a column.
The public is always supposed to be on
the qui vive in social matters, and it is
wild to know that at Mrs. Orion Champ
ion luncheon, covers were laid for twelve
that there were lavender shades on the
candelebra, and that lavender satin rib
bons were woven among the violets that
strewed the table, that there were souvenir,
violet bonbon boxes for each guest, and
other minute and important details that
the editor considers as part of the news of
the day. -----'-
The woman reporter is supposed to
gather this at the Chamber of Commerce.
the Board of Education rooms, and the City
Hall. She CLEANS it from the Citrus Fair,
and the Teachers institute; or the Bee
keepers Association, where she may have
her detail; or she breathes it in, on her
wanderings to and from the Office.
The reporter must learn too, that she is
not authority as to the Importance of her
items, and that she mus be admonished
and snubbed vigorously, and take her
share of expletives with the rest of the
reporters.
She must work like man and never
fall down on a detail; and if she proves
her efficiency and scope on the staff, she
will become permanency-with time.
Every reporter works under pressure,
the Tin de steele newspaper wants every
bit of news first, and one must be able to
scent news in the air and be ready to in
vestigate a tip almost before it is given
Reporting demands quick thought, but
characteristic style; "a wide acquant-
ance, and the latter is often far more valu-
able than one imagines.
The women of the American press re-
ceived special tribute from Max O'Rell
when he was in this country, and his dis
tinguished consideration was very encour-
aging to them.
At the conclusion of the above brilliant
paper, which was capitally read Mrs,
Florence Hardman Miller of Oakland
who was sent as delegate to the conven
ton, and who is an active newspaper
woman, was called upon. Mrs. Miller
spoke a few graceful words of encour-
agement and hope to the local associa-
ton. Mrs. Ema Foster Haberkorn was
then called to the platform.
Mrs. Haberkorn gave graphic de-
scription OF her experience among the
blacks in the South, where she was sent
as CORES pondont by the Pittsburg Dis
patch some years ago. She told Of her
experience with J. Q. Brady, Frederick
Douglass and James G.. Blaine of Mrs
Francis Harper and some lectures she
heard her give, and of the various phases
of life of the blacks and half blacks, male
and female, III Selma.
The exercises closed with a brief address
by Rev. Ada Bowles, who eulogized
Francis Harper, and told of an experience
i'll New York where Mrs. Harper and
another colored member of the Woman's
congress were excluded from an invitation
extended to the rest of the congress by one
of the alleged swelldom in New York; of
the action OF Sorosis in the matter. Mrs.
Bowles concluded her remarks by saving
she had championed Mrs. Harper's cause,
which brought forth much applause.
The ideal In Journalism
Mrs. JEANNE Peet of Palmdale wrote the
following paper, which was read by Mrs.
Mary N. Bowman, on Tuesday:
THE press is the subtlest, strongest.
most farreaching influence IN the civil.
lied world to-day. | believe that a mo-
ment's thought will check any impulse to |
question the truth of this. Church, !
statecraft, caste, wealth-these are still |