The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-26
HARD WORK SOMETIMES.
Two Striking Instances of Almost SO
perhuman Physical Effort.
From the Chicago Times.


From the Chicago Times.
The story of the soldier and the expert
ence Of the spy contain no greater records
of the triumphs of physical and mental
strain than does our daily press, said E.
]. Edwards, in his address on journalism.
When Daniel Webster died Henry ]. Ray
mond, then editor of the Times, shut him
self in his private Office giving orders
that he should not be disturbed unti4 the
work he had in hand was finished. HI ,
proposed to write a life of Webster, and
he wrote steadily for more than fifteen
hours-a mastery, comprehensive, and.
for a newspaper, an exhaustive sketch and
study of the departed statesman. That
exploit was for many years regarded as
one of the greatest personal achievements
Of Journalism 1t was always referred to
when the endurance of the newspaper
man was the theme. But it was con-
spicuous because it was one OF the trst.
1t is so frequently matched nowadays
that the achievement excites no special
interest in newspaper offices. Take, for
instance the report OF the hanging Of
Guiteau, which appeared in one OF the
papers. The editor had instructed his
Washington correspondent upon three
points only-one, that it was desired that
the correspondent should write the whole
account himself, so that it should be con-
secutive, sympathetic and free from .he
rageedness which is inevitable when two
or three msn are engaged in preparing
lengthy report. Next. the editor wanted
it put upon the wire sheet by sheet; last
of all he was Qxious to have 1t complete
in the home office by 10 o'clock at night
Mr. Raymond's ach tevements did not COM
pare either with en- durance or swittness
of work with what this correspondent
must do If he were to meet the requests
of his managing editor.
The jail where Guiteau was to be hanged
was three miles from a telegraph office.
The execution was to be Cone between
the hours of u and J.. Cert. tinly half
hour would elapse after thC drop fell
before the body was delivered 20 the sur
geons, and after that there would be the
ride back to the correspondent s Office.
At the earliest moment possible the cor
respondent could not see how he could
begin this work before o'clock, and be-
tween that time and 10 he was exp seied
to write about 1900 words, send il at
white heat over the wires, and have 1t
complete in the newspaper office in New
York.
1t would have been a physical impossi-
bility to have written that report under
those conditions. Therefore,, the cores
pondent employed three stenographers,
instructing them to mark their copy "A"
"B," and &C" A little after he began
work with them. First dictated to stem
ographer A for some twenty minutes;
then, leaving the stenographer to write
out his notes the correspondent went to
stenographer B. debating to him twenty
minutes, and then to G. When he had
finished with stenographer C he returned
to stenographer A, who had by that time
written out his notes, and they were put
upon the wires and so the correspond
ent went on a sort of a tpeadnlill eX-
petition making the circuit Of those
stenographers for seven hours. Ten min
utes after he had sent the last page he
| received a dispatch from the home office
stating that the account was all in type.
It has been put in type almost simulta-
neously with It's dictation, but it was
most exhaustive piece of work for the
! correspondent. He had only to speak
without interruption for seven hours,
but he had to bear in mind the faithful
! sending of the sheets as they were written
! out. The achievement of Senator Allen
| of Nebraska in speaking all night in the
| senate chamber has become tradition,
| but il was really no greater exploit than
| was that of this correspondent.
1 might tell you of the. courage required
! to obtain the document which exposed the
| Credit Moblier scandal. of the courage
| and endurance which we're necessary in
order to secure the Information upon
which that latest of national scandals
was based. that which was called the
sugar trust conspiracy. But time fails.
! These illustrations VIII show of what SER
! vice these qualities are for you and for
/ the great public, and how they are al
ways to be confidently called upon and re-
| lied upon when it Is necessary to obtain
| the greater news which, after it has been
| printed enables you to base your judg-
ment upon events, their causes and in
huences, and thus forms public opinion.
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