The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-29

L understand that you have taken up
that most diffiulct language.
ST am now able to read the Rus
sian," was the reply. 81 visited Russia
a year or so ago, and I find that 1 can
get along in speaking the language as
far as ordinary matters are concerned.
L can read anything in Russian with a
slight use Of the dictionary. I keep
some Russian books by me, and when
I have ten minutes to spare [ read
little. Here is my Russian dictionary.
HIere Mr.. Dana picked up a book out
of a case at his side.) And there
Cpointing to another) are some Rus
sian fables which [ am now reading"
Where do you get your linguistic
faculty, Mr.. Dana?'
81 don't know" replied the man of
many languages, unless l was born
with it. When 1 was eleven years
old was working in store in Buff
falo. We had among our customers
many Seneca Indians. I picked up
much of their language from talking
with them. We had also many Ger
mans at Buffalo. I learned something
of the German language, and later
on, when [ went to Harvard college,
I found no trouble at all in acquiring
the German pronunciation
COLLEGE MEN AS JOURNALISTS
you are college bred man." Mr..
Dana. Is college education a neces-
sity to the making of a good journal
ist?"
'I think it is a good thing for a man
to have. a college education" replied
Mr.. Dana. but I don't think it is a
necessity. A college-bred man has a
better trained mind, and as a rule he
can use his faculties to better adyan-
tage, still the boy who is self-educated
often SurpaSSeS him who is college,
bred It depends upon the person. If
he has it in him he will be successful;
if not, he WON'T
Please give me a word of advice for
the young newspaper man of today.
What should they do to succeed?"
Tell the truth and shame the devil"
replied the editor of the Sun.
How about wages in newspaper
work? Have not the hard times af-
fected them?"
81 don't think they have in this
office, though am told they have in
other places. The forces have been
cut down as we'll as the wages Here
III the Sun our men stay with us for
years. We have the merit system,
and some of our best men have gone
in as office boys. The office boy of the
Sun has chance to become managing
editor if he can show that he is the
best man for the place."
But the pay of newspaper men OF
today must be far better than it was
when you were young, Mr.. Dana"
said l.
YES" was the reply: at is. FOR
some of my first newspaper work I
received SIS a week. This was when
1 was twenty-five years old, and was
one OF the editors of the Chronotype
of Boston. A little later on came to
New York to be city editor of the
Tribune. My wages then were SO
week. After awhile I was raised to
$40 week, and at last, when L be-
came managing editor of the Tribune,
l was given an equal salary with Mr..
Greeley, receiving $50 a week.
REFUSED THE RUSSIAN MISSION.
here referred to Mr.. Dana's connection
with President Lincoln assistant secretary
of war, and asked Mr.. Dana why he had never
again accepted office, and whether he had
He replied:
"No, do not care for such things.
have always thought it best to stick to the
newspapers, though I suppose I could have
had official positions had 1 desired them
could have been minister to Russia under
President Lincoln, but when l looked into the
matter found that it would cost me nearly
$40, 600 year to keep up the proper STYLE
of St Petersburg, and that my salary would
only be $4,000 year. 1t did not take much
what has become of the weekly news
paper. Mr.. Dana? Such papers have not the
great circulation which they had in the past
mo, the great weekly is no more II
has been killed by the low prices of paner
and the cheapening of newspaper making.
People will not subscribe for a weekly when
they get daily from their own territory
at from 1 to cents a day. When I left the
New York Tribune its weekly had circua-
ton of 100000, l doubt If it has half that
number today
THE ONE-CENT NEWSPAPER.
Speaking of the prices of newspapers. Mr.
Dana can really good newspaper be made
to sell for 1 cent?"
"a newspaper can be sold at a margin
of profit at a cent, but a good newspaper
should cost at least cents, in order for its
publishers to do justice to their customers
and themselves The higher price enables
careful about extra expenses
''How about the dime museum features of
journalism? Have they come to stay?"
81 don't know what you mean by dime
museum features"
II mean the turning of paper into a