The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-08-13
NEWSPAPER MAKERS
THE MAGNETISM THAT THERE IS IN
THE PROFESSION.

Arnold's Love of the Calling-Chaunces
Depew and HIs "JoIlies"-A Tired Lo,
of Reporters.
like to brag about newspaper men
who have done good work, because the
men themselves don't like it. For one
newspaper man to chant the praises OF
Others of his craft is considered taboo, "
and the very fact of its being tabooed
makes it exceptionally tempting al
times, so frail are we all The proper
professional attitude for a newspaper
Misunderstanding to convention-is that
of being always slightly bored and of
hating above all things to see his own
or another newspaper mans name in
print. AS to being in love with his pro-
fession-well, that's all right fora new
hand just from college, but now-ratsl
Don't you believe word about news
paper work making genuine newspaper
men tired. They couldn't keep away
from it if they tried If Robinson Cru
soc had been newspaper man, he
would have printed a daily edition of
the Juan Fernandez Castaway in blunt
stick type ON the sand in front of his
hut every morning and got out an extra
when he captured Friday.
And it must be that age and rank and
station don tN$erve to benumb this feel
ing. When Sir Edwin Arnold happened
to be in st. Louis a few years ago, a
sudden crisis in NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and
Englishmen glaring at each other across
the rugged crests of the Pamirs, the
"Roof of the World"-made an inter
view with him of especially timely
value. 1t came into my days work to
see him, and at the close of the inter
view he fell to talking about the Incl
dental phases of a possible Russo Eng
ish war.
"Should such war be declared"
said Sir Edwin, 81 would instantly 60
to the front for my paper"-the Lon
don Telegraph" and serve as a special
correspondent 1t is the most fascinat-
ing work in the profession, and there is
none more fascinating outside"
And a moment later the English poet
and newspaper editor was telling me
that he considered James Whitcomb
Riley the most distinctively national of
living American poets, and that to his
mind Riley owed much Of this to the
fact that he was a newspaper poet"
instead of a magazine poet.
If ! only had DR.. Chauncey M. De-
pew here to join in this talk about
newspaper men, then you'd begin to
realize what fine fellows they really
are. DR.. Depew couldn't live without
newspaper men. They visit him in his
private Office in the New York head
quarters Of the New York Central rail
road, and they laugh at the jokes in his
after dinner speeches and boom him for
the presidency Of the United States and
for anything else he may desire simply
because they like him and he likes
them. The first and only time 1 ever
saw DR. Depew was at the Republican
national convention Of 1892 in Mime
apolis, whittier Dr. Depew repaired as
one of the "Big -Four" of that very
lively convention. He was surrounded |
six deep by newspaper correspondents
facing them, tall and irreproachably
groomed, looking for all the world like
the swell old heavy father in 1.-THE
Bankers Daughter" and giving out all
the news he consistently could, sup
pose. And when he had exhausted his
budget for the time being he turned in
and gave them 'Depew jolly" of the
press which was really a daisy in its
line. Of course I'm not going to tell
you what he said, because, honestly, it
was bit steep, but just want to give
you an idea that l would be greatly re-
enforced in this talk if / could have Dr.
Depew here to take a hand in it.
Talking Of conventions and bearing
IN mind my already expressed disbelief
in The possibility of newspaper mans
ever getting tired Of newspaper work.
want to make a kind of execution.
The tlredest lot of newspaper men |
ever saw was at the close of the famous
all night session of the Democratic ma
tional convention of that same year
l092-ln Chicago. 1t was the night of
the great anti-Cleveland fight made by
Tammany III the last ditch; the night
when BOurke Cochran made the great
est speech Of his life; the night when
such an orator as Daniel of Virginia
was booted from the platform because ]
the convention was actually too ex-
hausted to listen; the night when Cleve-
land was nominated. With one recess,
If l am not mistaken, the convention
remained in session from 10 O'Clock one
until 4 O'Clock the next 1t '
was crucial session, too, and kept !
on the alert every mo- '
ment. BOurke Cockrans speech against &
Cleveland was made about $3.50 in the 1
morning, and dying man would have t
been forced 10 listen and thrill at its
eloquent invective and mastery sar- /
,asm. But after that came the awful c
slump of utter WEAKNESS. When the
adjourned, day had broken {
over Chicago and the streets were gray I
in its early light White faced and {
imp, the corps of special correspond i
'nts almost staggered out and made 8
heir sleep blind way to their respect v
We hotels. Tired? Yes, but it was as i
oldier is tired in the trenches A few C
hours sleep and the fight would be re-
umed as CALAMITY as ever.-R. D.
saunders in st. Louis Republic.
WOOdcock Eggs.