The San Francisco call., 1897-03-26


BET ON THE FIGHT-A. D., City. In the
State of California it has been held that bet
ting on a prize-fight is against good morals,
and the courts have refused to sustain bets on
such.
To VoTE-L. R., City. A man cannot vote in
the state OF California for Presidential electors
or for any other Office unless he is citizen of
the United States and OF the State of Cali
fornia. The fact that a foreigner upon arrival
in California makes a declaration to become
citizen of the United States does not give him
the right to vote in California.
JoURNAIIsM-H. c., City. There is no school
in San Francisco in which journalism is
taught
The correspondent in his communication
writes: "If there is no such school what is
the best method for a person who wishes to
write articles for publication and yet feels the
need of instruction in the routine or discip-
line to acquire the necessary knowledge p
NO better answer can be furnished than that
given by an Eastern journalist when asked q
similar question by an intending Journalist.
1t was as follows:
"There are hundreds of just such young men
who have some literary and journalistic
ability who try their hand in the field of
litera ture and journalism only 10 fall short of
the looked-for eminence and compensation.
Even with the talent the correspondent thinks
he possesses he will, it is likely, find the way
to a position In the literary world beset with
q thousand difficulties, which nothing but the
closest attention and the most unremitting
toll will remove. Take reporter, for in
stance. reporters duties are so numerous
and varied that only the most careful reader of
s daily journal can appreciate the many-s1ded
character of the service. Here is a paper with
the hasty history of the day. We find politics,
city and county affairs, military matters, re-
ligious conventions Government news, social
events, criminal notes. interviews, articles on
special topics, court proceedings, market re-
ports, marine intelligence, sporting news
(such as baseball. cricket races, both running
and trotting, archery contests, pedes rrianism,
football handball, sprinkled with commence
ment exercises), railroad subjects, together
with the almost nd! Jess record of the day; the
musical and dramatic criticisms, the great
range of correspondence, and so on ad infni-
tum. Nothing is said and nothing can be given
of the way this news Is obtained, the short time
to prepare long and important articles for the
columns of the paper for the next morning;
nothing OF the reporter as detective. critic,
Judge of evidence or of his discrimination as
to the value of news. These things come to
the newspaper man only after prayer and
fasting-sometimes great deal OF the lat
ism in his eye thinks he could cut any sort
of figure beside other men who are up
in these several branches, why he has
probably q better opinion of himself than
city editor would have after months trial.
reporters work is done when it is finished;
in other words, it is never done Tomorrow
Will be the same as t0-days III may De late to-
night and early in the morning. His work is
on public exhibition every day. 1t is COM
pared with the work of accomplished journal
lists at every edition of his paper. When the
reporter writes his paper speaks. He is un-
known; his personality is hidden. With all
other work the la borer receives the credit
With reporter the paper he represents Is the
gamer, and Of course to a certain extent he is,
too. But the work is the wheel, moving round
and round until the tire comes off, or the hub
weakens or the spokes break or the axle gives
way; then q new wheel is at hand to take its
place. Reporters are gentlemen of intelli-
gence, good social position, we'll read, hard
ture, and yet are generally indifferently well
paid On the monetary side the profession is
not attractive. 1t is not easy to secure en-
poyment without experience III the many
duties journalism entails"