Middletown transcript., 1897-06-05

/ w. tHem III dti euI-
toriai or reporforial capacity. Moreover
the salaries paid to women writers and
editors are, as rule, equal to those
given TO members ofthe opposite sex,
and where distinctive merit is shown,
the tendency is to give rather more to
them. There is no department of u
daily, weekly or monthly periodical
that woman cannot fit herself for,
and if she has the will and the ability
she can succt ed. When Miss Midy
Morgan, a number of years ago, per-
formed the duties of cattle and mar
ket reporter for the New York Times,
the last barrier which kept women
writers from the same level with men
in journalism was broken down, and
since then it is admitted that one sex
has as good show in journalism as
the other.
We have had women reporters since
then who have made scoops" for their
respective papers equal in importance
to any ever attempted by men. Several
have Travelled around the world alone
in given number of days; others have
disguised themselves as men to investi- |
gate certains lines of work denied to |
women, and still others have suffered |
incarceration in prisons and lunatic |
asylums in order to spy out the sys-
TENS employed inside of the institu-
items. All that we need now to make
the circle complete is a woman war
correspondent, and If opportunity
should offer itself, there is no doubt
but several would be equal to the EN-.
ergency.
While such sensational methods of
journalism may be pursued by some
professional women writers, the ma +
jority would hang back, and prefer
other lines of work. There is no neces-
sity for any woman to adopt such ex-
treme methods for success in writing,
and in fact very few do. Many self-re-
specting men journalists would refuse
to perform such work for any daily or
weekly. There are plenty of other lines
1f writing that require intelligent,
well-reaL and skilful writers, and of
these a woman desiring to enter journ-
llism should make herself acquain- 4
ed.
In the FIRST place there is a very er-
idea about journalism and lit
,rature, entertained by those who have
gathered their knowledge from period
Gals, and not from natural experience.
Literature is very precarious and
Uncertain profession. Notwilhstand-
ng all that is printed about big
,rices being paid to authors, compari-
lively few can support themselves in
his way. The number of magazines
Ind papers that pay high prices for
tories and articles is SO limited that
,nly dozen or two of the best writers
AN be supported by them. The rest of
he crowd must accept much smaller
ates, and some times so very small
hat it must be a constant daily grind
o make even fair living.
Journalism is the proper profession a
or any one thrown upon her pen for o 5
wing viHHgg, and pure literature can then be l
as side issue. But first, Il
borough study Of journalism will be a.
eeded to make money enough to pay t.
venothe board. Even this work will d.
bsorb enough energy and talent to g
make the days and nights full. Many d
ever thoroughly succeed in journalism al
nd others rest satisfied by mastering z
his profession. The few who succeed "
0 journalism and then make literature Il
success, can be numbered upon the s
ngers of the two bands. Z
a woman should master some sub CT
vet and make specially Of 1t, and &c
len the more she writes upon It, the CT
reater will be the demand for her
'ork. The specially should be one that
of timely interest, and not something in
nat interested people two thousand q
ears ago, but does not appeal to any Il
udy Of this generation. The two great M
It fields for women are the home and df
lshions, and also the children's de- M
artmeDt. There has been steady de- ia
land for merjtorious articles about IN
ls home, description of fashions and ed
setches for children. By nature a "
oman is better fitted to write on hs
lese subjects than men, aud she could I'd
lltiyate her gifts in this direction. -
Ter work will become valuable accord 4
% to the ability she shows in her ar