The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-14
HIS OLD POSITION.
Great Editor Who Had Been An En-
gineer on the Times.

Pixley, in the Times-Herald.
Several years ago, when the wave Of
municipal speculation was at its height
and boom" towns were springing UP
like mushrooms throughout the south,
1 was sent into Alabama by a New
York paper to look over the new
"cities"
At one place I found that "land
and improvement company" had been
organized with S5,0O0,O00 capital and the
boomers had started out to build a
city just as an ordinary business men
would organize a manufacturing plant.
Streets were cut through the woods for
miles in each direction, and were curb
ed and guttered and lighted by electric
lamps. Electric street cars made regu-
lar trips along these thoroughfares. OF
course they carried no passengers, for
the city as yet had no residents. There
were q few houses, scattered here and
there, which had been built by the COM
pany. 1t was expected that ultimately
the intervening wastes would be COW
cred by residences erected by newcom-
ers. In the midst of the woods was a
first-class hotel, thoroughly equipped
in every department. 1t cost probably
100000, and was doing business with
out a guest. An elaborate waterworks
| system was in operation, with no cne to
use the water, and there was a tele-
phone exchange with several hundred
| instruments scattered about the woods
all paid for by the boom" corpora
| tion. The president of the company"
found me at the hotel, and volunteered
to explain the fine points Of his city"
! Finally he said: "Of course, sab, we
have a daily papah heah, but 1t doesn't
strike me as being just right somehow.
1t doesn't look like the Cincinnati En-
! quirer, sab, and / wish you would look
it oVah and see what's the mattah."
He explained that the Journalist
who had charge of the daily had come
from the Chicago Times, and had been
set to work because of his evident ex-
perience in newspaper work. It was a
morning daily, and that evening call
ed at the sanctum to pay my respects
to the Chicago man. He proved to be
an impressive fellow, with a shiny
Prince Albert coat and a silk hat. In
one corner of the room a telegraph op-
orator was receiving the full report Of
the best press association in the world
Several compositors were setting it in
! small plea, just as it came in, without
any headlines whatsoever except the
one word photographic" which led the
first page. 1t was a hopeless tumble
of fires. collisions, market reports
robberies and other news matter, and
running through it all was an obituary
of Senator Conkling-a few lines Of
Conkling, then a fire; more Conkling,
then robbery; more Conkling, and a
collision, and SO on throughout the
page.
How large a staff do you have?" I
inquired.
well, there are four setting to-
night" he replied, evidently referring
to the compositors.
How many reporters?" I asked.
None" he said, I'm 1.-THE whole
thing"
How do you get your local news?"
I asked.
"By telephone" was the reply.
IF anybody hears anything he usual
ly telephones it in. If he doesn't care
enough about it to do that, why, it
doesn't get into the paper, that's ALL
1 can't run after such things"
"You are from Chicago, believe"
I ventured
| 'Useu 10 be, he SAID. Il was with
the Times till two years ago. Then l
went to purchasing cattle on a ranch
out west and stayed there till drifted
into this job"
II know a great many of the Chi
cago newspaper boys" I remarked
What position did you hold on the
| Times?"
Casting a glance toward the COM
positors and drawing closer so that
the president of the company" could
not overhear him, he said confidential
ly: Don't give it away 1 was the
|