Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-27
IETTER-WRITgNG.


on. and soon the years crop OF watering
place letters Will be coming into the
newspaper market.
The style OF these letters has changed
with the times. We can recoilect VINE"
a correspondent would have had to an
swer with his life. perhaps, for puphSh-
ing the full names OF ladies VINO were
nrominent at the balls, or al the olher
entertainments, that are now designated
as Functions"
In those days springs letters were
generally written by trained Journalists
who employed their holidays IN "orh
that often resulted in literary gems.
They talked with distinguished men,
gossiped about politics, INDUCED IN reVe-
RES and "reminiscences, recounted the
rlorlos OF the bath or spring. and spiced
their productions with charming descrip-
tons Of scenery. Their papers could
give them much space then, for there
were not many watering-paces 10 De
written about. and one or two letters
during the season satisfied all concerned
IL
or demanded. rather.
Gradually a change came about. Some
one. whose name is unfortunately not
embalmed with those Of other great dis
coverers OF modern times. found out
that the dear girls and their fond mann
mas as well would be delighted II their
friends at home could be apprised or
their successes at the springs or AT the
seaside. and so the ladies' began 10 De
referred TO in print as Mrs. p. or Miss e.
Later a further step was taken-accept-
ably TO the dear creatures-and fuil
initials were used. Still later 1t was as
certained that for mere personals no fault
would be found in any quarter II the
entire name and address were employed
From that point advances in many d.
rections have been made. most generally
with the approval OF those chiefly In
teregted. Throughout this country. and
I'm the South most particularly, news
paper editors have usually exercised
scrupulous care in printing communica-
tons Of this character, and rarely In
deed. has propriety or good taste been
violated. Those with most experience
in letter-writing Of this description assure
us that more complaints come to them
from persons whose names are omitted
than from persons whose names are
printed.
Every newspaper that has name Tor
honesty and decency enjoins upon It's
correspondents that the utmost care be
taken wherever names, especially ladies'
names. are used, and in the editors Of
fee n rigid censorship is exercised over
such manuscripts. SO. too. a censorship
has 10 be exercised against the favorit-
ism that the correspondent may, Willingly
or unwittingly, indulge in-for 1t Is
fact that at the springs, as elsewhere
there are men whose sole purpose In lie
seems TO be 10 get their names inserted
I'm the newspapers. Many Of these sue
coed I'm their purpose. too. II IS hard
IN fight them off. Their ingenuity and
industry are boundless, and often they
"eet I'm their work" upon some novice OF
n correspondent and some unwary editor
Again. the correspondent is frequently
imbued with the idea that a rhapsodicai
neutrality-suspicious. words or poetl-
cal phrases-are necessary to commend
his letters to the editors favor. The
contrary is the fact; "high-falutin' in
Productions condemn the writer and
stamp him as green" And then there
are writers who "dash off, their letters,
and who ask the editor TO fill them in.
This he does-hlls them in the waste
basket
If is not now so much as formerly the
voeue for those who think themselves
eeniuses TO write illegibly; but we have
70 say that this tribe Is not yet totally
extinct. AS a rule. however women are
Greater offenders than men. a MS. from
the pen OF a woman. which is perfectly
| legible, is rare. The large, angular
fashion I'm writing is accountable for much
of this, and then. again, women will sell
dom provide themselves with sheets Of
paper of suitable size or Of sufficient
number. Hence. they have TO interlne
and cross-line. until even the well-known
angelic temper OF the editor Is vexed
beyond endurance With an ever-present
and wide-spreadins love for the fair sex,
we make bold to say that no matter how
highly perfumed letter may be. 1t won
20" with the average editor, especially If
he has scores OF other letters awaiting
his attention at the same time.
The advice we would give to all letter
writer's. male or female. foreign or do
nestle. fashionable or tacky. is first to
have something to write about. Then
write it plainly and pojntedly, bearing in
mind that your MS. will fan into the
hands of a stranger, whose amiability is
unbounied, but whose time is very
! limited.