The age-herald., 1898-01-30
MATT MINORS
 SUNDAY COMMENTS

Murat Haistead. the great Cincinnati editor, has written about ten pages the size of The Age Herald. containing his recollectIons of early journalism in the Ohio valley. Brilliant in many respects. In other respects man of faulty judg- ment. Halstead began his newspaper ca- reer in Cincinnati when a boy about IS years old. There was little news printed in the papers in those days Everything ran to literature and poetry. There was more poetry than anything else. About nine-tenths of the population in those days felt called upon to write for news papers. but the only thing they wrote was poetry. Poetry was marketable in those days. Pages in newspapers were devoted to poetry. I don't suppose there is as much poetry printed in the Cincinnati newspapers in one year now was printed In the sos in one day
 Hastead began his newspaper career at the bottom of the ladder. He worked for more than two years at a salary of sl per week. He lived in a garrett and did his own cooking. He was bold, audacious youngster. He was determined to succeed. It was not many years until he became one of the proprietors of the Cincinnati Commercial, afterward the Commercial- Gazette. He went from police and court reporter to that of general political re- porter. In the natural evolution of the reporter he became managing editor. He was boss of the paper He killed the po- etry craze in good shape. If Halstead lived in Alabama now he would be met with the poetry epidemic, the same that he en- countered in the Ohio valley forty years ago. Halstead grew to be a successful man. lie made the Cincinnati Commercial of the best papers in the Ohio valley. Whatever may be said for against Hal stead it may be set down as an absolute fact that he is an honest man. The edi- torial columns of his paper were never Tor sale. He had opinions and he expressed them. He once remarked to me when I was a youngster, and working on his paper, and gave it in the nature of ad- vice in the matter of conducting the edl- torlal part of the paper-to this effect: 'Whenever you see political thief of either party, proceed at once to club his head off, He said if it not for the independence of newspapers the country would be overridden with thieves in office. 
 Mir Halstead worked for sixteen hours out of every twenty-four for more than sixteen years He was brought up a dem- ocrat He had for his political idol Daniel Webster, the champion of the whigs. Hal stead was Independent in thought when boy. By adopting different politics from those of his father, the young man was ,,it1 bo folks at his old home. where a large majority of the people were democrats. Halstead grew to be one of the great editors of the cen- tral states He was, perhaps, the best all-round newspaper man that ever achiev- ed distinction in this country as great editor. Halstead had nose for news" He knew the people placed more value upon ten lines of news than they did upon five columns of views.
 I remember once when I was very young in the business and was unknown re-
 porter about his paper, a telegram was
 received from small place out in the country announcing the news of a N;ry sensational murder that had happened a few minutes before. It so happened that the telegram fell into Mir. Halstead's hands instead of one of his under editors. He knew there was big piece of news in it, and a repo1ser should be sent to. the scene immediately. He happened to see me passing out of the counting room to go to take local assignment, when he called
 me and showed me the telegram. He knew that I had not had much experience in handling large stories as I was very young in the business. He gave me so many di-
 rections what to do and how to handle it,
 fearing that I might overlook some of the
 most important features of the news and detadls I remarked to him, Suppose it is impossible to get aa the facts?' to which
 ne replied, laughingly "Oh, damn the facts send thse news today and the facts tomorrow Remember, my boy, that this is a newspaper. We want nothing but
 the news" I hurried to the railway sta
 ton as quickly as possible, and caught the first train outgoing to carry me to the scene of the murder. An entire family had
 been killed. It was sensational in the ex- treme. The only way to get the news to the office that night to telegraph it.
 
 After arriving at the scene of the mur-
 der I soon comrrehended its news magni- tude and about how much space would be necessary to print the news and all the details. I tesegraphed the office that it would take att least four or five columns to tell the story. Mr. Haistead answered, saying I coul have twenty if necessary Tn 1 which to tell the news and the fullest de- | tails. I covered! the story in about six columns That was my first great news l paper story. I got the place of honor in l the next days paper, the story beginning | in the first column of the first page. MT. | Halstead further emphasized the impor- | tance of it by writing an editorial on the | atrocbty of the crime When I returned | to the office next day I was warmly con- graduated by the editor when he gave me | an order for $25 extra for my nights work. 1 This was his method of encouraging his reporters, and showing them the value of getting news into the paper.
 Halstead was never friendly to the south. | He was fire-eater on the borders. His