The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-09-03


The Washington and Oregon State Press
Associations united in holding their an
nual conventions in Spokane last week.
There were in the city more than 200
visiting editors and publishers, and as
many OF them were accompanied by mem
bers of their families, the total attend
ance was nearly 400. In the absence of
President Scobey of the Washington AS
ISOLATION, First Vice President Brant of
Vancouver presided. President George b.
Small of Baker City presided at the meet
ing of the Oregon Association. The Ore
gon association selected Astoria as the
next place of meeting, and the Washing
ton association will meet at Seattle next
year.
The associations were entertained by a
musicale for the ladies, trolley ride and
reception for all. At the reception in the
Auditorium Thursday evening, Mayor
Olmsted of Spokane welcomed the Wis
itors, which was responded to by j. A. G.
Brant of Vancouver, Wash and d. NJ. c.
Gault of Hillsboro, Or. A. 2. Tugwell of
Tacoma delivered the Grafton and poem,
written for the occasion by Mrs. Ella Hig
ginson, was read. Historian Charles Prosch
reported that in Washington nine new
newspapers had been started during the
year, and four had died. There are about
250 papers now published in Washington.
The Excursion.
Friday was occupied by an excursion
on Occur d'Alene lake and a sumptuous
luncheon in grove on Occur d'Alene
river. During the trip n. w. Durham, ed
itor of the Spokesman Review, made a
telling address ON Popular Misconcep-
tions About the Press" pointedly treating
of questions which confronted every
owner and publisher of newspaper. He
said:
The public has a notion that the editor
should know everything, but does not
know anything. Every newspaper man
knows much he is never given credit foi
knowing. OF chief Importance in his art
is the knack of knowing what not to
print. If the newspapers of Spokane SHOULD
publish some summer morning all the
shocking facts and secrets they had gath
cred in a single day, there would be trou
bic the next morning on the raging Spo
kane. There would be heard what Bre
Hart has styled the "petulant pop of TIN
pistol"
Another mistaken notion is that Horac
Greeley was the only great American
journalist; that since his forceful han
and great brain ceased to direct the NeN
York Tribune, the newspaper field has sui
fered irreparable loss. If you will take tn
pains to find and examine a copy of tn
New York Tribune of 80 years ago, yo
will be impressed with the vast adyanc
made in the American daily newspape
since Greeley died. The New York Tr
bune of 80 years ago would not stand II
with daily papers printed now in cities {
10000 population or less. The Tribun
was loosely edited, poky in its news SCI
vice, annoyingly opinionated, and laclle
snap and enterprise Horace was an alb
man, and he was smart. He knew whe
to die.
Another popular delusion is that I'll
newspaper worker has an easy and plea
ing task; that, like the gilded youth
Athens, his only concern is to learn an
tell the truth. This popular conce
ton is long cry from Il
truth. The work of writing f
and editing the modern daily paper hi
become a task of enormous detail. II
daily paper is put out under whip al
spur, and from one years end to anoth
the whip is ever singing through the a
and the spur is always in motion. In pea
and in war, in summer and winter, {
Sundays and holidays, the daily pap
must and does make its appearance Wi
all but unfiagging regularity of the su
Trains may run slow and jump the
schedule entirely, the pastor may clio
his church, the lawyer lock his office al
go fishing, the judges take their long SUI
mer vacations, and the merchant m;
close his store on Sundays and holiday
but the vast machine which prints o
daily papers-half of blood and half
steel, and all of driving impulse-mu
never cease its grinding motion. When t
morning paper IS brought in before brea
fast on these cool and fragrant SUNNI
mornings, small heed the reader takes
the little army that toiled through t
nighttime, working in close rooms a
straining nerve and eyesight beneath
electric light that the worlds news mig
be gathered and weighed and sifted, WI
ten out in correct form for the print
and condensed so closely in clearcut hes
lines that the hurried business man m
even read as he runs to catch his car.
But the chief of all decisions is
almost settled conviction that the neN
paper owes something to the town VIII
IL NOT owed nv other business enterDris