The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-19
WHY MEN STICK HOLE.

IL rom TIE New " n I<N GAliA4s7 JOA4 NAL
Mr.. IS. Z. A" of New York informs
US that he is a young man of 21. that
he wants to go into the newspaper
business and wants advice as to the
best way to make a great success with
out unnecessary loss of time.
He wants to know If a college educa-
tion is indispensable. To that particu-
lar question we shall reply NO" and
here we drop Mr.. IS. Z. A. being in
a mood to talk to the many thousands
of young men who are in the newspaper
business already rather than to those
outside.
New York city's Newspaper offices,
the newspaper Offices OF every city in
the country, are crowded with men who
are obliged to hang on in the same old
place, never getting any farther ahead,
never feeling satisfied. Old age looms
up unpleasantly near. There is no GER
tainty of retaining place as good as
that which they have. They face many
other complications, including the lack
of ability to save money, which char
acteriZes nearly all newspaper workers.
OF the great army of good average
newspaper workers without special rep
utatiOn or hope. almost every one at
some time or another has made his
little success. One has written a ser
les of stories that all the others have
admired. Another has established a
reputation for dOgged tenaclty in pur-
suing news. Each has had his dreams
of big success.
Little by little the dreams have fad
ed, and the hopeful beginning has set
tied into mOnotonous, disappointing
SameneSS.
Many of these failures need not have
been failures at all. We believe that
the trouble in nine cases out of ten is
failure to absorb the right kind Of ma
terial-new material.
The average newspaper man never
reads He does not study. He talks
shop exclusively. His mind does not
get out of the rut Of his business, a
business at best not more intellectual
than that of an ordinary clerk. His
self-importance is fiattered by those
who seek for the notoriety which
newspaper can give. His faith in hu-
man nature is blunted by the immoral
ity and dishonesty that are daily spread
out before him in his news investiga-
tiOns.
He begins newspaper work with vivid
impressions, with deep interest in his
success and in life generally. He has
read some books, which gives him a
certain style. His own first efforts to
write develop in him a certain original
ity at first
He has at least the originality and
vim of a car horse new to the road. He
jumps the traces and does not know how
to turn corners. But very soon, like
that same car horse, he dWindles into
the dull horse car routine. He reads
no more. Nothing is added to his men
tai store. He thinks of himself and his
assignments and gets no new impress
siOns. His ability is stunted. He be-
comes Park row hack. Had he kept
his mind fresh. feeding it is Industrious
ly as he has been feeding his stomach;
if he had thought as highly of the writ
ings of great men as he thinks of the
cooking at Mouquin's or Martins, he
might be out of the rut today making
a living and reputation worth while
by full use of the ability that his father
and mother gave him.
The writer observed long ago the
working methods of Charles A. Dana.
Mr.. Dana was then over 20. When Wis
tied in his office he was found with two
pairs of spectacleS on his nose reading
Icelandic poems, or, failing that, sitting
knee deep in all sorts of curious cOun-
try newspapers studying the develop
ment of newspaper thought throughout
the land.
When Richard Harding Davis was a
reporter on the Evening Sun it was
Charles A. Dana who first discovered
that as reporter Davis was unusually
good.
Who he asked of his city editor
is the young man who wrote the story
about those boys swimming off the
dock? There is something in him. Give
him a chance"
grew more eager for knowledge as he
grew older. That is why he became
great man in journalism.
His start in New York was less en-
couraging than that of any young re-
porter why may read this editorial.
Horace Greeley did not want him on
the Tribune. In his most whining Gree
ley tones he exclaimed: Those Brook
farm fellows are all lazy. I don't want
any of them" Finally, being very much
urged by a warm personal friend, he
said Dana could go to work for 50 a
week if he wanted to.
Dana was managing editor in six
months. He knew the English langu-
age A majority of young newspaper
men who read this have no idea. what
the English language means. Mr.. Dana
knew French; he knew German; he
knew Spanish and Italian; he read
Gaelic.
Charles a. Dana fed his mind If you
young newspaper men who wonder why
you don't succeed will do the same. you
need not stagnate. You may not be
Charles A-Danas, but you can do some
thing. You need not be disgruntled
failures.